I had a client today whose mid- and lower back were bothering him. “I run, and I work in an office,” he told me.
“Do you usually run during your lunch break?” I asked.
“Yeah, why?”
My client’s situation is one that, in my experience, seems to arise in office workers taking midday runs: their cold, contracted core muscles are stuck in a seated position for 4-6 hours, then are suddenly warmed and loosened up for a bit, only to be put back into that same contracted posture for the rest of the day. This pattern can lead to lower and upper back pain, buttock pain, and other ailments.
I suggested that my client consider running before work or after, rather than in the middle of the day, and at a time when (ideally) he’ll have the opportunity to walk a bit and stretch afterwards, allowing his body some time in postures that are fluid and low-impact. I also suggested he review his office space ergonomics – a separate post on that, later!
For those working 9-5, it’s easy to stick to a routine, and hard to break a habit once it’s formed; but if our patterns begin to hurt us, it’s time to think critically about what’s causing us pain. Wellness is more than just making sure that we move our bodies – we can strive to move our bodies in ways that benefit us in the long run, not just from today to tomorrow!