March 31, 2010
I am not generally a patient person. When I make a decision to do something I want to get stuck in as soon as possible and will be fidgety until the opportunity arises. So this last fortnight on crutches has been a hard lesson for me in learning my limitations and having the patience to deal with them! Being my usual stubborn self I am walking around on my injured foot when it feels better, ignoring the fact that a bone is still broken and it needs to rest. I then spend the next day regretting my actions and promising my foot that today it will rest.
Then an hour later I get bored and decide I really need to go and sort out some paperwork or hobble upstairs to get something really important and forget (or ignore) that I am not supposed to be weight bearing on it. Being on my own during the day whilst hubby is at work has forced me to take a moment before setting off on a mission to assess whether it’s really vital that I do it right now or whether it can possibly wait until I am in that area of the house. Being so used to just jumping up to get something or walking from room to room with armfuls of bits and pieces has caught me out a few times, as I get to grips with the logistics of something as simple as transporting a cup of tea from the kitchen to the sitting room on crutches!
Together with this I am looking at the gloominess outside, listening to the rain falling and wondering if my allotment is ever going to get planted this year. I’m inwardly thankful that it is still so chilly as that allows me to reason that it would be prudent to wait another few weeks until the ground warms up. I’m still in that mentality that I need a reason to make me feel better about it – I am trying to master the art of simply accepting the situation for what it is, but for someone so used to getting up and doing when the urge strikes it’s a tough one.
So my lesson from this injury is most definitely patience, with a good dollop of acceptance. I have another couple of weeks to get my head around this and put it into practice by which time I hope to be super chilled and relaxed and raring to get back into the clinic.
Natalie
BMore Natural
January 31, 2009
As we leave January behind and launch into February I’m very aware that we are on the brink of the new growing season for the garden and allotment. I collected my seed potatoes yesterday and they now sit proudly in their trays where they will live for the next 6 weeks to get their growing roots nice and strong. The weather is set to get cold once again but there are still mild days in February that encourage the gardener to get out and prepare their plot.
This can involve a great deal of hard physical exercise yet a pre-workout stretch gets overlooked as we launch straight into the digging and planting (I am as guilty of this as anyone and bitterly regret it the next day!). There are, however, a few simple steps we can take to get those muscles warmed up and stretched out so we don’t risk an injury or stiffness the next day.
Start with simple shoulder rolls to warm up the shoulder joints and gently swing your arms forward, backward and round in circles until the creaking and cracking stops and you feel the joints start to feel warm and relaxed.
Next take your head gently from side to side then tuck your chin to your chest – hold for a few seconds in each position and only stretch as far as is comfortable, we don’t want any overstretch injuries before we even start the gardening! Avoid rolling your head in a circle as this can put awkward grinding pressure on the neck vertebrae and this is not good.
A gentle way to warm the back, hips and knees is to do gentle hip and knee rolls – first stand with your feet shoulder width apart and slowly circle your hips one way then the other. For the knees keep your knees and feet together whilst gently circling your knees.
Finally bend forward gently to stretch out the back of your legs and slowly roll back up so your shoulders straighten last.
Taking a few minutes to do these before gardening can greatly improve your mobility and reduce the risk of pulling muscles or putting your back out when working in the garden. If you are unfortunate enough to suffer muscle aches and soreness the next day come and try a full body massage in our Tonbridge or Teston clinics to aid recovery!
Enjoy the approach of spring and may your growing season be a fruitful one.
