RSI or repetitive strain injury is becoming more common as we increase our usage of laptops, tablets and smart phones and increasingly develop bad posture.

RSI is an umbrella term used to cover a number of specific musculoskeletal conditions, including things like tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow. It can cause pain, swelling and stiffness, as well as numbness and tingling, with the most affected areas the wrists, elbows, neck and shoulders.  In short it means the overuse of muscles, ligaments and nerves associated with repetitive movements over a long period of time without a break.

Causes can vary depending on where the affected area is, but more and more it relates to poor posture, inadequate set up of computer equipment and performing an activity at an intense high level of activity without regular breaks.

What can you do to prevent RSI?

• Have a proper workstation assessment (WSA), also known as a display screen equipment (DSE) assessment. Employers have a legal obligation to ensure all employees have a workstation risk assessment carried out.
• Ensure computer-related equipment including the computer, display, keyboard, mouse, desk and chair are considered as part of the assessment.
• To maintain correct posture and reduce back pain, ensure you are sitting properly. Visit NHS Choices for information on how to sit correctly
• Take regular breaks, move around and stretch. This will help increase blood flow, feed more oxygen to the brain and relive stress.
• Change positions so you use different muscles and check re-check your posture.
• If you are office based, interchange with a standing desk. Evidence suggests that sitting too long each day is killing us. Visit Are we sitting too long for more information.

If you think you may have RSI, identify the cause first before looking at treatments.  A visit to a physiotherapist can help with this or a referral from your GP.  Other treatments to reduce pain, swelling and inflammation may include:

• Anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen
• Application of a cold pack or a cooling gel
• A compression bandage
• Massage can also help to release tight muscles and tendons

Once the pain is relieved exercises can help to strengthen muscles and tendons to help prevent the re-occurrence of RSI.

Check out the NHS Choices website for more detailed information on how to prevent RSI and what you can do to treat it.

Sources: September Healthy Magazine 2016, HSE website and NHS Choices website

According to Get Britain Standing British people on average sit for 8.9 hours each day. So is sitting bad for us? The simple answer is yes!

In recent years a variety of major international research has produced compelling evidence that sitting for more than 4 hours each day is bad for our health and leads to:

• Reduced calorie burning (Metabolic rate)
• Disrupted blood sugar levels
• Increased insulin and blood pressure levels
• Leg muscles switch off
• Enzymes responsible for burning harmful blood fats shutting down

Irrespective of your level of physical activity, the result leads to increased risks of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, back pain, dementia, depression and muscle degeneration. Check out the Top 10 health risks which grow for people who sit longer than 4 hours a day.

Did you know:

• You burn 50 more calories standing than sitting
• After just 90 minutes of sitting your metabolism slows down dramatically
• Prolonged sitting raises the risks of fatal heart problems by 64%.

Making some simple changes to your working day can have a huge benefit to your long term health. It’s easier than you think:

• Stand during phone calls
• Stand and take a break from your computer every 30 minutes
• Use the stairs
• Have standing or walking meetings
• Eat your lunch away from your desk
• Walk to your colleague’s desk instead of phoning or emailing them
• Stand at the back of the room during presentations

Why not calculate the hours you spend sitting on an average “working day”. Make sure you include your sitting time whilst at work, commuting and at home, then start to incorporate some of the changes suggested above.

Check out this TED Talk – Got a meeting take a walk, and make this a part of your working week

Sources: Get Britain Standing

Do you feel the pressures of modern living and that life is passing you by? Is your head constantly full of thoughts, ideas and things you need ‘to do?’ Do you think too much about what happened in the past and what might happen in the future?  If the answer to any of these questions is yes then maybe it’s time to stop and think about the here and now and be part of the present.  Mindfulness can be one way to help you achieve this.

Be Mindful defines mindfulness as:

‘..the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, with compassion and open-hearted curiosity. Through cultivating mindful awareness, we discover how to live in the present moment rather than brooding about the past or worrying about the future.’

What are the benefits of being mindful?

Your emotional health or mental well-being is just as important as your physical health and well-being.  Being more aware of the present can help focus the mind, raise awareness of the here and now and help us to appreciate the world around us more. Practicing mindfulness can also help:

• Create an awareness of our thoughts and feelings and what triggers those thoughts and feelings – good or bad
• Reduce stress, anxiety or depression
• Boost attention and concentration

Anyone can learn mindfulness. It does however take practice, but the results can be wonderful, even life changing.  Sign up to a course, either one to one or find a group.  Download an app or get together with friends to explore the great benefits of being mindful together and enjoying the here and now.  Check out the following links for more information, find a teacher or start an on-line course:

Be Mindful

NHS Mindfulness

Check out ‘Balance’ London’s new FREE monthly Health and Well-being magazine, which aims to reach 200,000 Londoners with content on mindfulness and well-being.

Information sources: Be Mindful and NHS Choices

Sleep is something we need every day.  It enables our bodies to grow and repair; it bolsters our immune system and is essential for our overall health and well-being.

Research suggests that around two-thirds of us in the UK are not getting enough sleep. and the likelihood of getting ill increases.  Long term poor quality sleep can have an even greater impact on the body leading to more serious diseases such as increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, depression and osteoporosis.

Follow these top tips to help you get the sleep you need and stay happy and healthier for longer:

1. Get a good quality bed. March is national bed month. Get some great advice on beds and sleep from The Sleep Council, who recommends replacing your bed at least once every seven years.
2. Love your bedroom. Your bedroom must be a room you feel calm and comfortable in. Make sure the environment is right, so not too bright, messy or cluttered.
3. Work out in the morning. As you tire naturally throughout the day you will sleep better come bedtime.
4. Shut the dog or cat out. Sorry, research shows that pets can be a key factor in disturbing your sleep. Cuddling up with them in bed is always appealing, but when it’s time to sleep shut them out.
5. Self-help acupressure points can improve the quality of your sleep. The Heart 7 acupoint can help reduce anxiety and stress and aid better sleep.

With your palm facing up firmly hold your thumb at the crease where the wrist meets the hand below the little finger.  Hold for up to 2 minutes.

6. Have a massage. Massage can be a great way to help you relax.  It lowers the blood pressure, reduces stress and boosts the bodies’ circulation.  Massage can also directly influence the bodies’ production of serotonin, an important neurotransmitter that has an important role in aiding sleep.

7. Finally to ensure you experience good sleep it’s essential to follow good lifestyle habits. Make sure you eat a balanced diet, stay hydrated and laugh a lot!!!

Information source: Healthy Magazine – March/April 2016 edition and The Sleep Council

Want to have a stress free Christmas this year?  Evidence suggests that Christmas is one of the most stressful times of the year; with presents to buy and wrap, a tree to decorate, parties to go to and family to entertain and cook for!  No wonder stress levels rise and the festive season can feel frazzled.  Follow these tips and yule be ready to take on the New Year by storm!

Plan ahead

• Decide who you are going to get gifts for and a budget for each and stick to it.
• Set aside a couple of evenings for putting up the tree and wrapping presents.
• Have a plan for Christmas day too. Plan the day with those you are spending it with, decide when the main mean will be served and how you will spend the rest of the day.

Delegate

Share the jobs out.  Many hands make light work and it can be more fun if everyone is involved in making the day a special one.

Send an e-card or pick up the phone

Don’t spend hours writing Christmas cards that will only (hopefully) get recycled a few weeks later. Find a nice/funny e-card and send that instead.  Not on email? Pick up the phone and talk to your family and friends in person. They will all appreciate it more.

Don’t drink too much

Alcohol is dehydrating and makes your liver work harder to process it.  Alternate with water or soft drinks.  You will feel better the next day and won’t get the midnight munchies!!

Exercise

Get some fresh air and a change of scene.  Go for a walk, run or bike ride. This will enhance everyone’s mood and defuse any stressful situations.

Have fun

Christmas is a time for having fun, laughing lots and spending time with family and friends.   So don’t stress, just enjoy it!

Don’t forget, a massage is a great way to de-stress, re-fresh and re-energise you….

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Wednesday 4th November is National Stress Awareness Day.  Helping people to beat stress, the theme this year is “Employee wellbeing as a worthwhile investment in your business”.

So what is stress, how does it affect us and what can we do about it?

Stress is something that will affect everyone at some point in their lives.  There are different types of stress. Good stress and bad stress.  Small amounts of good stress that release the hormones such as adrenalin can help motivate and enhance performance in the short term.  However too much stress can be detrimental to health and have long lasting effects on our bodies.

How do I know if I am stressed?

There are a number of signs and symptoms that demonstrate you are stressed, and they can relate to pressure from anything in your life, from work, home, school, even yourself or it can be a combination of everything. Here’s what to look out for:

• Inability to concentrate, complete tasks or make simple decisions
• Frequent colds, illness, tiredness, other aches, pains or allergies
• Tearful more often
• Headaches
• Irritability
• Trouble falling sleeping or staying awake
• Changes in appetite
• Mood swings, getting more angry or anxious than usual

So how can you reduce stress in your lives and feel happier and healthier?

The International Stress Management Association have put together a FREE 4 part Wellbeing booklet – ‘Practical ways to de-stress and seek good health.’ This is a practical guide to help you consider …

• What is Stress?
• Ways to Improve Your Wellbeing
• Creating The Physiology for Creative Engagement
• Your Wellbeing at Work

So don’t delay, check out their tips and advice on reducing your stress levels and start to feel happier and healthier.

Want to hang onto that summer holiday feeling just a little longer? With chilly mornings and shorter days, add a few simple things to your daily routine to help keep you happy, healthy and fit this autumn.

Eat more fruit and veg
Give your immune system a boost for winter by eating more seasonal fruit and veg. The more vibrant and colourful your foods are the more nourishing they will be, helping to fight off the dreaded coughs and colds. Bright oranges, deep reds and dark green foods such as sweet potato, kale, brussel sprouts, beetroot, blackberries, figs and apples are all super winter food and great in soups and smoothies.

Keep exercising
Too cold to get off the sofa and go for a run or make it to the gym? Keeping moving in the winter months is one of the best ways to beat the winter blues and help combat the negative effects of stress. Physical activity releases endorphins that make you feel good, help keep your heart healthy and can help you maintain a more positive outlook on things. Find a form of exercise you enjoy, do it with friends and have fun.

Laugh more
Laughter really can be the best medicine. Not only does laughter provide you with a workout to tighten your stomach and strengthen your heart, regular laughing may boost your immune system. Get together with friends who make you laugh, watch funny clips of animals on YouTube or just start laughing. Laugh out loud at least once a day.

Sing
Singing is good for you. Along with exercise and laughter singing releases feel good endorphins, lowering stress and anxiety and it can help develop your core muscles, and improve your breathing. So go on, sing in the shower, sing along to your favourite songs, or join your local choir.

Take a break
After all that exercise and having fun it is also important to find time to relax and have a break. Not only is it important to take regular breaks whilst at work and on the go, it is important to schedule some proper downtime for yourself (that means unplugging, so no phones, laptops or TV). Book time in your diary for yourself. Read a good book, have a massage, or catch up with friends.