The Importance of Stretching And My New Health Routine

A little while ago I shared with you why I was looking differently at physiotherapy and as part of that I was given ‘homework’ to start doing some stretching exercises at home to help repair the damage of the car accident I was involved in a couple of months back. 

I have taken my back for granted all my life but it’s not until you damage it that you really understand how having that pain can impact your life. For me the secondary effects of back pain have been equally as life disturbing as the pain itself. 

Since the car accident I have been unable to sleep properly as it is taking hours to get into a position that is reasonably pain-free to actually sleep and if I turn subconsciously in my sleep I can be awake again in minute in pain again. 

I am tired and irritable and generally fed up of feeling dreadful, achy and not being able to concentrate for it.

Thankfully I have an amazing physiotherapist that giving me some techniques for exercises to do at home to help me repair and rebuild the complex muscles, ligaments and tendons in my back and neck but I didn’t realise that stretching was important. 

Obviously being overweight is not ideal as this puts extra strain on my spine but loosing weight via exercise is not an option until I am given the all clear that my is back to where it should be. 

With that in mind I have been gifted a HoMedics STRETCH, a back stretching mat to see if this can also help me strengthen my back in a controlled way without putting it under any extra pressure. 
I will be using this for the next month to see how I get on and will come back and fill you all in on how I get on. 

I have to say that when I was attending regular yoga classes I felt I relaxed better, slept better and could function altogether in a more focused way. Not to mention the physical benefits of being more flexible and stronger. 

I really do miss feeling that strength and focus so here goes on my new health routine. 

Disclaimer: The product was sent for the purposes of this post. All thoughts and opinions were independently formed by members of The Oliver’s Madhouse.