How we sit and stand can make a difference to how we feel both physically and mentally. After a hard day it’s easy to slouch in front of the TV, laptop, or hunch over our phones, perhaps slipping into habits that put strain on our body. Our bodies are great at adapting but these repetitive patterns can eventually lead to tension with chest muscles tightening and those of the upper back over stretching.
This can often lead to pain between the shoulder blades, top of the shoulders and neck. Minor changes such as organising your desk for optimum posture can help, prolonged sitting not only affects our neck and shoulders but can also put pressure on the lower back. Research shows that posture can affect mood too with upright participants showing less fear and higher self-esteem. I have one client who is amazed at the difference made by using a rucksack instead of carrying a heavy bag on one shoulder. If you experience neck pain in the morning’s perhaps take a look at the height and number of your pillows, a small adjustment can make a big difference, the neck is an extension of our spine so ideally everything should be in alignment.
How to get a little relief? One simple exercise that lets gravity do all the work to open across the chest and help your shoulders is to position yourself as the picture above. Use a bolster, rolled up blanket or similar, ensure your fully supported from your lower back to the top of your head. Play with the depth of the roll and rest for however long is comfortable. Massage too can help relieve back, neck and shoulder pain, regular treatments are often helpful for managing the stresses of daily life. Using heat such as a hot water bottle can be comforting and act to relax muscles too.
