Stay Active and Pain Free this Winter

The colder days are here and soon snow will be covering the ground. It’s that time of year that the outdoor tennis club is closed, the last race of the season is done, and summer fall sports are wound up. This is an important time to think about what you are going to do this winter to stay healthy and fit. It’s a funny thing in the clinic how types of injuries can change over the course of the year. Sometimes in the spring and summer we get a lot of fresh sports injuries, overuse running in the late summer and fall, and then come winter a bit more of the chronic achey backs and necks are coming into the clinic. Long hours at the office, less motivation to get outside and move, and less interest in standard gym workouts lead to inactivity. And of course inactivity can lead to those aches and pains!

Our bodies weren’t designed to sit at a desk for hours at a time. We are in a world where everything we do is in front of us and gravity weighs us down. We drift towards to the computer in front of us and slowly slump deeper into the chair. Over sustained repetitive periods of time our bodies and tissues can deform or get loaded unevenly and this can lead to pain. Besides being posture conscious, staying active changing positions and keeping your core engaged can make a huge effect on pain.

Here are some tips for keeping moving and avoiding the winter aches:

1. Work small bursts of activity into your day
   • Take the Stairs
   • Get off the subway 1 block early and walk the rest of the way
   • Walk during your Starbucks break
2. Convince your office to bring in a lunch time yoga instructor for a weekly Wednesday stretch
   • OR come to our Tuesday night Rehab Pilates class
3. Change positions during your working day
   • Stand up to take that call if you don’t have time to leave your desk and take a walk
   • Don’t sit for longer than 30 minutes straight. If you catch yourself distracted or fidgeting stand up, stretch, then get back at it
4. Sign up for an indoor sport
   • Join Toronto sport and social
   • Try something different like joining a climbing gym or trying an aerial yoga class
5. Stretch in front of the TV
   • If you know you’re still fully committed to Thursday night Grey’s Anatomy stretch or do planks during commercials
6. Make an activity plan with a friend
   • Put in workout dates with a friend in your calendar
   • It’s a great way to be social and stick to the gym
7. Sign up for a spring race to keep you training over the winter
   • An April race means you have to start training in January
8. Embrace the Cold
   • Nathan Phillip Square or Harbourfront skating after work
   • Cross Country Trails and snowshoeing are only an hour North of the city

Most importantly, THINK about it! Don’t wait until it’s March break and you realize you haven’t been to the gym in months. Consider what will work for you to keep moving as temperatures continue to cool down.