Out of your normal routine and feeling restricted. Maybe you’re needing to work from home. More time spent at the computer, and ongoing online meetings. You find yourself screaming at the screen because technology just isn’t playing the game! Your normal daily movement is possibly limited, and with the best will in the world. Our posture can slip stuck at a computer for hours.
Maybe staying in has reduced your motivation, and you find yourself on the sofa for longer periods. Or not sure how to fill the new amount of free-time.
Maybe the lockdown has affected you financially. You’re worried about how long this could all last. Possibly feeling tense and anxious.
You maybe worried about keeping friends and family safe. Or perhaps spending 24/7 with your family is driving you around the bend!!
Any of these factors, or a combination of, could quite understandably make you feel stiff and uncomfortable. We can’t control the external factors working upon our current daily existence, and we don’t know how long this is for. We can however do something practical, and relatively simple to try and look after ourselves.
So the following exercises give you a short routine to limit restriction and try and relax for a moment. Remember, nothing should be painful. So stop if you have a problem.
Unfortunately I can’t help you in the usual way, but am available for online consultations should you have any more pressing issues.
Sitting on a chair. Place your right hand to the back of the seat, left hand onto your right knee. Keep the gaze level and twist to look behind you. Hold for 5 relaxed breaths. Reverse the position to repeat on the other side.
Do this with arms up or down. Bend to one side. If your arm is raised. Then add a little more upward energy with the opposite hand to increase the stretch to the side. Hold for 5 relaxed breaths, then repeat on the other side.
To stretch the shoulder blade area. Bring one arm across the chest. Add pressure above the elbow with the opposite arm. Repeat on the other side.
This could be a chair or a low step – your choice. Place a heel onto whatever you’re using. Hinge at the hips to lean forwards and feel a stretch at the back of the leg. Repeat on the other side.
Hold onto something for support. Swing your leg back and fourth 5 times. Try and make sure your back remains still. This will probably make the moment smaller, but will be purer at the hip joint. Repeat on the other side.
Finally chill-out for as long as you can. Lay down, or practice sat down. Think about breathing deeply into your lower ribs and diaphragm muscle in a relaxed way. Placing a hand on the tummy area will give you a better sense this. If you are breathing into this area, you will feel this hand rise with the in-breath.
