With the holiday rush and the pandemic altogether, this season will be a challenge especially to women- since we do most of the shopping, decorating, planning, the cooking – you know the drill. And this can take its toll on our physical well-being what with all the stress and back pain it’ll bring. Head, back, and neck pain are the most common pain problems that affect millions every day. This may be the result of severe underlying conditions and may need professional care.
Here are some helpful tips from your trusted Physical Therapist that would help you during this holiday season and the next ones
Stretch and Move as much as you can
These days it gets so easy to be sedentary and now that we have the holidays, it’s even more so. With the holiday preparation and shopping here and there, we resort to slouching on the couch and tune in Netflix. However, this is also the best times to keep moving and stretch those muscles. Physical therapists further encourage their patients and everyone to take time to walk around and do some stretching exercises. Now, if you’re visiting relatives and will be driving, it’s best to stop and have a break- walking and stretch those tenses muscles; why? Using the same muscles for a long period of time would cause pain and soreness afterward and giving those muscles a break would prevent blood clot formation.
Stick to your Physical Therapy exercises and medications!
The holiday season is a time to celebrate, eat, and enjoy, we get it- you know, the hustle and bustle. But it’s not an excuse to skip your medications and exercise routine. Keep up with your PT exercises and prescribed medications. Set an alarm on when to do it and when to take your medications. Refill on those medications if you’re running out of it and you’re planning to travel somewhere. Some of the patients’ reasons why they discontinue their medication is because they run out of stock- check your stock and refill when you need to. Forgetting it altogether may mean more experiences of pain and discomfort, and we don’t want that! Our goal here is to enjoy the holidays- pain-free!
Plan your Holiday!
We usually go ahead with our holidays without a plan. No, I’m not talking about the food prep and gift wrapping, but more about planning your holiday where your body won’t undergo so much stress and pain afterward. Women are the most stressed during this season. Being busy with the festivities will most likely keep you on your feet. If you have a pre-existing physical condition, then this can be a problem. But try to sit down and plan everything. Your target is to get through the day having to work lesser. Making some of the holiday meals ahead will help immensely, making a specific list for shopping will help you buy faster since you don’t need to walk around buying random stuff if you can order your meal or have someone cook it for you- all the better. Again, plan ahead.
Get your daily dose of sunshine!
Some people feel anxious and depressed most especially during winter, we call this Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and it affects a lot of people and makes it more difficult for them to enjoy the holiday. They tend to stay in bed all day and find it hard to do daily activities. Getting enough sunlight helps in improving someone’s mood. It stimulates the production of serotonin – your happy hormone.
Each and every one of us has a lot going on during the holiday season or any given time for that matter. With the New Year around the corner, we need to prepare ourselves physically and mentally. Follow your exercise routine if you have one so you can really enjoy your time regardless of what the world is going through right now.
