Osteopath, Chiropractor or Physiotherapist
November 20, 2020
Christmas Wrapping Fatigue?
November 30, 2020
Those reminders that Black Friday / Cyber Monday are appearing thick and fast in our emails, and on TV, and for so many of us this year the majority of our Christmas shopping will be done online, thanks to the COVID 19 restrictions. It seems so much easier to sit on your sofa and scour all the deals on offer to find that top of the list desirable present for your loved ones, however, the age of technology should come with a health warning.
Christmas Shopping in the Past
Before Christmas became a commercial event we would head out into the shops (hopefully in sensible shoes and clothes) to traipse for hours along windswept high streets to try and find the right presents, and the food for the festive season. We would carry our bags of goodies home, travelling on foot, or bus or if we were lucky by car. We would burn hundreds of calories walking. lifting and carrying, plenty of physical activity which would contribute to keeping us healthy.Christmas Shopping in the Present
Today with Black Friday / Cyber Monday, we will sit there (and yes I am just as guilty as you are) staring at our screens, and due to COVID restrictions we will successfully avoid the chaos of the shops, the unwanted physical interactions with strangers, the terrible shopping centre car park queues, and secretly breathe a sigh of relief that yet again we have survived the hell that is Christmas Shopping........Christmas Shopping in the Future
STOP, THINK, our bodies are designed to be hunter-gatherers, not "sit on our bottomers" - we haven't yet lost our tail bones, or prehensile big toes (they work like a thumb, we just don't use them in that way any more). If we continue to spend all of our time staring at the screen in front of us, and using technology to replace our everyday activities (washing machines, robot hoovers, and lawn-mowers) we will begin to see a deterioration in our bodies. We are supposed to MOVE.SO Christmas this year? Ok, so we can't go out to the shops this year to pick up our bargains or to browse the gift selections and will be spending time at home try to get that perfect gift. - here are some tips on how to survive your Christmas shopping experience.
Tips for the sofa shopper
- Avoid Text Neck, Screen Hunch ... DON'T sit on the sofa - use a table or desk and adjust your screen so that it is at eye level.
- Try standing up to surf - place your laptop or tablet on a kitchen work surface and raise it up with books.
- Get up and move around every half hour or so.
- Those hours you saved by not walking around a shopping centre, bank them and use them to get outside and get physically active.
Tips for those who brave the shops
If we are allowed to go to the shops to purchase those "non-essential" gifts (try telling that to the kids), then follow these tips to reduce the chance of aches and pains- Wear comfortable, supportive shoes.
- Use a rucksack, with a waist strap to carry your goodies
- Stay hydrated - a bottle of water in your bag is a good idea.
- Have a plan - of what you are going to buy, and where you are going to look for it.
- Break your one big trip into several smaller trips.
- Shop locally to avoid the chaos of a shopping centre. There are so many small businesses struggling right now, they will be delighted to see you.
- Walk into town to avoid the traffic and catch a bus back.
How can osteopathy help with your Christmas Shopping?
Remember that if thanks to the COVID 19 restrictions you haven't been moving as much as you would normally, it will be worth doing some stretching exercises before you start (ask your osteopath if you are not sure what to do). If you are in need of a body MOT then book an appointment with your osteopath before you start, or if you have any aches and pains after you know what to do.Consider giving a gift voucher for osteopathic treatment to a loved one who is in need of an MOT, or ache or pains easing, you will be supporting a small business and giving the gift of pain relief and movement. Contact us at reception@blackfenosteopathy.co.uk or call us on 07474 521 329 to order a gift voucher. Good luck with whichever approach you decide on, maybe mix and match.