How to avoid a painful Christmas
The twinkling lights are starting to sparkle, trees are being decorated, gatherings are organised, and the air quivers excitedly. Christmas is here. December can be busy, meaning exercise, self-care, and routines can be put on the back burner. Christmas time can involve more sitting and long journeys, potentially causing stiff joints and tight muscles. Combined, this could lead to old injuries flaring, or grumbly niggles becoming a debilitating problem, especially with the colder weather.
Top Tips
My top tips for avoiding a painful Christmas:
- Get organised! Leaving things to the last minute can place huge stress on us. Stress can be held in muscles, which could cause tightness and pain.
- If you shop physically, return to the car regularly to avoid carrying heavy or big items longer than necessary. If you shop online, take regular breaks from your device to prevent ‘tech neck’.
- Don’t wrap gifts on the floor – use a table and sit on a chair. If you have a lot of gifts to wrap, you may find doing four to five at a time helpful and splitting the job over a few days.
- Break up long drives – I recommend a five-minute break every two hours. Simply getting out of your car and walking around it is enough. This is also very important to allow your brain to have a break from intense concentration.
More Top Tips
- Christmas can be busy. Make time for self-care, such as a long bath, reading a book, or watching your favourite Christmas film. Try not to overfill your diary so you’ll flop into Christmas utterly shattered. Say no to events you know you don’t want to attend.
- If you suffer from neck pain/shoulder pain/headaches, and you have a specific pillow you use to help combat this, take it with you if you’re staying away overnight.
- Stay active! Keep exercise plans in place and remember ‘movement is medicine’.
- Be careful when lifting hot, heavy things out of the oven, especially if you have a painful back. Take your time, use your knees, (if you have a low oven), and your core. If need be, ask for help!
- If you are under pressure to meet Christmas work deadlines, do not be tempted to stop your good habits of taking regular breaks and leaving your desk at lunch. You will be more productive if you keep these things in place.
Kibworth Osteopaths
The year at Kibworth Osteopathshttps://kibworthosteopaths.co.uk/ has ended on a high as I have been awarded ‘Osteopath of the Year’. I am absolutely delighted with this recognition for the fourth time, but my biggest pleasure remains to help you. I wish you all a peaceful Christmas and a happy, healthy 2025.
For more information on how Osteopathy can help you, please visit www.kibworthosteopaths.co.uk or call me on Tel:07761664325. Always happy to help.
Emily Coombes, Registered Osteopath (7416).
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