How to self-massage
The average office worker spends more than eight hours a day in front of a computer monitor, sitting in a chair and working in a fixed posture, which can lead to muscle fatigue and pain in the neck, shoulders, wrists, lower back, and back.
These symptoms don’t happen overnight; over time, fatigue, muscle tightness, and stress build up to cause pain and discomfort. If these symptoms persist, you may experience headaches from shoulder or trapezius muscle tightness, difficulty concentrating, and fatigue that leaves you feeling exhausted and sluggish after just a little work. But all of these problems can be solved with a simple self-massage. In this article, we’ll show you some simple self-massages that you can perform at work and how they can help you regain a healthy body.
The discomfort of poor posture
The neck and shoulders, in particular, can suffer from overuse from sitting in front of a monitor all day. Posture can also be affected by sitting too low or too high, and even poor keyboard and mouse positioning can be aggravating. If you find yourself in this situation, consistently self-massaging your neck and shoulders can help loosen up tight muscles and eliminate fatigue and headaches.
The trapezius muscle, especially around the shoulders, is a very tight area. You can feel the stiffness in your hands and see for yourself, but massaging your trapezius muscles for about 10 minutes every day can help loosen them up and reduce headaches.
Mental stress can also cause the shoulder muscles to become tense and stiff. When you’re stressed, your body instinctively pulls back, causing your muscles to contract and the blood flow that used to be flowing through them to become restricted, causing pain.
Simple self-massage tips you can do at the office!
Trapezius
I mentioned this a little bit above, but you’re going to use your palms and fingers to grasp the trapezius muscle, and you’re going to press down on the muscle, but you don’t want to press down too hard at first because it can backfire, so you’re going to do a gentle, steady massage at first. www.homesmassage.com
You can use oils or acupressure sticks to apply pressure, and it’s a good idea to do it consistently for about 10 minutes a day, rather than for too long.
Back, Neck, Cervical Spine
This is a place where a lot of stress or muscle tightness occurs. Especially when you sit in front of the monitor, you use the neck area continuously, so it often causes tightness and even headaches, so it is recommended to perform a daily habitual massage. For the cervical spine, you can lean your neck forward slightly and press firmly on the nape of your neck with both hands, and a finger massage from behind your ears down to the cervical spine can also be a useful way to loosen up the muscles.
Note that
It’s especially important to avoid pressing too hard when massaging the cervical spine, as this can compress the blood vessels going up to the head, which can make the headache worse or cause dizziness.
Shoulder massage
Raising and lowering your shoulders is a very simple exercise, but if you make it a daily habit, you’ll see a lot of benefits. Start by sitting in a chair, keeping your back straight and not leaning back, and raise your hands so that your shoulders touch your ears. Hold for a count of five seconds and then lower them back down. Doing this frequently can help increase circulation and relieve muscle fatigue.
Stretching the muscles on the side of the neck
Grasp the side of your left ear with your right hand and stretch your neck to the right. As you do this, lower your opposite shoulder in the opposite direction, to the left, to help stretch the muscles on the side of your neck. Like the cervical spine, relaxing the muscles along the side of your neck can increase blood flow, which can help clear your head and clear your mind.
Cross-arm stretch
Slide your left arm between the armpits of your right arm and stretch it out. With your right arm, pull your left arm straight out in front of you. This stretches the muscles on either side of the shoulder and helps release tightness.
How to stretch to increase the effectiveness of your massage
Creating habits
Setting aside time in your day to massage and practice self-massage for 10 minutes each day can be very beneficial. Set a timer in your living room before work or after work and get into the habit of self-massage.
Utilize massage tools
Acupressure balls and massage balls can be great tools for self-massage: you can place them behind your back and lean against them for a natural self-massage, or you can use them to massage your neck, trapezius muscles, and other areas with less effort.
Rollers and sticks
Using a massage roller on the wrist or calf of your arm provides a simple, effortless, and cooling massage.
Warm compresses
Sit in your living room after work, grab a warm pack or towel, and wrap it around your neck, shoulders, or trapezius muscles to relax your muscles, increase circulation, and relieve fatigue. It’s important to establish a massage routine for about 10 minutes a day, every day.
Caveats
Even if you’re self-massaging, don’t overdo it or use too much force, as this can cause more pain. It’s best to stimulate the area gently, and don’t suddenly jerk your neck to the side because you have a stiff neck.
Conclusion
Working in an office, most modern people experience pain or discomfort in places like the neck, shoulders, and wrists. A simple self-massage on a daily basis can relieve aches and pains, tight muscles, and fatigue. Try setting up a 10-minute massage recovery routine every day, and you’ll feel amazingly lighter and in great shape.
The signals your body sends you are subtle at first, but if you ignore them, they can become more damaging over time. Listening to your day and acting on those signals with self-massage will go a long way in your recovery.