Well, the Big Day’s nearly here and I can imagine everything is as full on for you as it is for me...
There's so much to do! With shopping, preparations, gift buying (ugh),
visiting friends and family and maybe the odd over indulgence.
It really can take its toll on the body, so here's some tips to keep you
moving and fit this Christmas!
Firstly, don't try and cram all the preparation into one day. Easier said
than done, we know! Plan as best possible all that you need to do. Don't
go all out and get everything in one visit whenshopping - remember you
actually need carry it all! It isn’t a competition on how much you can carry so remember to balance your arms and weight on each side because if youwalk all wonky and leaning over there is a very good chance you'll niggle
your back.
When it comes to shopping, many of the big supermarkets have a deliveryservice. Before you buy lots of milk, juice and tinned food, basically all the heavy stuff.
So go online and think how you could make it easier on your body. Have
the basics dropped off to your doorstep. This will also mean when you do
your ‘big shop’, you might have a little extra time on your hands to go andhave a hot choccie and piece of whatever you fancy!
Now, we all know that lifting and bending badly messes up the back so
when you get ready to get all the pressies wrapped up, make life easy on your body...
I see this every year with my wife, who get's everything out all over the
floor and proceeds with the mammoth task to get it all done. At least she happens to be married to an osteopath,which is useful.
What we should do is use the kitchen table - not the front room floor - so you can catch a TV programme, put on some music and avoid straining
your back with the twisting, leaning and lifting too.
In the office and work we have all heard about ergonomics and how what we do and how long we do them for affects our body. This regularly bringspeople to the clinic, so lets think aboutthis in terms of the kitchen...
If you're preparing, cooking and serving you could be stood for maybe
hours in a not so perfect posture: stooping and straining your back or
irritating the hips and knees.
So what do we do?
Vary our posture, move about and intermittently carry out a few exercises to relieve some of the build up of tension in the spine and rest of the body
Try and be upright standing and sitting, listen to music and don't try and
twist the neck and low back to watch TV, maybe use an iPad or tablet
instead.
Weight!
I don''t mean wait I mean weight, I'm referring
