Taking Care of Your Body BTC/ Over the Table
Easy, Peasy Threes-y “Rule of Three”
All of these Are to Be Done For 3 Repetitions: Easy recall.
Hold Each for a 3 Count: Under 10 seconds!
Need Not Do all 3 at One Time: Spread them throughout your day.
You all love what you do, whether BTC, chairside or over the table. Passion is what drives your destiny, embodies your vision, sweetens your successes.
What about attending to your own bodies? How to ensure that destiny, vision and success hold up under workday strains and stresses?
Sure, there are chair adjustments, hi/lo tables, gel cushioned mats- all definite aides for long days.
In addition to space to move, we at Style en Suite are here onsite and provide Startup Guidance for you to see that you make a living AND a life.
Take a look below as Teresa A. Ryan, DPT, MA (T ) demonstrates three dynamic, restorative moves to help ease your neck, upper back, shoulders, wrists and elbows.
All Done in Standing and No Equipment Needed
Prayer Stretch: Fingers, wrists, forearms to move opposite patterns from workflow.
Elbows Apart: Allows chest and neck to release tension; opens airway for easier breathing.
Outside Corner: Encourages elbow extension (straightening) and upper shoulder/collar bone “opening”.
Prayer Stretch
Elbows Apart
Outside Corner
Forward and Down; How About Backwards and Up?
Our Bodies Want Balance: So much of what you do (perhaps without realizing it! ) involves forward and downward motion. How often do we ask ourselves to move upward and back?
Often this happens from the moment of getting out of bed…brushing our teeth, showering and dressing, to prepping coffee, grabbing things and driving to work…very little involves bringing joints and muscles to their “end ranges” where they need to live every so often.
For all of us, we live in real time. We rarely have moments to pause, or to be placed “on hold.” The same is true for our joints! While the above exercises surely will help throughout your workday, this Dynamic Stretching example provides a more in depth representation of a total body regimen.
Mechanics Matter and Conservation Counts
As Beauty and Health/Wellness Professionals, your bodies are your primary and most valuable resource. How is it than you cannot want to protect, preserve and prolong this most cherished asset?
General Movement Directional Changes: Our bodies really DO like balance. No “rule” is hard and fast; a guideline to consider is reverse repetitive motions (move in the opposite direction) each day that you move most of the time one way. Lean forward all the time? Elbows Apart. Have 4 blowouts in a row, dryer in one hand and brush strokes in other? Prayer Stretch. Feeling that nagging “knot” at the top of your shoulder blade? Outside Corner. These all help more than while at work : )
Other Considerations: Of course, how you move, where you stand (gel mat!) and alternating positions throughout the workday surely assist towards lowering strain on joints and muscles. Other helpful tips include shifting your body weight (bending one knee, other straight, use a stylist’s chair) during foiling or Balayage. The body loves position change.
Exercise throughout Your Day and Week: There’s no doubt you spend MORE than ENOUGH time on your FEET. Hard Stop. Perhaps, though, more frequent walks where you can fit them; strength and movement little bursts throughout the day all count toward joint preservation and general health. Your investment in your health pays dividends!
Let’s Summarize: Remember Your Three’s and You’re Already Ahead
Sometimes, the simplest ways to implement habits make the most lasting impact. You don’t need a lot of time (under 10 seconds) any equipment (just you) or extra space (wherever you are) to provide welcome flexibility. Phew!
A Little Goes a Long Way: Gratefully, the latest and sensible research shows that breaking exercise/stretching routines into manageable patterns throughout a day provides healthy benefits. Parking a few spots farther, taking the longer hallway, carrying items in two trips matter.
You ARE Worth < 10 Seconds: Even the MOST demanding of clients will benefit from a professional who tends to physical well being. Keeping yourself tuned permits the best way to offer Premier Service your clients expect. Each of these mini-restorative stretches take under 10 seconds : )
Compound Benefits: The best part about incorporating all of these is that they add up. Doing 30, 60, 90 seconds per day… day by day leads to week by week…and your body responds with gains in flexibility, reduced tightness and soreness, prevention of injury and increased tolerance to the very movement patterns you want and need!
What else you might need is how to expand those movement patterns into becoming a Solopreneur yourself… if that’s the case look no further than Style en Suite!
