Spring is Here, Time to Loosen Up

Time to break out of your winter slump!

We sit a lot more during winter. And sitting is habit forming- whether you like it or not, the more time you spend motionless, the more your muscles are training to stay habitually contracted. In short, the more you sit, the more likely you are to keep sitting. These muscles are literally developing an aversion to elongation, which means that when its time to stand up and go at the end of the day, you are going to feel stiff. 

How does range of motion factor in? 

Range of motion refers to the movement potential of a joint and, more broadly, your entire body. That’s why we mistake feeling stiff for having bad range of motion. But this is not the case; more often, stiffness is going to be manifest as balls of tension within the muscle. 

Releasing tight muscles with trigger point therapy

What we want to do is get into these muscles and release the little balls of tension with trigger point therapy. When your muscle stops resisting elongation, you should be able to move without that feeling of stiffness and pain. From here, it is a matter of regularly stretching and strengthening key parts of the body against the incursions of a sedentary lifestyle. If you are interested in leaving the stiffness behind for good this new year, give our office a call to schedule an appointment today.