We are facing some unprecedented times as a community in history, where in order to protect the most vulnerable we need to stay at home.
As we are spending all of our time at home some of us might have lost any kind of routine, finding themselves in awkward positions all day, working from home, not moving, eating not as healthy, maybe not sleeping well and feeling quiet anxious about the current situation..all that is having some repercussions on our body.
So what can you do right now to help if you started to feel more pains in your body?
First of all you need to address the cause: are you not sleeping? does your diet need to be readjusted? Do you need to stretch ? Do you need to create a proper space for your work? Do you need to relax your mind? Once you know which area is the most out of balance you will be able to address it accordingly.
Here are a few things you can do to feel better, I hope this helps.
1.Have an anti-inflammatory diet / Mediterranean diet
As we know that refined sugars, alcohol, caffeine and processed food in general have tendency to increase inflammation in the body which causes pains, it is important to balance our body by implementing more of the good stuff: High fibres thanks to fruits , vegetables , legumes (chickpeas,lentils,beans) and whole grains (rice, spelt pasta, careful with gluten products if you have sensitivity or if you are trying to heal your gut), High in omegas (think fatty fish like sardines and wild salmon, organic eggs, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, flaxseed oil), add extra spices like turmeric, ginger, oregano ,thyme …and drink lots of filtered water , Glass of red wine optional :) ( organic if possible)
2.Move your body
While we are spending more time at home it can be easy to feel sloppy and spend the whole day on the couch watching Netflix, trust me I have those days too. But usually , if too often, we don’t feel good after and our body tries to send us the message by creating pains and even anxiety like a tight chest or headaches … Our body is designed to move. Repetitive movements like taping or being in the same position for too long will create pains… and nobody wants that. So what can you do ? Well as we are most of the time in flexion dominant posture it is important to regularly open the front of your body by stretching your hip flexors, your hamstrings (back of your legs) and pectoral muscles, if you have a Swiss ball you can lie on it on you back and open your arms, take deep breathes . go for a 20 minutes walk ( 10 minutes away from your house and come back), and do a few weight bearing exercises to stimulate your muscles , think squats, lunges, push ups.. and make sure you have a good form when you do those moves.
3. Heat / cold
if you are experiencing acute pain at the moment after doing a false movement using ice packs can reduce acute pain while heat loosens joints and increases blood flow. Make sure you have a proper warm up before exercising and icing an irritated spot after exercising to provide soothing relief. You can alternate hot and cold ( 5 Minutes cold- 5 minutes warm) the cold will help with the inflammation that is happening locally and the heat will help the muscle that contracted to protect the area as a response to the strain.
4. Rest
Again sleep and resting period are so important to reduce inflammation in your body. Nothing better than a good night sleep to feel restored the next day. Try to turn off screens at least 30 min before bed or wear blue light glasses to prevent the light to disregulate the hormones inducing sleep, use essential oils like lavender to help relax your nervous system, do a few basic stretches to release tensions stored in your body, do a 10 min guided meditation with headphone, you can supplement with 200mg of magnesium to help relax , CBD oils helps too ( use 1 or 2 drops before bed) and try to go to bed every day at the same time and wake up at the same time.
If you work out at high intensity regularly or don’t have the energy to do an intense work out, it is once again important to listen to your body and have a rest day, it doesn’t necessarly mean to stay in bed all day, it can be an active rest day like a gentle walk, foam rolling for self trigger point release or restorative yoga.
5. Mind your mental health
I believe most of us have experienced or will feel anxiety more than ever, and this might last even when things return to “normal”. It is so important that we take care of our mental health. Of course all the previous points above that I mentioned like sleep, diet and movement have an effect on your mental health , as body and mind are connected , but the opposite as well. Who never felt like eating the whole bar of chocolate or bag of crisps when feeling overwhelmed by emotions, or started not to sleep at night because you coudn’t stop your thoughts based on fear of the future or your health , or maybe you are overexercising which helps you destress but creates inflammation in the body too and you might start developing pains, muscle tightness and injuries.. It is vital to develop a proper mental hygiene and be in tune with your feelings on a day to day basis. Your body is literally sending you informations, what is it trying to tell you? Listen. Ask yourself the right questions, “what do I need right now?” you might be scrolling at social media and start to feel a tightness on your chest, what is happening? Do you need to stop and do a few stretches ? Sip a glass of water? Always be in tune with your body, it has that innate wisdom . You can trust it. Your body is your best friend , it will always be there for you and is has all the innate potential be healthy and feel good, so if you really want to feel good you need to learn its language so you can communicate in harmony. Of courses practices like gratefulness, journalling ,mediation , spending time in nature and any creative activity you enjoy doing are great for your mental/emotional wellbeing.
All those practices will help decrease inflammation in your body and help you to feel better regularly if not every day. Remember the wisdom of your body, listen to its needs and hopefully you will make the best of this experience.
“There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophy”
—Friedrich Nietzsche
