I’m sharing with you my fabulous, and quick – and when I say quick I mean minutes – daily remedies that work for me, I hope they help you too.
These two simple things take a few minutes. For back health, four simple yoga exercises that are wonderful for back pain,and for mental fatigue an easy and quick meditation app.
LEG-OVER
(Photo credit: Jill Miller)
Lie on back with arms stretched out to the side
Raise right leg until pointing straight up
Move the raised leg left across the body & try to lower to the floor
Keep both shoulders on the floor
Turn your head to the right – hold for 5-20 secs then raise the leg again and lower back straight
Repeat with left leg.
2. ALTERNATE LEG STRETCH
(Photo credit: Yoga Basics)
Sit with right leg straight out in front of you, place the bottom of the left foot against the right thigh.
Slide your hands down your leg as far as you can, curling your spine, then grasp your leg where ever you are at, knee, calf, ankle – hold for a few seconds.
Repeat with other leg. Do both legs three times.
3. CROSS-BEAM
(Photo credit: Blue Osa)
Kneel on the floor
Stretch your right leg out to the right
Keep your left knee directly in line below your left hip and align your right heel with the left knee.
Place your right arm on your right leg
Bend your torso to the right, aiming to put your right ear on your right arm
Lift your left arm over your head, aiming to bring it down to the right and put palms of both hands together ( I did say aiming)
Keep facing forward, and hold it for a few seconds
Repeat on the other side
4 CROSSED KNEE BEND
(Photo credit: Yoga Journal)
Stand, and cross your right ankle over your left. Place toes beside each other
Inhale, then as you bend forward, slowly exhale and bring fingers as close to floor as you can. Let your head hang
Exhale completely, relax abdomen, wait as the abdomen is voluntarily sucked upwards
Straighten and inhale
Repeat on other leg
… and for mental health/fatigue, to take you out of that deep writer-thinking-mode and relax your brain muscles, I use a meditation app on my phone that takes ten minutes.The app is the Head Space app which has the first ten sessions for free so you can try it out. I bought the whole thing and use it most days.
What do you do for writer’s health?
Interesting techniques Julie. I do a variation on the first two and some slow pivot with legs bent. The last two I think would cause me more problems rather than fix them.
I have been looking into buying one of those desks which raise and lower so one can sit or stand. Have you considered that?
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Hi Sharon, thanks for the comment. I tried the standing desk for a while but I found i just couldn’t concentrate while standing! Perhaps it’s a perseverance thing.
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Reblogged this on Sharon Greenaway and commented:
How do you combat writing and bakc pain? Here is one blogger’s tips.
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I’ve begun having a lot of back problems recently. I’ve started using a standing desk, and alternating has really helped me (you have to build up your standing time slowly). And I’ve also brought in a yoga regime. Every hour and a half, I have a quick break from writing and do 10 minutes of yoga. I’ve found it not only helps my body, but I feel more motivated to get back to writing again. Thanks for this post, I really enjoyed it – and I’m going to try the crossed knee bend, as I haven’t done that one before 🙂
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Thank you for the comment Barbara I might need to have another go at the standing desk!
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Fantastic exercises, now I just have to motivate myself to do them before my back hurts. One thing I have found is that posture makes a big difference in back aches. My wife, a retired physical therapist, is always on me for posture. The other thing is that I use an ergo metric chair when on the computer. Mine has a kneeling pad on which I rest most of my weight and a small pad against which I rest my buttocks. This puts my spine is good alignment and gives back muscles less work to do.
Enjoy your winter. Here in the northern hemisphere we have highs in of 35 to 42 C. This is in spite of being at an altitude of 1500 meters. This is unusually hot for a June for us.
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Hi Reynold, thanks for the tips on posture (and thank your wife!) The winter cold is not helping with back pain – I can’t wait for summer!
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Number 1… Thank you for posting about this!
My back is messed up and have similar problems. It was interesting to see a few more exercises and stretches to do. Now, dont try to picture this being done by a big 425 lbs man sprawled out doing the.. There is just not a correct sized spoon or enough brain bleach to help you after that.
I told you not to do that. 😱
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Thank you for the comment! Hope the exercises help!
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I find a spot of knitting does much the same job as the meditation app – gives me a different way to use my brain, to recalibrate it and clear it for another go at the intensity of writing. Hope yours is going well.
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Love it, Jane. I miss knitting and every winter think I’ll start something again, but I don’t. We’re getting a log fire put in tomorrow and I’m thinking a bit of knitting by the fire is in order 🙂
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That sounds like a wonderful idea.
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Now who’s helping me get out of number 1? Or off the floor for that matter? Lol I’m kidding, I will try some of these to limber up my lower back. Thanks!
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haha! I’ll send an ambulance – stay right where you are.
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Thx so much for that – much needed. I still think that writer Brenda Ueland’s advice that writers have to walk 5 miles a day is sound! Not just for physical health but to create that psychic space. I followed that regimen at one point myself back in Philadelphia – not so much in Maine. Used to walk about 1.2 miles a day a few years back. Maybe it is time to get back on that horse before the snow flies!
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