Jennifer

As spring is quickly turning into summer this year, lots of people have been enjoying the outdoors and have been working hard on their lawns and gardens. Gardening may seem like a silly cause for sore muscles, but when it’s been months since you’ve weeded your flower bed, it’s nothing to shake your head at or dismiss. Saving your body from pain is just as important when planting flowers as it is when you are running or cycling so, when your muscles aren’t used to the work you are putting on them, injury and strain can easily happen.

This spring has been incredibly hot and most individuals are more inclined to head outdoors into the sun than they would be during cool or rainy weather. Just remember that when you garden, you are likely to spend more time outside than you probably should in extreme heat. Keep a water bottle handy to stay hydrated, wear a hat, and apply sunscreen several times during your work. It is also important to remind yourself to take breaks to avoid heat exhaustion.

Posture is also important, even when you’re digging holes. If possible, don’t kneel for long periods of time; kneeling puts a huge amount of strain on the low back and legs. When you prepare any flowers before putting them into your garden, do everything you need to do in a standing position. If you do need to kneel, don’t have your toes flat on the ground; this can cause tightness and spasms in your calves. Lastly, when lifting anything heavy, lift with your legs, not your low back so as not to put extra strain on the low back.

I hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine we’ve been having. Enjoy the rest of the springtime this year and remember to book a massage to keep those muscles in check since we are all more active in warmer weather and our muscles need the extra attention.

As winter begins to melt away, spring time sports and activities are beginning to start up again. People are putting away their ice skates and digging out their soccer balls or baseball gloves. Or maybe you are one of those people who are only active in the spring and summer and are just beginning to get out of hibernation mode. The change from winter activities (or no activities) to summer activities can be hard on the body and muscle injuries may occur. To prevent the change in activities from taking a toll on your muscles, remember to warm up slowly, stretch thoroughly and seek regular massage therapy treatment to help reduce the physical stress on your body.

Warming up slowly and easing into new activities will help prevent damage to your muscles. Help your body adjust to any new sport that you haven’t done in a while by taking it slow at first. Jumping into an activity full force can cause an injury that will only prevent you from enjoying any sports or activity that you plan to partake in through the warmer months.

Stretching daily is also key to preventing injury and helps to take care of your muscles. Stretching on a regular basis between massage therapy treatments will also help maintain what a therapist has done for your muscles. Remember that booking regular massage treatments once every four to six weeks is an important aspect in muscle health. Many people seek out massage therapy when they are already injured, but regular massage is important for your muscles so that they don’t become injured in the future. If it has been a while since you’ve had a treatment, book a massage today!