Take a moment and RELAX
Looking for a quick and easy way to relieve the stress that builds up in your neck and shoulders from an unrelenting work day?
As a high performance physiotherapist in Toronto, I see people come in with stiff, painful and sore upper backs, necks and shoulders all the time. These people usually haven’t hurt themselves doing crazy exerises or through sports, but rather through their daily routines. They’ve been working for years at the computer, driving or commuting, lounging on the couch watching TV, to name a few.
Here’s one of the easiest moves to release those tight achy muscles. As an added bonus, it takes only a few seconds and requires no equipment other than a wall and a small amount of space.
Stand up tall facing the wall. Rest your forearms against the wall while keeping your head and chest up and in neutral position. Basically, don’t be looking up and don’t be looking down. Slowly slide your forearms up the wall while flexing your shoulders up. At the highest point, take a deep breath in and slowly exhale all the way. While doing this, let your shoulders drop down and relax completely through your upper back and neck. Take another deep breath in and slowly exhale. This time, still keeping your neck, shoulders and back relaxed, let your arms be pulled down to the starting position by gravity. Repeat two to four times and you’re ready to face that computer workstation again.
Now go out and move.
Dev Chengkalath
