Reduce aches and pains this Christmas...

It’s a wonderful time of year, but we’re all getting busier and out of our usual routines. Any fitness classes you normally go to will most likely be cancelled over the Christmas period and usual health regimes tend to go further down our ‘to do’ lists. Add into that the stress of present-buying, card sending, entertaining and so on, it can be a tricky time of year in terms of our health and wellbeing. I’m definitely not a scrooge, it’s a lovely time to spend with family and friends, but over-indulging with food and drink can set us up for all sorts of aches and pains. I’m not here to tell you not to have fun, I’m here to give advice on how to reduce the risk of joint and muscle pain spoiling your Christmas!

The main advice is to try to keep some of your usual health and fitness routine going. If you normally do an exercise class such as yoga or Pilates, take a look at YouTube videos and follow one, even if it’s just for ten minutes. If you don’t have time to get to the gym, challenge yourself that in the adverts on TV you do different activities like pushups, situps, jumping jacks and the plank. It’s amazing how a couple of minutes of each activity can get your heart rate up (essential for fat loss) and also improve your strength (essential for supporting your joints).

Make sure to mentally keep a check on how you’re feeling both physically and emotionally. For many people, this time of year can be difficult due to losing or missing loved ones. It can also be tricky juggling social commitments. Don’t lose yourself in all the events and forget about taking care of yourself. If you’re feeling stressed, it can cause headaches, insomnia, weight gain and so much more. When you can’t stop the cause of your stress, the next best thing is managing it to reduce the physical effects. Try a daily meditation using an app on your phone (Headspace is great) or any time you’re feeling tense, sit down and breathe deeply into your stomach ten times. I bet you’ll feel your shoulders relaxing down away from your ears before you get to ten!

Sometimes on Christmas day and Boxing Day, after all the running around in the weeks leading up to it, we can then spend a long time slumped in an uncomfortable chair or unsupportive sofa. This is a recipe for low back pain! If you are sat down, place a cushion in the small of your back and make sure both feet are planted on the floor. Try to keep moving every 20 minutes to limit any joint stiffness.

When you’re lifting heavy presents or wrestling the turkey in and out of the oven, enlist help! Rushing and lifting something awkwardly can easily cause a muscle strain or pull your back. Make sure to bend your knees and push up with your legs to lift something. Remember to never reach down with your back and twist at the same time!

In regards to over-indulging with food and drink, a couple of treats here and there is fine and won’t set you off track with your health and fitness goals. Try to focus on limiting portion sizes to avoid that sluggish feeling in the afternoon and evening. This will also stop you wanting to hit the gym seven days a week in January! Don’t put the pressure on yourself.

When drinking alcohol, try to drink plenty of water, especially before bed. If you have an inflammatory condition, try to limit the amount of alcohol you drink as this can encourage inflammation and make those aches and pains worse.

If you do feel aches and pains over Christmas, give me a call or send me an email so we can book an appointment to get you back on track and start the New Year feeling fit and well.

I’m definitely not being bah-humbug! I will enjoy a drink over Christmas and some snacks as well as my vegan roast ;) But hopefully with these tips we’ll all be able have a pain-free Christmas. One last tip- be careful when getting presents from under the tree, a couple of Christmas' ago my Mum was very pleased she had an Osteopath for a daughter when she twinged her back! Luckily some swift treatment settled it down quickly!

Zoë Clark is a registered osteopath trained at the British College of Osteopathic Medicine in London.


Practicing in Howe, near Norwich (01508 558373) and Burston, near Diss, Norfolk (07543 557746).