It is possible to change!
Would you believe that far from being a a place for peaceful rest, a recliner can be bad for your body and causing your more pain and discomfort than not.
Let’s look at it from the perspective of posture.
Many times, our spouses or loved ones will comment about how we are standing up straighter. In some cases, we remember our parents telling us not to slouch and stand up tall. That was annoying, wasn’t it. The truth is, how we stand is a habit that our brain gets comfortable with and thinks that is normal.
I love to see the faces of my clients when I tell them how terrible their recliner is for their health. Many will defend it to the nth degree. I will hear how comfortable it is, it helps their back, or they can relax in it. All that may feel real, but it is contributing to your bad posture. Then the ultimate question comes, “do you have a recliner?” When I tell them no, they seem perplexed. My thoughts are, why would I have a recliner when I am telling you it is bad for your posture? If it is bad for you, it is bad for me. Some will get rid of the recliner, while others fight to the end and complain about their pain.
Why are recliners bad for me?
Next time you see someone sitting in a recliner notice the position their entire body is in. When reclined back and feet are up, notice that the knees are slightly bent, hips are fully bent, and the head to leaning forward, especially if they are watching TV.
Now imagine if they held that position when they stood up. They would have head forward posture, slightly bent at the waist, and knees not fully extended. Look familiar? This will lead to low back stiffness and neck stiffness. This is the number one reason why recliners are bad for your body.
Form as the Source of Pain
Remaining in that position can affect the discs in your spine, the joints of the hip, knees, and sacrum at the base of your spine. This can result in bulging disc, herniated discs, and pinched nerves. On top of that arthritic joints if combined with a bad diet and being overweight. Not a good look!
The issue here is we have been trained to think that these things just happen. Bad luck, old age, or anything else you may want to blame. Our health system has been trained in how to fix these problems once they occur, but how to prevent them from happening, is not part of the training.
I have had several clients that actually sleep in a recliner every night. Needless to say, they are major chronic sufferers. So why are recliners so popular? Since your body is already in that position, it does feel better and that is the selling point. Now they come with lighted cupholders, USB ports, massagers, and lumbar support. If they could add a toilet feature, there would no reason to ever get out of it. The issue here is not that the recliner is bad for your body, but the lack of movement that is causing you to age faster.
Humans were designed to move!
We should be moving constantly. We have all heard of taking 10,000 steps a day, right? The magic is not just the 10,000 steps, but we need to move enough to automatically take at least 10,000 steps. Standing up each day and rotating our shoulders, elbows, and wrists to lubricate the joints in the upper body reduces a lot of stiffness. Rotating our hips, knee, and ankles keeps the lower body moving without pain. Rotating our spine, wiggling our toes and fingers will lubricate those joints as well. Remember to make gentle movements.
You don’t need any gadgets or be hardcore in your movements. I don’t know who created the hardcore stuff, but it is very dangerous for your body and is not necessary. Your brain has to know that every movement you make is safe. When you try to force a movement that the brain thinks is unsafe, it will stop you. Try to override it and an injury will occur.
Trunk rotation
Diet plays a huge role in how stiff you feel. Too many simple carbs like bread and pasta will cause a feeling of stiffness and leave you with a crash feeling within a couple of hours. If you find that after eating a meal you need to take a nap, you are probably eating too many simple carbs and need to change. While I am not a nutritional counselor, but someone that has lost 105lbs over 18 months, I can tell you that the effect of what you eat on your body is unbelievable. I thought I was sick with some type of a disease. After losing the weight and changing what I ate, those symptoms went away. The interesting part was, one of my doctors wanted to put me on medications for those same issues. Thank God, another doctor recognized what was happening and changed my life. If you need some help please talk with a nutritionist that understands your body and what it needs. This is not a one size fits all thing. Get the correct nutritional road map for your body and I promise you will have more energy and less stiffness no matter your age.
Rotator cuff stretch
Finally, how your feel has more to do with what you do and what you eat versus anything else. I have seen many people who have suffered for years with pain, only to see it resolved in a matter of a few days to weeks. what I am talking about in this newsletter is not commonly taught in schools for healthcare practitioners of all types. We are taught how to fix things when they break, not how to prevent them from breaking. It is up to you to find the right person to help you individually.
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About The Muscle Repair Shop
Drawing upon his personal experience as a former competitive athlete turned wheelchair, obese and chronic pain sufferer, Muscle Repair Shop Founder Butch Phelps decided to take his health into his own hands when at the age of 36 he was told he might not make it to his 40th birthday. Applying balanced nutrition advice from his doctor along with a sound exercise program, he went from 315 lbs. to 180 lbs. Motivated by his experience, he then acquired degrees in advanced therapeutic massage and aging sciences to help people eliminate chronic pain. This included applying his expertise in how people age, including the effects of dementia, anatomy, psychology, and the day-to-day struggles living as an older person to his practice and development of The Muscle Repair Shop’s one-of-a-kind Stretch n’ Release Technique.
Available through in-office and virtual coaching treatment sessions, this unique combination of stretching and breath work teaches the brain to release the emotional side of muscle tension and pain allows clients to find lasting relief and healing from stiffness, aches, injuries, and chronic pain. The at-home exercises come with customized instructional videos and virtual or in-office support, allowing clients to enjoy and experience life and sports as they did before limitations slowed or curtailed activities.
