Musings | “Desk” Pain and microStretching®
“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live”
Much of the posts we do here for Musings are rooted in the emotional side of life, often focusing on how we feel, think and act. Today, we depart from that angle and introduce a couple of concepts related to our physical health. Below you will find information and tips to help you reduce stiffness and pain and a different approach to stretching that enhances relaxation and recovery.
Pain and Stiffness
If you spend a lot of your day sitting, you may be lacking strength in your glutes and experiencing tightness in your hamstrings and hip flexors (glutes, hamstrings, and hip flexors are the main muscles in your upper legs). Tightness in these muscle groups can cause pain in your lower back and result in a decreased range of motion (i.e., feeling stiff and sore). If this describes how you are feeling, it may be helpful to engage in some light stretching throughout the day or after sitting for long periods. This article outlines and describes five exercises to help stretch and strengthen your glutes, hamstrings, and hip flexor muscles. You can do them without warming up or after moving about (walking, working out, etc.). Try it for a week or two and see if your body feels better! Not related to stretching, but another way to show your body some love is to get up and move at regular intervals (every 30 to 90 minutes). Movement coupled with light stretching and strengthening can go a long way in reducing the pain and stiffness associated with sitting at a desk for long periods.
microStretching® - Enhancing Relaxation and Recovery
microStretching® is a recovery-regeneration technique used to dampen the sympathetic nervous system (the one that triggers a fight or flight response). A relaxation response is created (i.e., the parasympathetic nervous system is engaged) through this activity. microStretching® is a stretching technique that is fully supported and causes no pain. Stretching, when done this way, is akin to placing your body in lukewarm water. When the body is placed in a supported, pain-free position, the parasympathetic nervous system is engaged, relaxing the body, thereby enhancing its recovery and regeneration. The process is helpful for everyone, from those in their senior years right through to elite athletes. Dr. Nikos Apostolopoulos discovered this technique through his Ph.D. research, and he went on to found and further develop microStretching® and Stretch Therapy™. If you are interested in learning more about microStretching® and giving it a try, check out this article. In it, you will find explanations of the seven critical stretches. There are illustrations and descriptions of each stretch at the end of the document. Please note that the article is rooted in sport examples, but the technique applies to all ages and ability levels. To learn more about microStretching® in general, including courses and workshops, check out www.microstretching.com.
Resources & Sources
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