Every injury is different, which is why you may find yourself stuck in a rut during your recovery process. You may have started out needing to stay in bed, but as time went on and you could move a little more, you simply chose to stay put.
This is such a common thing, and yet, it is the worst thing that you can do for yourself at this time in your life! Here are two things that you can do to stop sitting and start moving during your recovery:
Use a Standing Desk
Working during recovery is something that everyone seems to do nowadays, but all that sitting is not helping you recover the way that you should. I recommend using a standing desk for at least part of your day, so you can improve the circulation in your legs. The best part is that a standing desk will keep you from overdoing it with work in the beginning because you will be exhausted from all that standing!
Start slow, maybe a half hour and then take a break for a half hour. Keep repeating until you can go a little longer. If you must complete a certain number of tasks each day for your job, or you happened to stumble across a television series to binge watch on Netflix (no judgment here 😉 ), then consider getting a desk that can be used in both a sitting and standing position. That way you can move it up and down as you go about your day.
Always Take Breaks
Yes, I know that you are possibly getting on a roll with your work, but during recovery, you should be getting up every twenty or thirty minutes. You don’t need to spend hours walking around during your breaks, but simply standing up and taking a couple of steps can help tremendously. You should also take longer walks every hour, as those will keep your body moving as it should. Plus, your brain will get a much-needed break, so you can return to your work with better focus.
It is important to note that you need to have clearance from your doctor or physical therapist before you can drag yourself out of bed and start doing a little more each day. If you have had an injury and your doctor has not given you clearance, please stay laying or sitting down until they tell you to get moving.
I can’t tell you how many days I spent not moving while I was recovering and how much better I felt once I implemented the steps above. If you have been given clearance to move more for your recovery, then I urge you to try these two things and see how much better you start to feel.
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