Lockdown Live Series, Day 19

Lockdown Live Series, Day 14

Prevent Injury While Running

Shin Pain Treatment at Home

The Big Benefits of Stretch

In a nut shell, stretching is great for you! But you knew that right? Check out the reasons to get some kind of stretching into your life…
 

1. Stretching Reduces Pain
Tight muscles cause pain! They cause parts of the body to be pulled in the wrong directions, example, tight hamstrings can cause the pelvis to be pulled down creating pressure and pain on the lower back. Stretching out tight muscles will relieve this pain and make you feel a whole lot better. It could also help you avoid surgery and everyone wants that, right?! 

2. Stretching Helps You Compete as an Athlete
Whether you’re a Pro Baller or a Weekend Warrior, you want to be the best you can be at your sport, right? Of course! Regular stretching gets the blood and therefore oxygen and nutrients flowing quickly through your body This boosts performance, keeps you going for longer and reduces post-workout soreness. 

3. Stretching Combats Stress
We all get stressed, some of us more than others. Stress restricts the blood flow and causes tension in your muscles and lower back. Stretching stimulates receptors in the nervous system that decrease the production of stress hormones and stretching out those tight muscles brings physical and mental relief. 

4. Stretching Improves Health
Because it increases circulation and gets the blood flowing, stretching can be seriously good for your overall health! Good circulation produces vigorous cell growth and improved organ functioning. Well-functioning circulation keeps the heart rate lower and protects against high blood pressure and heart disease.

The moral of the story? Get your stretch on guys! Whether you do it alone, with a partner, in a class or with us down at StretchSPOT, clear out a little patch of time in your schedule to stretch and you will reap the rewards.

Sitting Pretty: 3 Ways to Stop Back Pain When Sitting All Day

It’s sometimes unavoidable that you’ll wind up sitting on a chair for hours on end, especially if you work a desk job. You could stay comfortable staying in the same position for a little while, but all that sitting will start doing some damage.  

Sitting in an office chair all day causes or worsens existing back problems. The stationary position can increase stress on your shoulders, arms, and back and even cause increased pressure on your spinal discs. This could exacerbate conditions, such as sciatica, and cause herniated discs.

Although activities like company-sponsored wellness programs go a long way in helping your back, you have other means to find relief from pain.

Here are three ways you can reduce back pain from sitting at your desk.

1. Set Up Your Workplace Just Right

A big contributor to back pain is how your workstation is set up. The height of your chair is relative to your desk, and your computer monitor is critical in making you as comfortable as possible. If your workstation isn’t set up the right way, you’ll find yourself hunched over your keyboard, neck craned forward, and your shoulders shrugged. All of these put undue stress on your frame, which lead to back pain.

Make sure your chair and monitor are at the right height. This keeps your head at eye level, removing pressure from your neck, and your arms parallel to the ground, guaranteeing your shoulders are loose instead of hunched.

2. Sit Up the Right Way

The way you sit on your chair is just as important as its height. Good posture, even when seated, keeps your skeletal system aligned correctly. This also reduces the strain on your joints and ligaments.

When sitting, you should do so with your shoulders back and your back straight. Make sure your weight is evenly distributed on both of your hips. Press your feet flat on the floor and check that your knees are bent at right angles. Remember that when turning around, don’t twist your body at the waist. It’s better for your posture if you turn your whole body to view a different direction. Prevent muscles and joints discomfort by standing up every 30 minutes or so, and perhaps even stretch a little.

3. Stay Stretchy

Stretching conveys numerous health benefits, if you do it regularly. For example, it increases blood flow and nutrient input to your muscles, oxygenating and nourishing them to prevent atrophy.

When you’ve been seated for a long while, perhaps an hour, here are some basic stretches to reinvigorate your body.

  • Stand straight and arch your torso backward, applying pressure on your lower back. Hold position for 15-20 seconds.
  • Stay on your seat and raise your left arm over your head. Lean toward the right side until you feel your side stretch. Hold the position for 15-20 seconds. Repeat for the right arm.
  • While seated, pull up one knee to your chest until you can feel the muscles on your lower back and hip stretch. Hold it in place with both hands for 15-20 seconds. Repeat for the other knee.

You don’t have to sacrifice wellness in the workplace. By following these three tips, you can prevent your job from damaging your back and your health. When it comes to keeping your body comfortable, every little thing counts, from your chair height to your stretches.

For better results on the benefits of stretching, get guidance from the professionals.

Flexibility and Freedom

Stretch Spot can partner with companies to help your employees limber up and be free from the effects of bad posture. We offer custom-built wellness programs that can fit into your time and budget.

Contact us today and help keep your employees flexible and free.

overhead shot of ginger, turmeric and vitamin pills on a blue background

Supplements for Healthy Joints

There are tons of ways to help yourself maintain flexibility and balance in life! Exercising, eating the right foods, getting enough rest, stretching out, and practicing meditation are all good methods if flexibility is your goal. Another way to help your body is with vitamins. Below are three supplements we think will help you on your quest towards a more flexible life.

TURMERIC
Turmeric is an ancient spice used for thousands of years in Eastern medicine. It is an attractive plant having a pink flower but it actually the bright orange root that is used medicinally. The powder we see used in cooking, and now in vitamins, is the ground root of the plant. Recently, we in the West have woken up to the wonderful health benefits of this spice. Why is this? What’s so wonderful about turmeric? With regards to joint health, turmeric is awesome because of its anti-inflammatory properties. The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin which has the ability to block out an enzyme that causes inflammation in the body. Great news for those suffering from arthritis! It is now believed that inflammation plays a massive part in many diseases prevalent in the Western world including cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. 

So, how can you get turmeric into your body?
Turmeric is poorly absorbed by the body and you would need to eat a huge amount of it to get the health benefits we described above. Not to worry, turmeric vitamin supplements are now readily available. Make sure capsules are of a high enough strength. You should be taking 500-1000mg of the active ingredient curcumin per day. One other thing to note is that black pepper increases the body’s absorption rate of this vitamin. Many turmeric supplements contain black pepper which helps with absorption. If not, try taking a whole black peppercorn with your tablets. For more information on the health benefits of turmeric click here.

TART CHERRIES
Tart cherries, or as they are sometimes known, sour cherries, have a multitude of health benefits. For joint health we are particularly interested in the fact that they contain anthocyanins and bioflavonoids which inhibit certain enzymes that cause bodily inflammation. They are believed to act in a similar way to aspirin or ibuprofen but with no side effects. In addition, tart cherries contain melatonin that promotes restful sleep. Often those with joint pain are continually woken by pains and don’t get enough sleep. This could be of benefit twofold.

How do you get this good stuff inside you?
Two 8oz glasses of Montmorency cherry juice per day will suffice. Alternatively, 2 tablespoons of concentrated juice will work. Don’t like juice or want to avoid the sugars? Tart cherry juice is available in a capsule form as well.

COLLAGEN
Collagen comes from the Greek word kola meaning glue, and in a real sense, collagen is the glue that holds our bodies together. Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies but by age 21 our body’s supply begins to deplete.

So how can collagen help us in our quest for flexibility?
Having enough collagen ensures that joints, bones, tendons, cartilage as well as skin and hair can self-renew effectively. Collagen studies have shown that oral supplements of collagen can prevent and even reverse the effects of collagen loss and alleviate joint pain and injury associated with high-impact exercise. More great news for those suffering from arthritis! In a study over 120 days, healthy subjects who experienced joint pain saw significant improvements in joint function and flexibility as a result of taking collagen supplements. Click here for more in-depth details.

woman in blue top drinking water with headphones in

4 Ways Drinking Water Makes You More Flexible

That’s right, drinking water makes you more flexible folks. FACT! Read below to see how and why…

1. Hydrated Muscles are Flexible Muscles
The human body is made up of 70% water, which means the muscles are also 70% water. When you’re dehydrated, muscles are dehydrated too and they will not extend and contract in the way they are meant to when fully hydrated. Dehydration makes them inflexible.

2. Hydration Increases Strength
Hydrated muscles are strong muscles. Strength is adversely affected by dehydration because if you don’t drink enough water your muscles will be deprived of electrolytes and cramp. You won’t have as much physical strength as you would if you were fully hydrated.

3. Proper Hydration Lessens Post-Exercise Soreness
Dehydration during exercise can exasperate muscle soreness after workouts. That’s right folks! You will feel the post-exercise burn way more if you exercise on dehydrated muscles. So why does this happen? Lack of water dramatically affects the flow of oxygen in the blood and the removal of waste products from your body resulting in delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS which is the pain you often feel a day or two after working out.

4. Hydrated Joints are More Flexible
Joints are lubricated by synovial fluid, an oily, water-based fluid that manufactured by your body to keep your joints functioning properly. So, what happens if your body has a lack of water? That’s right, you guessed it, the fluid is depleted and joint stiffness is the result. And no one wants that, right?!

So, folks, there you have it! 4 ways drinking water makes you more flexible. If you want to stay flexible, stay hydrated! But how much water is enough we hear you cry? Half your body weight in fluid ounces per day is a good general guideline but you will need to take in more when exercising or when it is very hot.