Curing Aches and Pains

One of the most common complaints I hear on a regular basis is over the aches and pains of those with worn, used, and tired bodies.  Back pain, knee pain, neck pain, wrist pain ect ect ect...  We've all heard these complaints (I've even done it once or twice), but does anyone ever actually look into fixing these issues?

Here are a few simple suggestions you should try if you are experiencing some kind of pain.

1.  Check your diet. 

If you aren't eating healthy you are putting a ton of bad chemicals into your body that aren't doing anything good.  Add a LOT more veggies and fruits and you will begin to feel better almost immediately.  This works for a wide variety of illnesses and pains alike.

2.  Drink water.  

You think you drink enough water?  Not likely.  Most people don't.  Even I have a hard time getting enough of it at times.  Unfortunately water is one of the main components of life, so you should definitely get your fill.  By increasing your water intake to a proper level you will have more energy and will feel better since your body isn't being restricted from a vital resource.  Keep a small bottle of water right in front of you so you will sip it often and then refill it and repeat throughout the day.  You should be visiting the bathroom fairly regularly if you are getting enough water, and your excrement should be a very clear color if you are properly hydrated (unless you take vitamins which can often turn your fluids yellow).

3.  Good posture

This is something that few seem to practice these days.  People walk around hunched over or slouch in their chair at work.  Nobody wants to stand / sit up straight.  For those of you who work in an office all day you may have noticed either having lower back pain, or abdominal pain after sitting for 8 hours or so.  The lower back pain is likely due to all that time spent in the chair slouching back and not sitting properly.  It puts extra pressure on your spine and with time causes it to bend out of whack.  Your abs on the other hand will tend to hurt if you slouch forward for long periods of time.  This causes your abs to sit constricted in a tight position and leads to stomach cramping.  If you have ever flown long distance you may have experienced this!  So sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor.  Another technique I have seen used is to turn your chair backwards and sit on your knees which almost forces you to sit with proper posture!

4.  Stretching

Stretching is another highly neglected factor in avoiding bodily pains.  If you type of a computer all day you may have pain in your wrists, neck or abs as mentioned above.  Doing a few minutes of stretches or yoga in the morning will help release some of the tension built up in these areas and should cause you to feel less pain or no pain at all.  I prefer head and neck rolls for that area.  You can also roll your wrists or hold them in a bent up or down position for 10 seconds or so.  For the abs there are two stretches I like:

The first involves interlocking the fingers of both hands together with arms stretched above the head; palms should be facing the ceiling.  From this position push/pull in an upward direction while standing. 

The second stretch is my preferred stretch and works really well.  For this stretch lay flat on the floor on your stomach.  Next, place your hands next to your chest in the push up position.  Push up, lifting everything above your stomach off the floor.  Your entire lower body should still be on the ground.  If done correctly your back should be bent inward and you should feel a good stretch in your abdominal muscles.

For other parts of the body a quick Google search will return plenty of results on stretching.  Test out different methods for whatever area ails you.  This will give you results that actually work for your body!

And there you have it!  Four great ways to reduce / relieve some of those aches and pains you've been feeling!

***BONUS***

On top of eating a healthier diet, you should check with your physician and have blood work done to find out what essential vitamins and nutrients your body may be lacking.  Once you know what your body is missing, you can fix it with a strong multi-vitamin (or maybe just a few inidividual supplements).  This can make a huge change in the way you feel both physically and mentally!

Hope you all have a great weekend!