How To Lift Your Luggage To Avoid Pain While Travelling

 

🛫GOING ON VACATION? READ BELOW❗

Over-packed luggage and improper lifting and carrying techniques are common causes of injury to the back, neck and shoulders. 🧳

Lifting your luggage can’t always be avoided, even if your luggage has wheels. But practicing safe lifting techniques can substantially reduce your risk of injury. ⚠

✅ Move slowly and, whenever possible, break the action into smaller parts. For instance, when placing luggage in an overhead compartment, first lift it onto the top of the seat.

✅ When lifting your luggage, first get close to the load and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.

✅ Bend at the knees and let your leg muscles, rather than your back, do the lifting.  

✅ Hold the load close to your body.

✅ Avoid twisting. Instead, turn your feet in the direction you are headed and turn your entire body in that direction.  

✅ Do not carry bulky luggage for long periods of time. Check heavier items when travelling rather than carrying them for the duration of the trip.

✅ Try to carry light pieces in each hand rather than a single heavy item on one side.

✅ When using a backpack, use both shoulder straps and the waist strap, and adjust them to minimize the bag’s movement.  

✅ When using a duffel or shoulder bag, switch sides often to reduce strain.

If you’re experiencing pain from lifting something heavy, visit one of our chiropractors!  

📞 519-662-4441

📲  nhwc.ca

🔗ONLINE BOOKING LINK IN BIO

#luggage #lifting #travelling #vacation #backpain #luggage #strain #neckpain #shoulderpain #healthtips #spinalhealth #wilmot #newhamburg #baden #tavistock #wellesley #waterlooregion

Time For A New Mattress?

 

Can’t Sleep? It May Not Be Your Bed’s Fault!  💤

Just because you hurt after laying in your bed all night, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to trade in your mattress. 🛌🏽 It’s important to look at all of the different variables in your life before jumping to any conclusions. 🤔

If you’ve been sleeping on the same mattress for over a year and your pain developed suddenly, there is a good chance your bed hasn’t changed all that much and that some other factor is causing your discomfort.

Consider this and ask yourself the following questions:

👉  Have you lifted or carried any boxes, luggage or groceries recently❓

👉 Do you perform duties at work that may bring on a repetitive stress injury❓

👉 Have you changed your diet or gained a few extra pounds❓ 

👉 Maybe you overdid it at the gym or went a little further on your daily walk❓

👉 Have you been in a car accident lately❓

There are countless sources of injury and it is very common for the pain to manifest in the morning after a period of inactivity (laying in your bed all night in this case). 😴

#sleep #bed #mattress #posture #backpain #pillow #chiropractor #spinaltips #health #wellness #wilmot #newhamburg #baden #tavistock #wellesley #waterlooregion

Winter Slip-Ups!

 

Falling on ice can leave you hurt badly from taking a knee to the ice or falling awkwardly on icy snow. Slippery sidewalks, driveways and icy parking lots can be risk factors for falls in winter. Avoid a bad fall with these tips!

WALK LIKE A PENGUIN

When walking, extend your arms out from your sides to increase your centre of gravity. Keep your hands out of your pockets! Walk slowly, with short strides and try to land your steps with a flat foot.

KEEP WALKWAYS CLEAR

Shovel snow and scrape ice as soon as possible. Liberally sprinkle ice melt product or sand onto walkways to provide foot traction and to make sure surfaces don’t turn to ice.

TAKE ALL PRECAUTIONS

Tap your foot on potentially icy areas to see if it is slippery. Hold a railing while walking on icy steps. Stay steady by wearing proper winter footwear. Lightweight boots with a thick, non-slip tread sole will provide good traction on ice. If a sidewalk is icy down the middle, walk on the snow beside it to avoid slips.

LIGHTEN YOUR LOAD

Carry fewer bags on snowy days, since excess baggage can throw off your balance and make it tougher to regain your balance once you lose it. Keep your hands free by putting away your phone while walking – you may need to catch yourself!

VISIT YOUR CHIROPRACTOR

Don’t let a fall get you down. If you do take a tumble, visit your chiropractor. They’ll get you back to doing the things you love to do and will work with the rest of your care team to help prevent future falls.

#winter #ice #snow #falls #prevention #backpain #chiropractor #physiotherapist #massagetherapist #health #wellness #wilmot #newhamburg #baden #tavistock #wellesley #waterlooregion

 

It can be challenging sometimes to find the motivation to stay active during the winter. ❄

Here are some tips on how to stay active at home:

1️⃣ If you work at a desk, set alarms on your phone as a reminder to move. 🔔

2️⃣ Climb stairs to deliberately add more steps to your day. 🚶‍♂️

3️⃣ If you have equipment at home, set up a buddy system for accountability. 🤳

4️⃣ Use free online workouts or your gym's online options. 💻

5️⃣ Get a small trampoline for low impact cardio, use a stationary bike with apps like Peloton, use a TRX or resistance bands at home for diversity and creativity in your movement. 🚲

6️⃣ Write down exercises on pieces of paper and place in a jar. Pull one out every day to keep your activity interesting. 📄

7️⃣ With kids, build an obstacle course out of household items like couch cushions, pillows or cardboard boxes or set up a scavenger hunt to find items around your home. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

8️⃣ Get your kids involved in household chores to get them moving and participating. 😃

#winter #exercise #activeliving #movement #motivation #fun #family #health #wellness

Vitamin D Supplementation

 

By Dr. Laura Hoffmann, ND

Did you know that Vitamin D plays a crucial role in supporting your immune system, bone health, and even mood?  While we often get it from sunlight, many people need extra support through supplementation - especially in the winter months in Canada! ❄

🔑 But here's the key: Lab work is the best way to understand your unique Vitamin D needs. Blood tests can show if you're deficient or if you're getting enough from your diet and sun exposure. 

🔬 Why get tested?

✅ Prevent deficiency-related issues such as fatigue, mood changes, and muscle weakness.

✅ Tailor your supplementation to your exact needs - because one size does not fit all!

✅ Monitor your levels to stay in that sweet spot for optimal health and optimal immune system functioning.

So, before you start popping those Vitamin D pills, talk to your healthcare provider or Naturopathic Doctor and get a blood test.  Your body will thank you! 🙏

CONTACT US:

📞 519-662-4441

📲 nhwc.ca

#VitaminD #sun #winter #vitamindeficiencies #naturopathicmedicine #labwork #supplements #naturopath #health #wellness #wilmot #newhamburg #baden #tavistock #wellesley #waterlooregion

Preparation And Conditioning For Skiing

 

Winter can be a splendid and enjoyable time of year, especially if you love outdoor activities like skiing.

Commonly, muscles that work to internally rotate the hips are activated and engaged during skiing – key for maintaining balance and coordination.

A great way to condition the body and build muscle memory for skiing is to practice your technique with the use of balance boards, in-line skates, or sports that require quick movements and changes of direction.

Another important aspect to skiing is the need for endurance and stamina. Interval training is a great tool to build endurance, where you maximize your input for short bouts of time. The gains made through interval training can translate into meaningful improvements to your overall endurance; however, as with all activities, progression is key.

If you are an avid skier, now is the time to start preparing your body for the season!

#skiing #conditioning #winter #outdoors #balance #coordination #endurance #intervaltraining

Reduce The Risk Of Screen Time

 

Most of us are still spending way more time than we should in front of a computer screen. 💻

Here are some tips for making that unavoidable screen time less harmful:

BLINK YOUR EYES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE 👀

Blinking helps tears cover the surface of your eyes. The lacrimal glands secrete tears to keep the surface of the eye moist, which is necessary for the proper functioning of the eye.

TAKE BREAKS ⌚

Take a break every 1-2 hours and let your eyes be away from the computer for 10-15 minutes. Work continuously for up to 1 hour, preferably away from the computer screen, staring at a distant target for more than 10 seconds.

MASSAGE 👐

After looking at the screen for a long time, close your eyes and massage around the eye socket with your hands. This will increase blood circulation around the eyes.

ADJUST THE HEIGHT & WORKING DISTANCE FROM THE SCREEN 🖥

Keeping a distance of 50-65 cm between your seat and a computer screen, with the center of the screen about 20 degrees below eye level. This will relax the neck muscles and minimize the area of the eyeball's surface exposed to air, which can reduce eye strain.

#screentime #eyestrain #bluelight #computer #selfcare #vision #health #wellness #breaks #office #posture #ergonomics