It’s common practice to blame agEING for your body breaking down, for new aches and pains or for it not moving like IT used to. But have you ever looked into your life style factors and taken accountability for your part to play.
I want to highlight the top mechanical stressors that can lead to musculoskeletal pain.
Prolonged sitting – Especially if you’re not sitting in an optimal position, your chair might not be ergonomically designed, your desk / screen might sit too low, you might be slouching on the couch. Sitting for extended periods of time can lead to pain and discomfort in the back, neck, and shoulders.
Solution – Sit better! Simple right? Pay attention to your posture when you are seated. Are you slouching? Are your screens at the right height? Is your desk chair fit for purpose?
Repetitive typing and mouse use – Are you a life-long, full time desk worker? Continuous and repetitive use of a keyboard and mouse can lead to pain and discomfort in the hands, wrists, and arms.
Solution – Check your set up, stretch often and aim to use both hands / arms equally.
Standing for long periods – Simply standing?! Yep, standing for long periods, particularly on hard surfaces or without proper footwear, can lead to pain and discomfort in the feet, legs, and lower back.
Solution – If you have access to stand on a softer surface, do. If you have access to more supportive footwear if you know you will be standing for a long period, use these. Break up long periods of standing with some stretches to release the muscles through your feet, legs and lower back.
Repetitive lifting – We have all been told to lift with your legs and not with your back. But sometimes we get a bit slack because it’s not “too heavy”. But repeated lifting of heavy objects or awkward lifting postures can cause pain and discomfort in the back and shoulders.
Solution – Use training in the gym to practice safe lifting and to strengthen the muscles recruited in lifting (such as deadlifts). Use your legs to lift and not your back – ha!
Carrying heavy loads – Carrying heavy loads, particularly on one side of the body or for extended periods of time, can cause pain and discomfort in the shoulders, back, and hips.
Solution – Be sure to switch it up! If you have to carry a heavy load on one side, switch it regularly to avoid overload on one side of your body. If you have to carry a heavy load centered, take rest periods to stretch. Utilise carries in your training to strengthen for this.
Awkward postures – Holding awkward postures for extended periods, such as bending or twisting, standing with your weight popped over to one hip / leg, can cause pain and discomfort depending which muscles are supporting you.
Solution – Learn to stand better, keep your weight evenly distributed. If you have to hold awkward postures such as bending or twisting, try to even it out by bending or twisting the other way. Stretch out the muscles that have been holding the awkward position for an extended time.
Poorly designed workstations – Touched on above with sitting and standing for extended periods of time. Poorly designed workstations, such as those with non-adjustable chairs or desks, can lead to poor posture and musculoskeletal pain.
Solution – Invest in a better set up. If this is a workstation that you have to spend a lot of time at, your body will thank you for having it set up optimally. If investing in a new set up isn’t financially feasible, take advantage of getting up and moving around every 30 – 60 minutes and doing a couple of stretches before getting back to it.
Poor technique during physical activity – This is one we are exposed to and is very common in our industry, one that we work hard with our clients to improve. Poor technique during physical activity, such as weightlifting or running, can lead to pain and discomfort in the back, knees, and other joints – basically the whole body can suffer from poor technique depending on what exercise you are doing.
Solution – Invest in working with a trainer. Utilise their expertise to guide you to lifting weights or running in a safer way to maximise results and minimise injuries and pain.
If the shoe fits on any of the above, it might pay to address these issues before simply brushing it off as age. If you need more assistance or guidance for how to live a more active lifestyle, one where you are as strong as you can be, get in touch and let us help you!