Written by Patricia Hurley
24th March 2020
Right now the world is a little crazy, we’ve been urged to stay home and whether you’re self-isolating, working from home or quarantined its important you keep your mind and body active. Your Shape PT team are working to release online training so that you can continue to complete your workouts from home, we don’t want you to lose out on the fantastic progress you’ve made just because you’re stuck inside.
We understand it can be hard to stay motivated when you’re starring at your screen answering emails for 8 hours or more a day. You’ve probably already watched everything on Netflix and your kids are bouncing off the walls instead of doing their assigned worksheets. The Shape PT team are still here to send you reminders and keep you accountable even if we can’t get to you in person right now.
It’s important that you make time in your day to maintain the habits you’ve worked so hard to create and this is true for your body and your mind.
The 20/20 rule
Sitting for long periods of time can be damaging for your spine and neck especially when you’re working from home and you don’t necessarily always have the most ergonomic setup. Every 20 minutes stand up and walk around for at least 20 seconds. Have a stretch, get a glass of water open a window and remember what the outside air feels like. After 20 minutes of sitting there is enough pressure on your spine to reduce the amount of fluid between your vertebral discs and cause serious damage to your spinal column. This can lead to neck and back pain, headaches and nerve misfiring.
Stretch, stretch, stretch!
When you’re working from home you may not be able to get your chair and desk height exactly where it needs to be, maybe you’re sprawled out on your couch and your half-watching Netflix with the subtitles on during your zoom meeting. As well as warming up muscles, stretching is important in maintaining and correcting your posture. In particular, after sitting for long periods we tend to get more hunched as time passes, our heads and shoulders roll forward putting stress on our spines, and our muscles have to overcompensate causing aches and pain. Posture has also been linked to your mood state, better posture leads to an improved mood and that can go a long way during these unpredictable times.
Try the “YTWL” stretches. Hold and squeeze each stretch for 20 seconds when you take a lunch break and when you finish up working to help realign your body. These stretches also help to strengthen the muscles between your shoulder blades making it easier for you to hold good posture throughout the day preventing damage and keeping you smiling.
The Shape PT team run yoga sessions online so login for a guided session that will be sure to get you feeling aligned and relaxed after a hard day working from home.
Do your PT sessions at home
Your Shape PT will provide you with the same great training you’ve been receiving all adapted to be completed from the ease of your home. The trainers will work with you and whatever resources you have to maintain your progress. Exercise is proven to reduce stress so make time morning or night for yourself, just log on!
Take care of your mind too
When you’re at home all day it can be easy to go from one thing to next, and usually its technology. We keep ourself busy with work then we check our socials, watch Netflix and before we know its time for bed. At least when you’re going to and from work you usually get some time to disconnect, maybe go to the grocery store or a cafe for lunch. This isn’t the case during isolation.
Give yourself some time to recharge and turn off before bed. Whether that is some mindfulness or just reading a book it’s important you let yourself disconnect from the world. It has been shown that technology use within the 2 hours prior to sleeping affects both the quality of sleep, the ease at which you will fall asleep and the continuity of sleep. Lack of sleep can lead to memory issues, mood swings and can have a negative effect on your immunity.
So stand up, switch off, sweat it out, stretch and sleep!
All the best from the Shape PT team, if you need extra support or have any questions about your training program during this time don’t hesitate to contact us!