Feeling the Strain from Working at Home?

FIND OUT WHY STRETCHING IS CRITICAL TO YOUR HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Well, things are still pretty interesting aren?t they? As we move past two months of staying at home, it?s time to really talk about wellness and health. I bet you?ve run into many people who thought working from home was their ultimate dream, only to find that under these circumstances, with no time to prepare, it?s not quite what they bargained for, especially as it pertains to wellness. Let?s take a look at a few impacting factors that we may not think about as working from home becomes the new normal.

Unique challenges working from home brings:

• More screen time and sitting in one position with an increase in both internal and external Zoom meetings and Google Hangouts
• Home offices, or impromptu offices, likely don?t have the proper ergonomic set-up
• ?Hunched? posture from increased sitting
• Less walking around the office to collaborate with colleagues or going off-site for client and vendor meetings
• More stress, in general, being away from necessary tools and resources
• Improper lighting, leading to eye tension and fatigue

When looking at these challenges separately, they may seem minor; however, they all incrementally add up each day, resulting in neck, shoulder, back, and hip tension, general pain, eye fatigue, tension headaches, hand and arm cramping, and an overall decrease in energy and an increase in stress.

How can you reduce the toll that working from home may be taking on your body? It’s simple ? take a regular stretching class that you can do from the comfort of your home. It’s a wonderful way to prioritize your health and wellness while adjusting to the current social-distancing and shelter-in-place mandates.

Some of the immediate benefits of stretching include:

• Increased circulation of blood, oxygen, and nutrients throughout the body, decreasing soreness and increasing overall body health. This is especially valuable for people with arthritis, carpal tunnel, and joint issues, which are especially prone during this time.
• All the blood flow mentioned above also results in a regenerative feeling and a nice surge in energy levels, helping you get through the rest of your day productively and with positivity.
• Stretching reverses poor posture and encourages proper alignment. This creates space in the vertebrae and muscles which leads to less pain and tension, especially in especially vulnerable areas like the neck, shoulders, and back when sitting in front of a computer all day.
• Stretching reduces tension headaches. Taking time to create space in the neck and shoulders, key places where tension can cause these headaches, reduces the likelihood of them occurring. Also, stretching encourages facial movement and an overall reduction in stress through breathing exercises and muscle release.
• Stretching calms and refreshes the mind. Stretching releases synovial fluid, which is not only what makes our joints ?bouncy,? but it also lets off a pleasant tingling feeling which signals our body to relax.

The beauty of stretching is it can be done from anywhere, requires no equipment, and the dress code is simply to wear what you can move in ? no lululemon required.

The most important element of a stretching session is an experienced instructor. While stretching seems like an easy practice we instinctively know how to do, an instructor ensures it is done safely and can offer modifications to help every student reap maximum benefit, no matter what is going on in their body. They can also provide tips on how to reduce stress and stretch when away from class to maintain and extend the many benefits of stretching.

Drop-in to one of our four daily classes to bring a little piece of wellness to your day with our Virtual Stretching Classes. It?s a short 25 minutes with a big impact!