Dress Shoes

(Areas affected: feet, calves, hamstrings, hips, glutes)

Women: High-heeled Shoes

There is no denying the beauty of a pair of leopard print pumps, but how are they really affecting your body? High heeled shoes distribute the majority of your weight on just the balls of your feet. This shift of weight makes your legs look longer and more toned. But wearing high-heeled shoes for an extended period of time will your toes are cramp in the front of the shoe, strain your calves, tighten your hamstrings, hips and glutes.

Solution: Occasionally swap out the heels for cute and practical flats with arch support. Stretch your calves, hamstrings and hips after a long day in heels.

Men: Uncomfortable Dress Shoes

Men’s dress shoes don’t have the best reputation for having proper arch support. Standing or walking for extended period of time in those shoes can have negative effects on your body including knee pain, tight calves and aching hips.

Solution: buy some sole inserts or orthotics to support your arches. Stretch your calves, hamstrings and hips after a long day on your feet.

Bags

One shoulder Handbags/Tote bags/Messenger bags/ laptop bags

(Areas affected: Neck, headaches and migraine, upper back muscles, shoulder, rotator cuff muscles)

Leaving our house for the day we overload our bag with things we think we might need that day. In truth, we don’t end up touching half of them but we are stuck carting that heavy bag around for the entire day. When you overload your bag and set all of that weight on one shoulder you add so much pressure to your shoulder. Our bodies weren’t designed to carry bags around with 5+ pounds around all day. To support the weight of the bag, the muscles in your neck and shoulder tense up. When this is done for an extended period of time this can lock up the muscles around your shoulder blade, upper back and neck. It has even been know to alter muscular and skeletal form. Tense muscles in these areas can limit your range of motion to your shoulder and neck and can sometimes trigger headaches and migraines.

Solution: Consider investing in a stylish backpack with two straps that you can distribute the weight evenly against both of your shoulders. Avoid the urge to carry the bag with one strap, it defeats the purpose.  If that doesn’t suit your needs consider a cross-body messenger bag or handbag. Purge some of the contents of your bag when you use a cross-body bag try alternating sides that you carry that bag in order to lessen the strain on the side that you typically wear your bag on most often

Going Scarf-less

(Areas affected: Neck, pecs, upper back muscles)

Not wearing a scarf in the winter can not only increase your chances of catching a cold, but it can also increase your chances of getting a stiff or aching neck. When a cold gust of wind blows into you the first instinct is to brace yourself against it. You round your shoulders forward in toward your chest, you make yourself smaller by shrugging your shoulders up and fold your arms in front of your body.

Solution:  Keep your coat zipped to the top and pair it with a scarf and keep the chilly air off of your neck on chilly days.

Make some changes above to alter the way your body feels on a day to day basis. Want a self care plan specific to you? Schedule a massage at Massage Artistry today.