The good news is that aches and pains, which do not arise as a result of chronic diseases such as arthritis, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia … can most certainly be eliminated.
These pains generally stem from stress, bad posture and incorrect biomechanics. Stress causes body/mind tension that affects all aspects of the physical body. Bad posture affects muscular tone and balance, breathing and skeletal alignment. Proper skeletal alignment provides structural support to the body and is necessary for efficient body movement.
When we accumulate muscular tension in specific areas (neck, shoulders, back) these parts become rigid and painful – from the effort of being continually contracted. Overtime these muscles shorten, from habitual contraction without stretching, and lose their natural flexibility. (Does this sound like you?) Muscles are designed to both contract and lengthen. All movement and direction in space; to reach, to bend, to twist, to pull, to advance, to retreat, to turn … is the result of this dual action on the bones, in very specific ways, causing articulation of movement. When this natural action is restricted by rigidity, range of motion is decreased. Decreased range of motion overtime further locks down the body pulling bones out of alignment. As the body becomes more bound by rigidity, bad posture and restricted range of movement the natural equilibrium and harmony of the body are disturbed. The resulting imbalance causes wear and tear on the joints, ligaments and tendons as well as chronic stress in certain muscles, prompting, for example, back pain.
Pain creates fear of pain. Fear of pain creates tension and compensation. Tension and compensation cause more imbalance, new pains and on and on it goes. Aging and the force of unconscious habit compound the problem. And, let us not forget the power of gravity. Good posture, gravity acts to keep you up straight. Bad posture, gravity causes you to shrink and curve down. Oh lalalala ! Don’t we know it? When clients first come many appear to me to be “prisoners of their bodies”. Although, this may sound a little harsh, it is actually this reflection that motivated me to find the solutions that now make up the Well being for Life program for which I am so appreciated.
Now for some Tips:
- Stretch, stretch, stretch – gently and take your time
- Always warm-up before and cool down (stretch) after physical activity, and avoid pain and injury
- Learn to relax and breathe to release muscular and mental tension (massage, sauna, Yoga, Tai Chi, having fun etc.)
- Improve posture and body movement. Chances are you will need guidance (good teacher/trainer, osteopath etc.) to achieve this in the beginning so you can:
- Develop the body awareness necessary to change unconscious habit.
- Have corrections made specifically for your body so you can then self correct
- Be taught the right exercises, in the right way, to train good posture and body movement.
Once you have learned body awareness, the basics of posture and biomechanics you can then apply them, on a daily basis, in your everyday life. These simple little things (which are huge at first) will contribute significantly to your having a supple, elegant and pain free body. Contact me if you have any questions.
Next month I will tackle the challenging issue of chronic pain. Wishing everyone a wonderful day and a great summer!
P.S. If you are interested in training older adults, please contact me.
Also, feel free to leave a comment about any of my articles.
Lisa
Leave A Response