What happens in your first physiotherapy session
Questions, tests and a plan. Here is the hour, minute by minute.
Sitting all day? A ten-minute routine
Five movements our physios give to almost every desk worker.
Sitting itself is not harmful; sitting still for hours is what leaves the neck, back and hips stiff. Here is the short routine we give desk workers. It is general advice; if any movement causes pain, stop and get assessed.
Start with chin tucks. Sit tall and gently draw your chin straight back, as if making a double chin. Hold for three seconds, ten times. Then thoracic rotations: arms crossed on your chest, turn your upper body slowly to each side, ten times.
Stand up for hip flexor stretches. Step one foot back into a small lunge, squeeze the back buttock and feel a stretch at the front of the hip. Hold for 30 seconds each side.
Next, wall angels. Stand with your back against a wall and slide your arms up and down slowly, keeping your elbows and wrists close to the wall. Ten slow repetitions.
Finish with sit-to-stands from your chair, ten times, without using your hands.
The routine takes about ten minutes. Set a reminder for mid-morning and mid-afternoon. More important than any single exercise is changing position every 30 to 45 minutes.
