Remember when you were young and you’d get a tummy ache, or maybe a sharp pain in your knee? Were you told you had growing pains? Well, whilst growing pains are pretty common in kids as their bodies develop and adjust, as an adult, you also might be feeling similar feelings in your back or joints…but it’s probably not because you’re still growing!
These aches and niggles can be a real pain, so here are 4 quick and easy tips to help combat some of those common aches and pains you might be feeling!
Achy Lower Back
One of the most common pains as we age is an achy lower back. They hurt. They are the first thing you feel in the morning and the last thing at night!
The solution? Strength-training and resistance training! Both increase blood flow and help build up your core muscles, which then support your lower back, making it less achy.
It’s also a good idea to make sure that you are stretch properly. Sometimes the pain may manifest in your back, but be caused from tightness or stiffness elsewhere (especially if you spend all day sat at a desk!)
Make sure that you stretch your hips and glutes to help support your lower back and avoid pain. You can also try physical therapy or heat presses and pads, if the pain persists.
Headaches
Do you suffer from headaches? Perhaps stress at work or the kids are driving you up the wall?
Most people don’t know that headaches are often actually provoked by muscle tension, which, believe it or not can be helped by exercise.
Actually, movement in general is usually the solution to many of your aches and pains, as exercise helps to release stress and tension. It doesn’t have to be anything intense, even simply going for a walk or gentle jog can be enough to help relieve the muscle tension in your head and again, making sure that you stretch properly around the neck area will help.
Bonus tip: Obviously things like alcohol can trigger migraines or headaches, but did you know the caffeine can also be a leading cause of headaches, so if you are experiencing them frequently, perhaps pass up on that large latte for today!
Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain is another common pain you get with age and is caused for a whole host of reasons, once again, sitting at a desk or spending all day on a computer is usually the number 1 culprit!
Strengthening the muscles around your shoulder is important and often overlooked. A lot of people think that resting is the answer. It isn’t! Resting for the rest of your life is not going to make things better, instead, you need to utilise your trap muscles and activate the muscles around your shoulder.
Muscle Pains
Ageing isn’t easy on your muscles. In fact, did you know that once you hit 50, you can lose up to 3% of your muscle mass each year without proper resistance training? Keeping your body healthy and fit is the best gift you can give to yourself and the surest way to avoid muscle pain!
