Sprint Physiotherapy - Prepare and repair

Fight or flight?

The stress reaction is triggered by your perception of danger... physical danger and/or emotional danger.

Positive: it can help compel us to action; help us to achieve our goals

Negative: it can cause anxiety and health problems

The ideal? The right level of stress to optimise our functioning.

How can I manage stress better?

Take control and make some changes where possible and/or change the way you think about and react to it.
Watch out for unhelpful thoughts and interpretations.
Manage unhelpful/extreme thoughts – adapt more moderate views.
Put the situation in perspective.
Be aware of negative spirals and "what if's".
Take regular breaks.
Set both realistic and enjoyable goals.
Relaxation techniques help to reduce tension, for example deep breathing and exercises such as the ones below.

Relaxation exercises:

Stress is one of the biggest factors leading to unspecified back and neck pain and headaches. Think about what happens to your body when you are stressed - the shoulders move up towards the ears, breathing becomes shallow, muscles tighten around the shoulders and the jaw clenches. No wonder you feel pain!
When you feel stressed, try slowing down your breathing. Focus on this for a short time whilst performing the exercise bleow, then readjust your posture as described in the healthy sitting section. Make sure you feel comfortable and relaxed before you start work again. If all else fails take a short break and try some of the stretches and exercises from the previous section.

Breathing

Place a towel around the ribs and hold it firmly at the front. Alternatively, place your hands on either side of your lower ribs. Breathe into the lower ribs bypassing the shoulders. Take a normal volume of air. Do not take deep breaths or there is a risk of hyperventilating.

Important!

For further help and advice visit The Real Health Institute website: www.realhealth.org.uk