A busy life stops us from taking a break to relax our body and mind. We never spare time to nurture an injury. Our neck, shoulders, feet, hands, and knees suffer a lot because of our laid-back attitude about health. And when it worsens we rely on pain killers to relieve us from pain. Instead of banking on these expensive medicines, you can go for a few quick exercises. An easy massage that you can give yourself is what you want at the moment.
Treating Your Troubled Spot: Feet
Working in a standing position for long hours can spell trouble on your feet. Discomfort such as swelling and pain will be the outcome. Massaging your feet could comfort you from the pain associated with work-related illness. Get hold of a tennis ball. Keep it under your heel. Once you are comfortable, stand and sink your body weight into the ball. Now, you can roll the ball from the heel to the base of the toes. As the ball passes near, spread your toes wide open. If you cannot find a tennis ball, use a water bottle and roll it back and forth under each foot.
Treating Your Troubled Spot: Knees
Everyday wear and tear is bound to make your knee weak. And these days it is extremely common. You can use a foam roller or lacrosse ball for self-massage. Place a foam roller, which looks like a firm log, underneath your muscle. The pressure from the foam roller releases tension or relaxes trigger points in your muscles. This will help your knees get back to normal function, making your muscles elastic and healthy.
Under constant strain, trigger points or tight muscles may arise in your body, leading to pain. As a result, the pain is felt or radiated in one area, even though the pressure is applied on some other area of the body. For instance, such a trigger point can be formed in Iliotibial (IT) Band. It is a ligament that runs along the outside of the thigh, from the top of the hip to the outside of the knee. As IT band gets tightened, it results in knee pain. You can take care of it using a foam roller. Lie on your right side with the roller near your hip. Support your body by keeping your hand on the floor. Move your left leg over your right, thus, increasing pressure by stacking your legs. Allow the roller to move from your hip to your knees. In the process, roller massages the entire length of your outer thigh. Rolling also boosts your circulation.
Treating Your Troubled Spot: Shoulders/Back
Hunching over a computer as part of your office work gives you back pain. It is common among youngsters as they sit in a chair for prolonged periods. This static posture accelerates stress and puts so much pressure on your back muscles. Again, a tennis ball is your savior. Lay on the floor. Place the tennis ball near the area that hurts most. Roll the tennis ball. When it reaches the most tender area, let it sit there for 1 to 5 minutes. Continue doing this till you feel your muscles relax.
Treating Your Troubled Spot: Hands
As you work on the computer, you do the same motion over and over in the same manner. You put pressure on your wrist, which it can’t withstand. It can sometimes cause numbness or weakness in your hand, leading to a medical condition called carpal tunnel syndrome. Taking an adequate break in between to do a few exercises could give you relief from this pain.
Keep your right hand up. Your palm should face outward. Use your left hand to pull the right-hand fingers back toward your wrist. Do this until you feel a stretch and stay in that position for 5 seconds. Repeat the same massage on your left hand.
You can also try this one. Gently and slowly pull the left thumb back toward your wrist until you feel the stretch. Remain in that position for 5 seconds. Repeat the action on the other hand. If you want an easy and quick break, spread your fingers wide for 5 seconds. Or massage the inside and outside of each hand.
