Stay flexible and pain free during your summer holiday with the advice from Osteopath, Sarah Oliver.
During the summer months I see lots of people returning from their holidays with back and neck pain. Â Poor posture and lack of movement while travelling seems to play a big part in this. Â Admittedly, most aeroplane seats are not particularly comfortable or supportive, but there’s still a lot you can do to take care of your spine.
– Sit back in your chair with your weight on both sitting bones. Try not to cross your legs or slouch to the side.
-Â Move around as much as possible. Â Travelling often involves a lot of sitting around and waiting. Â Before your flight, take a walk around and do some window shopping, or stand up rather than sit in departures. Â During your flight, get up and walk in the aisle if possible. Â You can also wiggle your toes and point your feet up and down.
– Stretch! Â Try the sequence of stretches shown above. Â It will only take a minute or two and I promise you’ll feel much better. Â Save the picture on to your phone for reference while you’re away.
If something goes wrong and you do hurt yourself, try to get a professional opinion on it as soon as you can. Â Generally, a cold pack, anti-inflammatories and gentle movement will help you recover.
For an appointment with Sarah or any of our other osteopaths or chiropractors, call 020 8520 5268.