Shoulder flexibility exercises
There is scientific evidence these exercises help reduce Neck & Shoulder pain when combined with strenghtening and core exercises.
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The Impact of Sitting All Day – Part 2
In part 1, I looked at the impact of sitting on your muscles, but what happens in the rest of your body? Leg Disorders We are all familiar with the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) if we take long flights. This is because sitting for long periods of time slows blood circulation, which causes fluid to pool in legs. This creates problems ranging from swollen ankles, varicose beings to dangerous blood clots. Soft Bones Osteoporosis is a disease marked by reduced bone strength leading to an increased risk of fractures, or broken bones. Bone strength has two main features: bone mass (amount of bone) and bone quality. Osteoporosis is often called a “silent disease” because it usually progresses without any symptoms until a fracture occurs or one or more vertebrae (bones in the spine) collapse. Weight-bearing activities such as walking and running stimulate hip and lower-body bones to grow thicker, denser and stronger. Medical researchers partially attribute the recent surge in cases of osteoporosis to lack of activity. Garrett, Brasure et al, 2004, Physical Inactivity Direct Cost To A Health Plan, American Journal of Preventative Medicine; Vol 27 No 4, Pages 304–309 See http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797%2804%2900191-6/abstract?cc=y Weight Gain As the body slows down while in a resting and seated positions, the metabolism naturally slows down. Calories are burned at a far lower rate, when you sit, you burn only about one calorie a minute!. For some people this can lead to weight gain becoming an issues. Being overweight is a known risk factor for many common chronic conditions including
- diabetes
- gallstones
- hypertension
- heart disease
- stroke
Calling all vegans and vegetarians…
Choline is an essential nutrient that humans must get through their diet, the most common food sources are meat, poultry, fish, dairy product and eggs. Non-meat sources include wheatgerm and brussels sprouts. It is needed to produce acetylcholine an important neurotransmitter for among other things:
- Memory
- Mood
- Muscle control
Arm and Hand Stretches
These stretches can either be done as a complete series or individually and most of them can be done at your desk. Some will ease tension in specific parts of the body whilst others are generally relaxing. Please remember stretching should always be relaxing and never painful! To get maximum benefit from these stretches you should do them daily and hold each stretch for 15 seconds and repeat twice unless otherwise stated. Arm and Hand Stretches
- Stand with your feet together, keeping you feet together and your knees soft. Raise your arms alternatively swinging them over your head as if you were performing backstroke.
- Raise your left arm above your head and push up as high as you can. Feel the stretch down the left side of the body. Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on the right.
- Raise your right arm to the side, keeping at shoulder height. Point your fingers towards the ceiling and push your palm away from your body. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on left side.
- With your right hand by your side, point your fingers behind you with your palm facing up. Push your right shoulder and wrist towards the floor, then make a fist. Hold. Repeat on the other side.
- Keep your arms by your side and clench your fists as tight as you can, then spread your thumb and fingers as far apart as possible.
- Let your arms hang loosely by your side and shake them for about 15 seconds.
