Back to Life, Back to Reality

I’ve got the end of summer blues, friends. From the minute the CNE opened, I’ve been feeling the impending end to cottage weekends and fruit salads and sweaty outdoor workouts. That first morning I felt a chill in the air, my heart sank a little. Back to school for the kids marks a return to routine for the rest of us. For me, that means getting myself organised–meal planning, and scheduling, and a lot more time at the computer. Even sitting down to write this post reminded me that I need to pay a little more attention to my alignment. Staring at our phones, playing chauffeur and/or the daily commute, not to mention labouring over our laptops can lead to some serious issues. Tech neck, carpal tunnel syndrome, and rounded shoulders are all byproducts of modern living. But fear not: Pilates Can…Save You From Your Laptop!

While the proliferation of laptop computers has made it possible to take our work anywhere, the fundamental problem with laptops is that the screen and the keyboard are too close together, which makes it impossible to use a laptop while maintaining a good posture. You always have to either look down (which is bad for your neck) or put your hands up high (which hurts your wrists and cramps your shoulder muscles). Prolonged smart phone usage causes faulty posture in the form of forward head posture, slouching, and rounded shoulders. Sustained forward neck posture can also cause injury to the structure of the cervical and lumbar spine, as well as ligaments and connective tissue.

This means that many of us will experience the “pain” of going Back to School/Back to Work as ACTUAL physical pain! Symptoms experienced from sitting in an awkward position on your laptop include the obvious neck and back pain, but lesser known effects are pins and needles, numbness, and a higher risk of a repetitive strain injury in our arms and wrists. But a consistent Pilates practice can help halt and even reverse these adverse effects.

This month, Retrofit Pilates is focusing on Improving Posture and fighting back against the harmful impact advances in workplace tech can have on our bodies. Follow us at @retrofitpilates for exercises, tips and information on how Pilates can play a role in improving posture and reducing pain related to computer and smartphone use.

See you in class!

Pam Ferguson
Retrofit Master Instructor
Lead Instructor/Operations Associate