Every step counts. All we need to do is to follow these simple steps in life and live healthy and happy.
By Dr Patli Pathak: Physiotherapist – Thyphysio, Bangalore
COVID 19 that spread in India in March 2020 turned our lives upside down. But within a few days we made new normal for ourselves. Thanks to IT, everything went online – school, work, shopping. All this means increase in sedentary life style and we all know sitting is next to smoking.
Working for long hours in front of laptop or using Smartphone for prolonged time either by young or adult affects-
- Eye: Increases strain, redness, dryness, blurry vision and headache
- Neck: Soreness in the muscles around the neck and upper back. If it is neglected for a long time, pain, tingling and numbness in hand wrist and fingers may occur, and sometimes giddiness or nausea may be experienced. When we bend the neck for texting on phone, it gives about 22 kg (approximately) weight on our neck.
- Low back: Pain, stiffness in the muscles around the low back and if neglected for a long time then the pain is felt going down to legs as well. Also, if these signs and symptoms are neglected for a long duration then it can affect the body physiologically as well as psychologically. It can lead to a long painful struggle to recovery and deterioration in the quality of work and living. If the condition gets worse, it could lead to painful surgery.
So, a situation which could have been easily treated by using pain relieving modalities, exercises or manipulation techniques, now has to be treated surgically. And even after surgery, exercise has to be done to strengthen the muscles of the operated area and around.
So, why not to take an early call and follow some preventive measures like taking a break after every sixty minute and give a nice stretch to muscles around your neck, back and wrist. Get up from your place and move around. These simple things will give a little movement to muscles, reduce the stiffness and increase the circulation around the stiff area.
Follow 20-20-20 rule for your eye: If you are on screen for the whole day then after every 20 minutes look 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Slowly you will realize that tiredness and blurry vision has reduced at the end of the day.
Include 30-45 minutes of any cardio activity in your daily life: Such as brisk walking, cycling, dancing etc. This will make you not only physically but also mentally fit. If there is muscle spasm in any part of the body, then first do the stretching of that area; and when the spasm reduces, start with the strengthening. Stretching relaxes muscles. So, one can do stretching in painful state but if strengthening is started in painful state then it leads to the aggravation of the pain.
Every step counts. All we need to do is to follow these simple steps in life and live healthy and happy.
