New Years resolutions don't need to end with an injury...we can help

Getting fit in 2013? Kick-start the New Year with Chart Clinic’s exercise tips…

The end of the festive season sees millions of people in Britain pledge to make a New Year’s resolution. Unfortunately many of these good intentions will be abandoned by the end of January.

A December of office parties, entertaining and overindulging through the Christmas holiday are a great reason to make us want to kick-start 2013 with a healthy diet and some exercise.

Exercise related injuries are a regular occurrence in the New Year, something that we see all too frequently at our Reigate clinic.

If getting fit is on the top of your list, here are a few tips to keep you motivated and avoid injury - the two leading causes of quitting an exercise program.

• Pick a type of exercise you will enjoy– you are more likely to keep at it.
• Perform a warm up routine and stretch before and after you exercise, also do a warm down afterwards. Doing this before and after exercise decreases the chance of hurting yourself, as muscles are less likely to get injured if they are warm and relaxed.
• Build up slowly, if you haven’t exercised in a while ease yourself back in gently, a beginner to running won’t be able to run a marathon right away, mix brisk walking with some light jogging and increase distances gradually.
• Even if you are not a beginner to a sport, think about taking some coaching or a lesson. Improving your technique will decrease your chances of picking up an injury.
• Avoid being a ‘weekend warrior’ by spreading exercise throughout the week. Overdoing it at the weekend will put you more at risk of injury.
• Listen to your body. Pain, swelling and stiffness are your body’s way of telling you to ease back on an exercise routine. If you find that these symptoms do not resolve themselves, or are beyond what you consider normal, it may be time to seek medical attention.
• Prevent injury, and boredom, by balancing cardiovascular exercise, weight training and stretching in your exercise routine.
• If in doubt ask, seek advice from a professional, sports injury specialists can offer advice on taking up an exercise regime and injury care.

Wishing you a Happy New Year and a New You, Good luck!

To find out more how an Osteopath or Sports Massage can help you, or for more information visit our website www.chartclinic.co.uk or call 01737 248 023

 

Smartphone user? How smart is your posture?

The smartphone is undoubtedly one of the most significant innovations of most recent times, with ever increasing capabilities and ease of use, more and more people are spending time on them. But this is not just limited to smartphones, portable tablets also, allow  users to spend time on them easily whether at home, travelling or commuting to work.

A recent study found that people spending longer on these devices outside of work hours could potentially be putting themselves at risk, this article on the BBC New Website summarises the findings - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18490433

Reproduced with permission from Joseph E. Muscolino, DC. Art work by Giovanni Rimasti. Originally published in the Massage Therapy Journal: Seven Keys to Healthy Neck Posture, 2010

So what can smartphone and tablet users do to avoid the potential pitfalls of using these devices and causing strain on their backs and necks? Well as obvious as it may seem, just watch your posture. Slouching causes undue strain in the neck and back, compound that effect by flexing your neck forward on an already hunched back and you have a pretty disastrous position for you spine.

To avoid placing excessive tension through the muscles in the back of your neck and back, the user can simply bring the device up to eyelevel and support the hand holding the smartphone or tablet with the other arm, the accompanying picture is self explanatory and a useful visual guide to help improve your smartphone posture.

If you are suffering with back and neck pain, try and alter the way you use your smartphone/tablet, how does it feel? Is there less strain in you neck and back? If you would like to know more about how and Osteopath can help you, please feel free to get in contact.