Five Exercises to reduce neck and shoulder pain

Regular readers of my blog know how much I bang on about how incorporating weights into your exercise programme is essential to maintain a good posture and healthy musculature.  Well, I've just found an article in Science Daily which backs up my claims:

"ScienceDaily (Nov. 18, 2009) — Strength training exercises using dumbbells can reduce pain and improve function in the trapezius muscle, the large muscle which extends from the back of the head, down the neck and into the upper back. The exercises also improve the muscle's ability to respond quickly and forcefully among women suffering trapezius myalgia, a tenderness and tightness in the upper trapezius muscle. The results are the latest findings from an ongoing Danish study aimed at reducing repetitive strain injury caused by office work."

To read the full article click here.

To see what the exercises are click here.

The Beauty of Sleeping

As a massage therapist I love my sleep.  Anything less than 8 hours a night and I can feel it.  Come to think of it,  I've always loved sleeping and napping.  In fact I'd like to come back either as a cat or a sloth.

In society today being able to survive on very little sleep is lauded.  After all, just think how much more can be achieved, how much more work can be done.  I had a colleague once who used to brag about waking up at 3 a.m to check his Blackberry for e-mails from our U.S head office!

The benefits of sleep, particularly short naps are increasingly being researched and recognised. Some of the leading companies in the world such as Google, now invest in sleep.  Well napping actually.  They have installed Energypods [see above] which allows employees to lie down, block out light and sound and catch 40 winks.  They also invest in providing regular massage for employees.  What a great place to work!

A recent article in the New York Times says "research has shown that sleep enhances performance, learning and memory.  Most unappreciated of all, sleep improves creative ability to generate "aha!" moments and to uncover novel connections among seemingly unrelated ideas.

Unfortunately, not all companies are as forward thinking as those in silicon valley.  For heavens sake, most companies in the U.K still haven't grasped the concept of hot-desking, flexible working hours or working from home.  I get the feeling that the average employer simply doesn't trust their employees.  Oh well....... we catch on later over here...... maybe one day..........

To read this interesting article in full click here.

Core stability - why it's important

I have a very vivid memory of my Gran telling me to pull my stomach in. Even in the 60's it was common knowledge that pulling your tummy in was good for you - made you look slimmer and also improved your posture.

Now of course, with all the advances in sports medicine and research we know that even back then the idea had solid reasons behind it. Now the equivalent of "pulling in your stomach" is called "improving core stability".

Core stability is an essential determinant of success for all sports people, be they cyclists, runners or swimmers, football or rugby players, golfers or rowers. That’s because the body's core muscles are the foundation for all other movement. You don't have to be sporty to benefit from a strong core. A strong core is ESSENTIAL for good posture.

Are you sitting and reading this? Don't do anything now except take your attention to your belly - what is it doing? Are your stomach muscles relaxed? Tense them and see what immediately happens. You can no longer slouch so much right? As you tense your stomach muscles your shoulders have to rise and move backwards. This is an over-simplification of what your core does but it's a pretty powerful example.

The muscles of the torso stabilise the spine and provide a solid foundation for movement in the extremities. These core muscles lie deep within the torso. They generally attach to the spine, pelvis and muscles that support the scapula. When these muscles contract, we stabilise the spine, pelvis and shoulders and create a solid base of support. We are then able to generate powerful movements of the extremities.

The biggest benefit of core training is to develop functional fitness - that is, fitness that is essential to both daily living and regular activities.

To learn more about your core and to see all the different muscles involved click here.

Pilates and Yoga are great for strengthening the core - along with these exercises which you can do at home.

Are you sitting comfortably?

Nearly everyone is familiar with the word "ergonomics" and most people will swear blind that their desk is set up correctly and they do their best to sit with good posture ........ but is this really true?

Your desk set-up may well be an ergonomic paradise but if you sit at your desk for long periods of time without getting up your muscles start to tense up. Throw into the mix deadlines, stress and no lunchbreak and very soon your head is doing a brilliant imitation of a tortoise and your shoulders have become earrings.

Ergonomics are indeed important but only part of the solution. The most important thing to remember is to take regular breaks. Get up and walk around at least every half hour. Ask yourself as often as you can "are my shoulders relaxed" and "is my head floating on top of my spine" ?

It's said that it takes between 21 and 30 days for behaviourial changes to become a habit. Good posture has such far reaching physical and mental effects that a little hard work now will pay out big rewards.

Read this article about 8 Reasons To Have Good Posture - you'll be surprised to learn how posture affects your breathing, digestion, mood and even your voice.

If you are aware that you have long standing areas of muscular tension then regular massage is a great way to address the problem, in tandem with postural correction and stretching exercises.

Great packed lunches for busy people

The average person eats 230 sandwiches a year. Now, if you buy your sandwich every day that mounts up to the cost of another holiday!

Making your own lunch is not only lighter on the wallet but can make you lighter too. Many shop bought sarnies are high in fat and salt. Let's face it food made in bulk on a converyor belt is never going to taste as good as one made fresh by you. Also shop chains and even sandwich shops aren't always going to use the best ingredients. Most of the time cost is the overriding factor, so battery hen eggs, intensively farmed bacon etc. will no doubt be going into your sandwich.

Take a look here to find some quick, easy sandwich recipe ideas which are specifically designed for people who exercise or lead very busy lives.

If you can't always find the time to make your own, this article also highlights "shop bought champions" from Boots, M&S, Starbuck and Pret.

Don't forget to get up and walk outside for some of your lunch hour. It clears the head, gets the circulation going and will pep you up for the rest of the afternoon.

Easy stretches to do at your desk

Many of my clients have tension in their upper shoulders, neck and between their shoulder blades. This is often caused by prolonged use of the computer, slightly hunching forward toward the screen and sitting for prolonged periods.

In two and a half minutes, without leaving your desk, you can do a series of easy stretches which will mobilise your muscles and joints.

Why not print out this page and attach it to the side of your screen or have it on your desk.

The key is little and often. Maybe before you get up to make a drink or whenever you're aware that you're seizing up. After persevering for a couple of days you'll notice the difference!

"Sickies" reach highest levels today

Hundreds of thousands of workers are expected to call in sick today, on the worst day of the year for absenteeism.

Experts say post-christmas blues and poor weather mean that the first monday in February is the day staff are most likely to take an unofficial day off. Surveys suggest that around 310,000 workers will take a "sickie" today. At an estimated cost of £27 million to industry.

I think some U.S companies and maybe some forward thinking U.K companies, allow for a small number of "duvet days" or "personal days". Whereby staff can phone in on the day [workload permitting] and say they can't face work that day. Well words to that effect anyway. A really good idea I think.

In need of a "pick me up?". Massage can stimulate or calm the nervous system-depending upon what is required by the individual-and thus help reduce fatigue, leaving the reciever with a feeling of replenished energy. At its best, massage has the potential to restore the individual physically, mentally and spiritually.

Massage Yourself Better - At Your Desk

Ever found yourself slumped over your computer at lunchtime, aimlessly surfing the web? Tsk, Tsk! you should be getting up from your desk and going for a walk in the fresh air and natural light. However, should it be raining or snowing or you're bored senseless with the streets around you office, you could do a lot worse than give yourself a 5 minute massage.

I've found this great 5 minute video which is easy to do:

Self-massage at your desk.

90 second stress busting stretches

Muscles which stay in one position for too long become stiff. Blood flow is restricted, toxins build up - which can cause knots - and muscles loose their elasticity.

Doing these simple and quick stretches throughout the day can help prevent this.

- Print out these stretches
- Stick the page up next to your computer
- Do them every time you have a cup of tea
- Feel the difference!

Click here to get a bigger version to print [choose pdf version]