Change of Seasons
Every day, as I walk around the plinth treating my patients, I look up through the window and see the tops of the trees.
Listening to my patients’ stories, learning from them and laughing with them, and seeing the gradual change of the seasons outside, it makes me happy.
As I sit here writing this on a Monday morning, the tree closest to me has sprung to life with beautiful white blossom, which wasn’t there when I finished for the week on Saturday.
It’s such a vibrant and fast-changing time of year which gives us all a lift. When the days get longer and the sun starts to shine, we get out in the garden, get back on our bikes, and dust off our running shoes.
This movement is good for our bodies and the fresh air is good for our soul.
Be Careful – We Have Been Hibernating!
However, I want you to have a little Chris sitting on your shoulder saying ‘be careful’! This time of year is when we see a lot of injuries to the back caused by doing too much too soon.
We have been hibernating, snuggling into our wooly jumpers and nursing our hot chocolates (or nice winter ales if you’re anything like me!) for the last few months, and it takes the body a while to kick back into gear.
It doesn’t cross most peoples’ minds to warm up before, say, doing the gardening, but it’s essential, especially for the first few times. Our muscles and joints stiffen when they’ve not been used much, and our nervous system needs to be ‘reminded’ of the movements it once did.
Take It Easy
Spending a few minutes twisting, bending and reaching to loosen up will do you a huge favour. Be mindful and mentally ‘check in’ with how your body feels and for the first few sessions take it easier than you think you need to. If you’re on the bike, take it slow. If you’re in the garden, take more breaks than you feel you need. If you’re doing the spring clean, rope in the family to help with the lifting.
This is always a time of year where my phone becomes very busy in the clinic, so to avoid being one of those callers, take a little bit of time to get your body ready for the task at hand. It doesn’t take much to make a big difference.
Get in Touch
If you feel completely stuck and don’t know where to start when it comes to stretching, we put out lots of videos on our Facebook page giving you some ideas, so check us out at facebook.com/fortephysicalhealth, and as always, we love to chat so if you have any questions, give us a call at 01245 522360 and ask for Chris.
Have a healthy month!
