Today's blog (and this week's theme) is about daily habits and lifestyle changes to help you become more Pain-Free. This may seem like an odd theme for a person whose primary program is called the "10-Day Quick Fix," BUT in all actuality: this is right in line with Pain-Free Fitness' philosophies.
I (and every other fitness and pain expert) can give you thousands of workouts, stretching routines, and self-myofascial release techniques, but none of it will work if you don't 1) do the work consistently, and 2) change your lifestyle and habits during the other 23 hours and 50 minutes of your day.
In order to create lasting change, it's important to know what to do and what NOT to do.
Here are the three habits you MUST change in order to become more Pain-Free for the long term.
1) Poor sleep.
My clients are generally overachievers, parents, and busy professionals that take care of everyone ahead of themselves. Unfortunately, this can very often mean that their sleep suffers. Not judging - I've been a horrible sleeper for most of my life and have only recently started to correct it. And let me tell you: it DOES make a difference. Regular bed and waking times allow your body to get on a rhythm and normalize your sleep cycles so that you aren't waking in the middle of a cycle, feeling drowsy and tired for the first half of your day. TIP: find a normal sleeping and waking hour and see if you can stick to it (within 30min), every day.
2) Too little physical activity.
Sitting (or standing, actually) for long periods of time can be detrimental to our health. We know this, so why do we still stay stationary for hours on end each day? What can we do to correct this? TIP 1: Follow the 90/10 rule. Read that blog post to learn more!
Tip 2: Get 10 minutes of dedicated movement per day. Power walk, do a Pain-Free routine, watch a yoga video, just do something physically active.
3) Poor posture and breathing.
Poor posture can leave us with chronic nagging pain, weak core muscles, and just a generally ugly sitting appearance. Additionally, when our posture suffers, so does our breathing. Shallow breathing can cause increased anxiety, muscle tension, and mental fog.
TIP: Stay constantly aware of your breathing and your posture. Sit on the edge of your seat for a few minutes and sit up straight. Practice deep breaths to feel your full rib cage expand (front, sides, and back). Do this several times throughout the day.
Looking for help developing your Pain-Free habits? Send me a DM @pain_free_fitness!
Have a Pain-Free day!