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Tag: exercise
Beyond Chronic Pain: a Personal Journey to Create Healthier Habits
Beyond Chronic Pain: a Personal Journey to Create Healthier Habits
Finding Vitality and Joy in your life
Physiotherapist Jodie Krantz shares her healing journey towards a more satisfying and comfortable way of living within with her own body. Retracing her steps, Jodie invites you to join her on a challenge to improve your own quality of life and perhaps that of your nearest and dearest.
I reached the age of 50 with my body in a condition better than many my age. Being a Physiotherapist I had always done some form of exercise. My weight was in the upper end of the healthy range for my height. I didn’t smoke or drink to excess – ever. I’d always watched what I ate and ‘listened to my stomach’, stopping when I felt full. I considered myself very fortunate to have completed my training as a Feldenkrais practitioner in 1999. This was a profound learning process which gave me access to the tools to keep my body moving like a much younger person, even into old age.
Yet the small aches and pains had accumulated over the years to the point where there was never a day without some sort of pain. Headaches were frequent and although not severe, made me nauseous, fatigued and thick-headed. This very unpleasant feeling would last 2 to 3 days or more. Foot pain made it hard to walk for more then 20 minutes. My lower back twinged frequently, especially after sitting and in bed at night. I often complained to my partner about being tired. Worst of all, severe episodes of lower back pain had seen me bed-bound and off work for up to 5 weeks.
I knew what I had to do, but it was hard to do it. I had to change some fundamental habits I had formed in over 50 years. The intentions I set for myself were:
- To allow myself the ‘luxury’ of getting treatment when needed
- Improve my diet and rid myself of ‘addictions’ – sugar, coffee and alcohol
- Shed a few kilos
- Reduce my stress levels
- Increase my cardio-vascular exercise
- Get enough sleep on a consistent basis
There was no point changing everything at once. The body doesn’t like radical change and it’s usually not sustainable. The biggest challenge I faced was finding the extra time required, a challenge I know that many of my friends, family, colleagues and clients share!
Next birthday I turn 57. In the past few years I’ve turned my life and my pain around. Fatigue as I once knew it, is but a distant memory. I simply feel the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.
5 Ways to Counteract Sitting at Work
Five Ways to Counteract Sitting at Work
1. Micro-breaks
Eye breaks – every 20 minutes spend 20 seconds focusing your eyes on something 20 feet away from you (the 20 – 20 – 20 exercise). You should also blink the eyes a few times to lubricate them.
Deep breathing with an overhead stretch (sitting or standing). Interlace the fingers. Take a deep breath in as you raise your hands overhead and turn the palms towards the ceiling, looking upwards slightly. Repeat 3 times.
2. Walking breaks
Once every 30 to 60 minutes move away from your desk and walk briskly around the office. These short periods of activity that are simply part of your daily routine are known as ‘incidental exercise’. They are useful for preventing stagnation of the circulation. They help to raise your metabolic rate. There are many apps available to help remind you to get out of your chair.
You may simply get up, walk to another room and drink a glass of water or use the bathroom. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you stop working either. The break could be used, for example, to discuss something with a colleague or use the photocopier. Walking or jogging on the spot can provide an additional boost for your circulation. A short but brisk walk during the lunch break is another possibility.
3. Walking meetings and walking phone calls
Standing or walking during meetings helps increase activity level and lifts metabolic rate. If you use a mobile phone at work, make sure you have earphones with an inbuilt microphone. This way you can remain mobile while talking with colleagues or clients.
4. Walk to work
If you live too far from work to walk there, try parking your car further away and walking for the last 10 or 20 minutes. Taking public transport usually involves walking to and from the train or bus, which could be an improvement on taking your car. Research shows that we need an absolute minimum of 150 minutes a week of cardio-vascular exercise. This can be made up of any blocks of exercise that are at least 10 minutes long.
5. Active computer work stations and fit desks
Active work stations and fitdesks are a fantastic way to increase activity levels during the working day. Treadmill work stations allow you walk while you work. Cubii is an under desk elliptical that you can use while you work, without your knees hitting the desk. It has bluetooth connectivity so you can keep track of how far you have pedaled on your phone. Here is an interesting article that compares cycling desks with treadmill desks. The treadmill desks are more expensive but don’t interfere as much with productivity and the ability to work on a computer.
Stretches you can do at your desk
Stretches at work are helpful for reducing muscular tension and feelings of stiffness.
The following stretches can be done without leaving the vicinity of your desk. They target the most common places people feel tension after being at a computer.
READ OUR DISCLAIMER Please seek medical advice before commencing exercises, if you have a painful or medical condition.
Spine twist – Sitting in your chair, twist around to one side and look behind you, hold for a few seconds and repeat to the other side. This exercise helps stretch the shoulders, lengthen the back and fills the lungs with air, expanding the chest.
Forward bend – Sitting in your chair, slide your arms down your legs and let you head hang forwards, hold for 2 or 3 breaths in and out, then return to sitting. This gently stretches the lower back if it has been arching or compressed. It may help to help relieve lower back tension.
Pectoral stretch – Stand up, interlace the hands behind your back and raise the arms slightly towards the ceiling. The pectoral muscles at the front of the shoulders often become tight while using a keyboard. This exercise helps to lengthen them.
Back bend standing – Stand up, tighten the buttock muscles, use the hands to support the lower back and gently lean backwards, while looking upwards. Repeat several times without holding. This helps to counteracted a rounded lower back that can occur from slouching.
Stop sign stretch – Stretch one arm out in front of you with your elbow straight and your palm facing forwards, as in a policeman’s stop sign. Use the other hand to gently stretch the fingers back. Hold for a few seconds then repeat on the other side. This forearm stretch helps prevent Golfer’s Elbow (pain on the inside of the elbow).
Forearm stretch – Make a soft fist with one hand and extend it out in front of you, elbow straight. Turn the thumb side of the hand slightly towards the floor. Use the other hand to gently bend the wrist downwards. Do not do this stretch if you feel strain in the wrist. You may feel a stretch in the forearm if the extensor muscles which attach to the outside of the elbow are tight. Tight wrist extensors can lead to Tennis Elbow.
Also refer to our article “The Risks of Prolonged Sitting”
The Risks of Prolonged Sitting
The Risks of Prolonged Sitting
A business woman stretching at her computer Prolonged sitting at a computer endangers your health
Do you feel stiff and sore after prolonged sitting at a computer for a few hours?
Along with poor posture, sitting at a computer can contribute to Occupational Overuse Injuries. These were previously called Repetitive Strain Injuries or RSI. Neck and shoulder pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and lower back pain are common in people who sit too much. Screen brightness and constant focal length can also cause eye strain. Many businesses now offer ergonomic work station assessments to help reduce these workplace injuries.
How many hours do you sit each day?
Try this calculation.
- Consider your morning routine on a average work day. How many hours are you sitting before you arrive at work? Include time spent sitting during breakfast, mobile phone or computer use, watching television and traveling to work by car, bus or train.
- Estimate the number of hours you sit at work each day. Include your lunch break.
- Finally consider the time you spend sitting between leaving work and going to bed. This includes sitting while you travel home, use your computer, mobile or TV. It might also include sitting while you read, eat or just relax.
- Add the 3 numbers together. You may be surprised at the total number of hours you are sitting on the average work day.
Research reveals serious health risks of prolonged sitting
Stiffness, pain and tension may not be the most serious risks faced by people in sedentary occupations. There is now scientific evidence that prolonged sitting is even more harmful.
An Australian government site warns that sitting for more than 11 hours per day can increase the risk of death within the next 3 years by 40 percent. Regular prolonged sitting is related to a higher incidence of diabetes, heart disease, obesity, fatty liver disease and some forms of cancer. The risks may also be present for those who exercise regularly before or after work.
Another large study at was done at Columbia University. This research involved almost 8,000 participants. Those who sat for at least 13 hours a day combined with multiple sedentary bouts of 60 to 90 minutes had nearly twice the risk of dying within 4 years.
This highlights the need to get up from your chair at least once an hour.
Metabolic syndrome
The main problem with sitting is that it is sedentary. You may be in one position for several hours, with little muscular activity. This results in stagnation of the circulation, pooling of blood in the legs. During periods of inactivity there if often shallow breathing or breath holding.
Your body is always burning energy. Even during sleep the body requires energy in order to carry out processes such as digestion and tissue repair. The metabolic rate is the number of kilojoules (calories) the the body burns per hour. When you sit for long periods the metabolic rate is low.
A reduced metabolic rate means that relatively fewer calories per hour are being used by the body. A possible outcome is Metabolic Syndrome. This condition involves a collection of signs and symptoms:
- increased blood pressure
- high cholesterol
- elevated blood sugar levels
- weight gain (especially around the abdomen).
Getting up regularly for a short brisk walk can help raise the metabolic rate. Research shows following vigorous exercise that the metabolic rate remains higher for up to 24 hours afterwards.
Mental health problems and prolonged sitting
A further problem with prolonged sitting is its effect on mental health. Research is now starting to show that it is related to higher levels of depression and anxiety. It is also known that regular exercise can be an effective treatment for mild to moderate depression.
Read about how the Feldenkrais Method can help mental health.
How to counteract prolonged sitting
The best way to counteract these problems is to break up your sitting with frequent short periods of activity. This so called ‘incidental exercise’ can help to counteract the health risks of sitting.
Breaks from sitting in front of a screen are vital for the musculo-skeletal, cardio vascular and respiratory systems as well as for weight management and mental health. The question is, how can these be incorporated into a busy schedule?
Active work stations and active offices – way of the future
Some offices are now creating activity centres or outdoor exercise areas. These are places where staff can participate in short periods of vigorous exercise, for example one to two minutes of cycling on a stationary bike or walking on a treadmill.
Sit stand desks are becoming common. Although there is more muscle use in standing, it is still relatively sedentary and can cause pooling of blood in the legs.
As a result, active work stations are currently being developed. These including cycling computer work stations and treadmill computer work stations. In the future perhaps we will all have the option of being more active, even while working on a computer for much of the day.
5 Ways to Counteract Sitting at Work
Pilates Mini-ball Exercise 2 Pelvic Self-Massage
Improve core stability and shoulder girdle strength while massaging gluteal muscles and back of the pelvis.
TIPS: Keep the shoulders low away from your ears. If it strains your wrists try making fists and resting on your knuckles.
PLEASE REMEMBER: Listen to your body, move slowly and mindfully and never do anything that doesn’t feel comfortable or right to you. This is an intermediate level exercise.
DISCLAIMER: Always seek the advice of a medical professional before beginning any new exercise programme. Jodie Krantz, Free to Move Training and it’s employees and contractors are not liable for any injuries sustained while participating in this exercise programme.
Pilates Mini-ball Exercise 4: The Uneven Bridge
This exercise requires an ability to maintain balance and pelvic stability with the mini-ball in an asymmetric or uneven position under the back of the pelvis.
Expanding Reaching and Turning
The exercises in this video are an abbreviated version of a full Awareness Through Movement Lesson. The Feldenkrais Method is a wonderful way to improve movement, release pain and tension and enhance well-being.
Improving Posture
Improving Posture
Have you ever tried to improve your posture? How well did that work for you? If you are not satisfied with the results, consider attending Feldenkrais classes. The Feldenkrais Method can help you achieve comfortable and effortless posture through ingenious and mindful movement exercises.
The changes become integrated into your every-day life. Soon you will find yourself sitting, standing and moving in ways that you never imagined could be so easy or comfortable.
Body Scan Exercise in Sitting
Sit on a firm chair with your feet flat on the floor. Come forward in the chair a bit so you are not using the back rest. Sit normally and close your eyes for a few moments. Notice your posture. Stay there for a minute or two just observing yourself. Then open your eyes again.
When you observed your posture, what is the first thing that came into your awareness? What parts of the body did you sense? Perhaps you thought about whether you were sitting or standing up straight? You might have become aware or your head, neck and back. Perhaps you sensed your spine and checked its alignment. Maybe you tried to correct yourself. These are things many of us were taught to do growing up.
Consider that parts of your body that may not have been included in your awareness. Your hands and feet? Your chest and rib cage? Was your abdomen free to move with the breath? How long could you sustain this posture comfortably
3 minutes to Better Posture
Now try this short exercise with Ruthy Alon. Then go back to the sitting body scan above and feel the difference.
About Ruthy Alon
Ruthy is an international Feldenkrais trainer who studied and taught with Moshe Feldenkrais for over 20 years. It is hard to believe that in this video she is 85 years old. Ruthy is still teaching, a huge inspiration for those of us interested in healthy ageing.
4 Reasons why trying harder to sit or stand up straight doesn’t work
1. When we try to straighten the spine we often increase effort in the muscles of the back without releasing the flexor muscles in the front of the body. The result is one muscle group working against another. This causes spinal compression.
2. Some of us work so hard in our back muscles to maintain good posture that we end up bowed backwards, thinking that we are actually straight. This ‘military’ style of posture can lead us to be stiff and stuck in our movements. People who do this are usually unaware of it.
3. A common frustration in trying to improve posture is that the changes only work while you are consciously paying attention. As soon as you stop doing that, you slip back into old habits.
4. Yet another problem with this method is that the effort to straighten can result in restriction of the breathing.
4 Ways that Feldenkrais helps improve posture
1. Focusing on dynamic, not static posture
Moshe Feldenkrais described good posture as ‘the ability to move equally easily in all directions’. This is dynamic posture. By contrast, static posture may involve trying to hold yourself still when you are sitting or standing. This may cause breath holding. It’s also literally impossible be completely still. We actually maintain our balance in upright positions by using subtle swaying movements.
2. Reducing effort
As you learn where to let go of unnecessary effort, you will discover how to find more efficient support from your muscles and bones. Learning to move easily in and out of a particular position is just as important as maintaining good alignment.
3. Learning first while lying down
To learn a new way of supporting the body against gravity Moshe Feldenkrais first taught a variety of movement lessons lying down. The reason is that lying down makes it easier to reduce muscular effort. This helps you sense what you are doing more clearly so you can make small adjustments towards greater efficiency. It means you are less likely to fall into inefficient habitual patterns and postures.
4. Expanding the self-image
In the Feldenkrais Method you will learn to bring your attention to each part of the body that is involved in an action. You will learn how even seemingly unrelated parts of the body such as your hands, feet, eyes, ribs and hip joints can influence your posture. The more parts of your body that can be included in your self-image, the more clearly you will know what you are doing. In the words of Moshe Feldenkrais ‘When you know what you’re doing you can do what you want’.
“When you know what you’re doing you can do what you want” – Moshe Feldenkrais.
Relieve Lower Back and Hip Pain with Feldenkrais
Relieve Lower Back and Hip Pain with Feldenkrais
Exercising with Lower Back or Hip Pain
Lower back and hip pain can make it hard to exercise. The alternative – not exercising – can lead to increasing weakness and stiffness, with a tendency to gain weight.
Even if you have already tried other forms of exercise without success, Feldenkrais is different. The focus during the movement classes is on learning to sense your body movements more clearly. Increasing your awareness of your movement habits is the key. That’s why Moshe Feldenkrais called the classes ‘Awareness Through Movement’
‘When you know what you’re doing you can do what you want’ Moshe Feldenkrais
How Feldenkrais Helps
By reducing effort and shifting your attention to the quality and smoothness of the movement, you discover new ways to move with comfort and ease. As you learn to let go of tight muscles, range of movement in your lower back and hips improves. You compare different movement options and discover what works best for your unique body. Better coordination and control of your muscles brings a sense of effortless power.
Help break the cycle of pain and tension in your lower back and hips by enrolling in our regular Feldenkrais Classes in North Perth. All classes are run by a qualified Feldenkrais Physiotherapist.
READ MORE about Feldenkrais Classes.
Foot Fitness Exercise Programme: Relieve Foot Pain
Foot Fitness Exercise Programme: Relieve Foot Pain
Free2Move’s Foot Fitness Exercise Programme has been developed by our principal Physiotherapist Jodie Krantz. It addresses common causes of foot pain such as pronation, joint hypermobility, plantar fasciitis, bunions (hallux valgus), neuroma and metatarsalgia. Jodie has helped people with many different types of foot pain to find lasting relief.
This programme is ideal for complex, recurrent or persistent foot pain (also known as chronic pain) even when it has not responded to the usual treatments, for example Physiotherapy, Podiatry or surgery. The focus is on finding a more ideal alignment, stretching and / or strengthening the feet, legs and core muscles.
A home exercise programme using small firm domes called Foot Wakers and Foot Savers is at the heart of the programme. Jodie believes that the excessive use of orthotics can be detrimental to maintaining healthy foot structure and function. She has found that barefoot exercises to mobilise and strengthen the foot often work when other treatments have failed.
Improving biomechanics and decreasing sensitization to relieve foot pain
Faulty biomechanics and / or incorrect footwear are predisposing factors in many forms of persistent foot pain. In addition, pain sensitization is often an issue and to change this, you need to change the way the brain and nervous system are functioning.
This is where a knowledge of both Clinical Pilates and the Feldenkrais Method can be helpful. Clinical Pilates helps with finding the optimal alignment as well as stretching and strengthening to improve biomechanics. The Feldenkrais Method helps to improve functional activities such as walking, climbing stairs or running and assists with reversing pain sensitization.
Good alignment and orthotics in the relief of foot pain
The primary focus of the exercise programme is to find the best possible alignment between the foot, knee and hip and to improve the functional use of the foot in standing, balancing, walking and any sports or recreational activities. This involves far more than just the foot, in fact even what you are doing with your head, neck and shoulders can affect foot function and gait.
Although orthotics are often helpful as a way to restore good alignment of the foot and ankle, they are primarily a passive form of support. Like a walking stick or crutches, sometimes they are the best long-term solution to foot pain. Whenever possible though, Jodie believes it is better to develop the strength and stability to find good alignment without dependence on orthotics. This is why the exercises are usually done barefoot.
Personal experience with foot pain
Jodie has used exercises with the Foot Wakers and Foot Savers to overcome the pain of Hallux Rigidus, a type of osteoarthritis affecting the big toe. For several years Jodie was unable to walk regularly and even walking around a shopping centre would result in significant pain and swelling. Now Jodie walks comfortably for at least 45 minutes daily and recently participated in a 60km walk in Perth to raise funds for breast and ovarian cancer research.
The programme is customised to suit each person, but usually involves:
- 3 fourty minute individual appointments
- a daily home exercise programme
- a small group supervised exercise programme
The best way to get started on our Foot Fitness Exercise Programme is to book an individual assessment with Jodie.
7 Steps to Reducing Tension Headaches
7 Steps to Reducing Tension Headaches
By Principal Physiotherapist Jodie Krantz
To get relief from tension headaches, follow this process to ensure effective diagnosis and treatment.
Step 1: Get a check up from your GP
Although most headaches are harmless, it’s a good idea to see your GP to ensure it is not being caused by something more serious. You should see your doctor immediately if you have severe pain, which is not relieved by normal over-the-counter medications, if it was related to a head injury, or involves loss of consciousness, fever, vomiting, blurred vision, difficulty speaking or numbness of the arms or legs. Your doctor can assist with diagnosing the cause of your headaches. Tension headaches and migraines are the most common cause of headaches and many people have a combination of the two.
While visiting your GP, consider discussing your stress levels and mood. Anxiety and depression can be contributing factors when you have recurrent headaches.
Step 2: Start keeping a headache diary
This will help you to keep track of your headaches, to know whether you are improving and to get a better understanding of the likely triggers for your headaches. Taking your headaches diary with you when you visit a health care professional assists with the process of diagnosis and treatment of your headaches. Download a headache diary here.
Step 3: Get a headache assessment from your Physiotherapist
See your Physiotherapist for a check up. Ask for an assessment of your posture, flexibility, muscle strength and endurance, as these factors are likely to be contributing to your headaches. Some headaches are caused by referred pain from the small facet joints in your neck. These headaches often respond well to gentle mobilization techniques.
A common cause of headaches is poor posture. People who get recurrent tension headaches are often holding their head too far forward, causing the muscles at the back of the neck to work overtime. They may also have a tendency to hunch the shoulders forwards and upwards, tightening the upper trapezius and other adjacent muscles. These muscles are often the primary source of the headaches which are felt in the back of the head and neck, in the temples and behind the eyes. The pain is often described as being like a tight band around the head.
Once you’ve had an assessment your Physiotherapist can help you work out a treatment and / or home exercise programme to relieve your headaches. At Free2Move our approach is to provide the minumum necessary one-to-one treatments and get you self-managing through a customised exercise programme in the shortest possible time.
Request a Headache Assessment at Free2Move
Step 4. See your Dentist
Jaw tension is another common cause of tension headaches. It’s a good idea to have your dentist check whether you have been clenching or grinding your teeth. A lot of people – some dentists say most – clench their teeth in their sleep. This will be evident from the wear patterns on your tooth enamel. A night guard (occlusal splint) can often reduce or even eliminate headaches associated with jaw tension. The Feldenkrais Method is also very helpful for reducing jaw and neck tension, which can lead to headaches.
Try a free Feldenkrais Lesson on Releasing your Neck and Jaw. You can also see your Physiotherapist for one-to-one assessment and treatment of jaw pain or tension.
Step 5: Get an ergonomic assessment of your workstation
Do you sit at a computer for long periods of time? How is your posture while you work? Although most people try to maintain good posture at their desk, this is hard to attain and even harder to sustain if your ergonomic set-up is incorrect. Consider asking your employer to arrange an ergonomic assessment of your workstation. To request an ergonomic workstation assessment in Perth Western Australia, Contact Us at Free2Move.
The two most important factors are your chair and your monitor. Most good ergonomic chairs have 3 levers underneath, one to adjust chair height, one for the angle of the seat and a third for the angle height and position. The back rest should also be adjustable so that the lumbar support is in the right place. Get your chair properly adjusted and each day when you sit down to begin your work check that it’s in the right position. Use a footstool if required and ensure that the top of your monitor is level with, or just below the height of your eyes.
Speaking of eyes, when was the last time you had them tested? Eye strain can also be a cause of tension headaches.
Last but not least, get up out of your chair and walk around once an hour at the very minimum. There are some great programmes and apps now to help remind you about this. Make sure you have a system in place.
Step 6: Improve your exercise regime
It’s not a theory, it’s a fact: regular cardio-vascular exercise can reduce the frequency, severity and duration of tension headaches. Exercise helps because it improves circulation to all your muscles, reduces stress and tension, and has a beneficial effect on the brain and nervous system, through which all pain is sensed.
Aim to spend a minimum of 2.5 hours every week participating in an enjoyable form of moderately vigorous activity. The ideal is 30 to 60 minutes of exercise at least 5 days per week. You can walk, swim, cycle or play sport – anything that increases your heart rate and gets you breathing a little more deeply. This needs to become part of your regular routine, so it’s a good idea to put a structure in place that supports that.
Walking often works because it’s free and you don’t need any special equipment or environment. It’s also a form of locomotion and an fundamental ability to maintain as you get older. So walk to work, walk your dog or walk with a friend and help each other maintain your exercise goals. If it’s too wet or hot you can even walk inside your local gym or shopping centre.
Step 7. Reduce your stress levels
Stress often contributes to recurrent or chronic tension headaches. People who are stressed may resort to unhealthy ways to reduce stress, such as excess use of alcohol, smoking, taking pills or drugs, overeating, excess consumption of sugar or caffeine. Some people avoid facing their worries and concerns by being so busy they never have time to slow down or by watching TV to avoid thinking or feeling.
Important aspects of reducing stress are eating a balanced nutritious diet, participating in regular exercise and getting adequate sleep.
Healthy ways to relax include things like going for walk in nature, taking a hot bath by candlelight or getting a massage. Consider doing some gardening, listening to music, or playing with a pet. You could consider taking classes in Feldenkrais, meditation or Tai Chi. Whatever you do, build it into your weekly routine and set aside time that you will devote to relaxing your mind and body.
Reducing stress includes taking responsibility for the way that you manage problems, thoughts and emotions. If you can’t change the circumstances that result in stress, change the way you respond to it. For help and support with managing stress in Australia, talk to your GP about a referral to a Clinical Psychologist. You may be eligible for a rebate through Medicare.