Please. Please please please.
Do yourself a favor and fix your mobility issues. You don’t need to be perfect- just bring yourself to baseline.
What is baseline?
Baseline is where you don’t have to ask the question above.
Baseline is living life without aggravating muscle tension or pain. If you’re thinking “Wait, that’s possible?” then I have bad news for you. It is possible, but boring. Nothing worthwhile in life comes easy!
So, where do you start? Well, it’s simple. Let’s say your neck bothers you. You have had chronic tension on the right side for the past 3 years. Chiropractic and snake oil under the sun. Some work, but you need to identify the exact problem before trying to find a solution. Inflammation is a symptom – not the problem.
Back to the matter at hand – getting back to baseline. Well, how do you do that?
Let’s give you just enough to start. For this scenario, imagine the right neck/ shoulder region is the problem area due to nerve inflammation.
- Identify a single area that bothers you (ex. right neck/ shoulder region).
- Inhale, close your eyes, and as you exhale focus on finding a movement that naturally decreases the tension. Since nerve tension makes a muscle want to shorten, dropping your left ear to your left shoulder would, in this case, allow the tension area to relax.
- Hold until you feel relief. You cannot tell your muscle “After 30 seconds, please be relaxed.” You can try, but even asking nicely won’t work.
- Repeat steps 1-3 as needed every few hours, days, years, etc.
In reality, physical fitness is a lifelong journey. We’re never going to be perfect. Accept that, but do not accept a world where you have to live in pain. Our bodies don’t need to be like that 1990’s car that never quits and maintenance we give to this vehicle.