But it turns out that a myriad of posture and joint problems can result from a variety of posture and joint problems in the garden and after months of sitting at a desk or subordinate household chores.
In addition to introducing Good Health’s new line of supplements, osteopath and ONZ member Sarah Boughtwood Newshub shared some of her key tips for protecting joints during spring cleaning and gardening.
Think about your posture
The first thing to consider is your postural alignment – that is, keeping your head, shoulders, back, and feet in line, says Boughtwood.
“Are your head, shoulders, spine, and feet in line? She asks.
“All of these bad posture habits put additional strain on your joints.”
She recommends standing in front of a mirror to watch how you stand, sit, and move about.
“If your head is too far forward, the weight of your skull won’t be evenly distributed, and it will put extra strain on your upper neck, in particular,” says Boughtwood.
“As an osteopath, I see that this often causes neck pain and headaches. If your shoulders and upper back are” rounded “forward, it affects your shoulder and spine mobility, but very importantly, it can affect your breathing and there that Shoulders and the thoracic spine encircle your rib cage.
“Your shoulders and back should be in a neutral position so that the rib joints can move properly when you breathe. Cause back pain. “
Lift properly
When lifting heavy objects in the garden or house, it is important to get it right.
“Our stomach is made up of some amazing muscles that help support our joints when we’re doing chores around the house,” says Broughtwood of our midsection.
“When you lift a heavy basket of laundry or grocery shopping bags, gently tense your core. By using your core muscles, you don’t depend on your back muscles and joints. The gentle activation of these muscles is very important in order not to injure yourself.”
The same goes for lifting a heavy compost bag or a large potted plant.
“When you hear the phrase ‘using your back as a crane,’ it means not bending your knees and keeping your back and legs straight.
“Unfortunately, most of us naturally bend like that if we don’t consciously think about the correct lifting posture and the support of our joints.
“Bending with the knees relieves the back and distributes the weight evenly over the lower limbs. The lifting should be more like a squat to safely support your joints. “
Take a break
And no matter how busy you get into the task, take a few breaks regularly so your body can reset itself.
“That gives your joints a break and relieves the joints. Ideally, you should stop and take a little break every 20 minutes from whatever you’re doing, whether it’s cleaning the bathroom, gardening, vacuuming, etc., ”she says.
“During this break you can relax, stretch and readjust your posture.”
Then, in the end, you’ll recover properly – it’s just as important as monitoring your form and core during the task itself.
“Your joints would want nothing more than a bath, a hot shower, or a bag of wheat after a session in the garden,” says Broughtwood, explaining that warmth stimulates blood circulation and is therefore important for joint and muscle repair.
“During these colder months, it is warm enough, especially at night. It is important that we sleep well as our parasympathetic nervous system is in its resting, digesting and repairing phases at night and the body is in recovery mode.
“If we are too cold at night, we sleep poorly and interrupt the rest and repair phase. Try sleeping with socks or an electric blanket to keep you warm.”
She also recommends body support supplements that contain high quality ingredients like turmeric to aid your joints and regeneration with their anti-inflammatory properties.
Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric and is scientifically qualified.
Turmeric supplements readily available in New Zealand include Good Health’s new “Joint Support” line, Go Healthy’s turmeric line, and Nutralife’s “One a Day” turmeric line.
