Do you sometimes feel sluggish, tired, achy, sore or have low energy? It could be that you are suffering from some basic physical problems. If you sit still for long hours in your car, at your job or at home watching TV, you could be hurting your body over time. Without frequent movement, your muscles waste away, joints become stiff and normal chemical processes in your body change. In fact, your circulation and lymphatic systems slow down causing a backup of toxic wastes, such as cholesterol, that are normally produced and excreted by your body.
Lack of movement and poor posture are the frequent causes of chronic low back pain, headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain and pain in the hips / knees or legs. Slumped posture actually changes the shape of your spine, closes the joints of your shoulders, tightens the tissues around the hips and produces a host of other problems.
The fundamental rule of the human body
Your body was designed to move and without it, body systems start to fail. However, movement can at times be limited if you find yourself having pain, stiffness or general lack of activity. This restriction of movement can lead to other long-term health problems and chronic pain. The key to being healthy is placing a big emphasis on exercising and movement. In order to keep moving, your body needs to be flexible, strong, have good balance and good nutrition.
Physical Therapy focuses on helping your body achieve optimum performance for your body’s critical areas. With years of medical training in analyzing and treating movement, physical therapists are the uniquely qualified specialists that help people move better. With good movement, pain reduces quickly with a return of energy and a better mood.
Easy steps to increase movement, decrease pain and increase your energy:
- Decide to get up and get moving
- Get up from your chair every 20 minutes, and walk around, even if just for a few seconds
- Walk or exercise at least 30 minutes everyday
- Drink plenty of water
- Stretch your legs, hips, spine and neck daily for 10 minutes
- Don’t push into painful movements, rather work within the available range of motion
- Make sure you are sitting properly at your desk or computer
- Take frequent breaks to deeply inhale / exhale
- Stretch your arms overhead frequently throughout the day
- Do strengthening exercises at least 2-3 times a week
If you find yourself in pain, aching, injured or unable to move like you want to, simply give us a call. Our expert physical therapists provide a comprehensive evaluation to find the root cause of your problem, then put together a complete plan that works to get you moving, pain-free again. Contact us today to learn more!