Ah… those knees… I do not attribute it to running or to age. I started having knee pain and my family GP told me that I had an onset of Arthritis! Oh darn! Is this going to limit my physical activity, I wondered. Every six months or so the knee problem would fester, flare up and I would feel aged all over again.
My family told me that it was due to my weight gain and, feeling depressed, I indulged in more chocolate ice cream but that just aided a few inches addition and did not help. I finally ended up with another GP who recommended Physiotherapy and I landed up at the Physio Body Works Clinic at Maru-A-Pula. They are an approved service provider and accept Medical aid.
I was wondering what good is going to come out of this, yet still I decided no harm in trying out stuff. I saw this man keenly look at me and little did I know he was observing my posture. During my first session, I was enlightened not under the Bodhi tree but on the therapy table on the biggest issue causing my knee pain. My body had been abused by years of bad posture. It was a revelation but one that hit home straight.
While I have a predominantly sedentary work day except for when I am training, I was drawn to the fact that posture matters a lot.
Going back to my living room couch is often top of my mind and lounging slothfully on a full stomach in front of my TV is “very me” on a weekday evening.
A little bit of research confirmed further that there is much talk and awareness being created by Dr. James Levine, MD and director of the Mayo Clinic at Arizona State University, who says “sitting is the new smoking.” His famous quote is:
“Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV, and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death.”
Ouch… what can I do to change my behaviour and also to ensure that I correct my posture, I wondered?
Here are some tips that I found very practical and useful:
Keep Moving: Engage in some activity and do not sit in a place for more than 20 Minutes. Just even stand and sit back again if you are working on something important on the laptop/computer. I found this article very useful: 7 Tips for Good Posture at Work.
Every time you get a phone call make it a point to walk and talk.
Focus on your Posture: Do not bend your neck – especially those of us addicted to social media on our phones.
Evening Time: Get out for a walk or play with your children on the floor.
TV & Social Media: Limit TV time.
Couches: Sit on hard chairs compared to soft sinking couches.
Hydrate: Drink plenty of water which not just helps you to get up to visit the loo but also to flush out toxins. Hydration is important for healthy joints.
I am on the mend with simple mindful changes… What about you?
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