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Author: nbodymechanics

Body MechanicsArticles by: nbodymechanics

Less is More – Simplify and Lighten the Load

Have you ever cried out for a simpler, more manageable life, where you're unburdened by overwhelming tasks, your stress levels reduce, your productivity increases, as does your overall health and wellbeing? I think most of us will be familiar with this feeling from time to time.

With this in mind, I thought I’d share some insights with you all, after recently reading a book by Steve Magness called ‘Do Hard Things’. He suggests that the way to build resilience, create mental space, streamline tasks and reclaim your time, is based on four key behaviours:

Authenticity - be your true self in all your thoughts and actions. Align your expectations with reality. Embrace your real self and not others expectations of you. Set boundaries. Learn and get comfortable with saying ‘no’

Acknowledging Your Thoughts And Emotions - identify and interpret your thoughts and feelings without self judgement. Learn how to engage with your emotions and channel them. Recognise the positive and the negative. Counselling, journaling and meditation are good tools.

Learn to Respond Rather Than React - try to be present in the moment, without judgement. Create space between yourself and a stimulus. Give yourself the chance to process the situation, any thoughts and feelings before actively choosing how to respond. Mindfulness is great for this.

Drive - find your sense of purpose, your ‘why.’ Intrinsic motivation is more important and sustainable than extrinsic motivation. Understand whether you really want to do something. If you don't, is it something you need to decline, outsource or automate?

Magness advocates that it is only when we step away from the conventional myth of toughness, such as putting a brave face on or just keeping our heads down, and use these four key behaviours that we can enjoy true resilience and mental space.

We all try to do too much sometimes and when we do, it catches up with us emotionally, physically, socially, financially....the list goes on, but we owe it to ourselves to be happy and healthy. Look at where you can simplify certain areas of your day-to-day life and how you can help to lighten your load. By setting boundaries, removing or outsourcing tasks, creating mental space and embracing simplicity, will all result in reduced stress, increased productivity, and an improved sense of overall health and wellbeing - the good stuff!

This book is a good read for anyone interested in dealing with high stress challenges, work based or personal. I can highly recommend it.

If you have any questions or feedback about this article, please send them to enquiries@bodymechanics.co.uk

HR Priorities in 2024

With 2023 quickly coming to a close, People Managers are laser focused on refining their priorities for 2024. So what are those priorities and commonalities? Read on to find out.

Thumper Massagers – Product Review

Thumper Massagers are ‘at home’ massage tools, which have been created with convenience and accessibility in mind. They are handheld devices which use percussive action to work into muscles and are designed to help loosen any muscle tension and tightness being experienced. You can use Thumper Massagers to provide massage treatment on yourself or on another person. They’re great as a quick fix or a top up treatment, in between your usual physical therapy schedule.

We have selected two Thumpers from our healthcare product provider, Physique which we think will be best suited to our clients, based on your questions and your treatment requirements. Should you wish to buy either of these Thumpers, the links are below and a 10% discount is available to Body Mechanics’ clients.

We hope this review will help you make an informed decision about how and which Thumper Massagers may be of benefit to you.

Verve

Features

  • Single sphere massager using percussive action
  • Fits into the palm of your hand like a computer mouse
  • Has flexible velcro band which fits across the top of the hand
  • Variable speed control from 20 to 40 pulses per second to suit personal preference
  • 3 interchangeable massage heads let you customize your massage
  • Easy to clean; just wipe with damp cloth
  • 12 ft. (3.66m) power cord
  • Stroke: 0.20" (5.0mm).
  • Weighs 2lbs
  • £123.01 inclu. VAT

Specs

  • Made by Thumper
  • Size: 3.5″W x 7.5″L x 3.5″H (9cm x 19cm x 9cm).
  • Weight: 2 lbs. (0.9 kg).
  • FDA Class 1 approved.
  • Electrically approved UL, CSA, CE.
  • 2-year warranty.

Good For...

Working into targeted or smaller areas

Pro's

  • Affordable
  • Smaller size makes it easy to use and transportable
  • Good range of speeds and changeable spheres to allow for required intensity

Con's

  • Can only use for approx 8-10 mins before the Thumper starts to get warm, so if you have multiple areas to work on, you will have to do this in stages
  • If you have issues on the back of your body, you may need someone else to use the Thumper

Star Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)

Verdict

We’d buy this! We found it a quick and effective fix to help ease any tightness in specific areas e.g. lower neck/shoulder line, lower back close to the spine, glute/hip, fronts of shins, feet and ankles, forearms.

Thumper Sport

Features

  • Dual sphere massager with wide head and long handle
  • Thumper's Sport patented drive system technology transmits energy deep into the muscle tissue
  • Variable speed control from 20 to 40 pulses per second that match your muscles' natural healing frequency
  • A "True Speed" feedback system that prevents low speed stalls
  • Interchangeable massage spheres that let you customize your massage experience
  • Long ergonomic handle makes it easy to reach all muscle groups, neck, shoulders, back, legs
  • Easy to clean, just wipe with damp cloth
  • Weighs 3lbs
  • £133.01 inclu. VAT

Specs

  • Made by Thumper
  • Size: 16" L x 6" W x 5" H (40 cm x 15 cm x 13 cm)
  • Weight: 3 lbs. (1.4 kg)
  • FDA Class 1 approved
  • Electrically approved UL, CSA, CE, ROHS
  • 230VAC(Volts) - 27W - 50Hz
  • 2-year warranty (parts & labour)

Good For...

Easing tightness and tension in bigger muscle groups

Pro's

Great for working into larger areas like the hamstrings, quads, glutes, either side of the spine and the calf muscles

Con's

  • Awkward when trying to work into the neck/shoulder line. Feel that the ergonomics of the thumper could be improved
  • Feels heavier than expected
  • Wanted the cone massage sphere option to allow for deeper, more targeted massage

Star Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 stars)

Verdict

We have mixed feelings about this Thumper. It's easy to use on the back half of your body, due to the long handle, but we wanted more pressure and couldn’t quite achieve it. On the front half of the body, it was a different story. We think the same or better results could potentially be achieved through foam rolling, although the Thumper is a more pleasant experience.

Should you wish to buy either of these products, Body Mechanics clients can get 10% off by using the links below: 

Verve

Thumper Sport

There are other Thumper Massagers available, so please check them out for yourself

Image of a young woman sat in front of a laptop with her hands on her temples appearing to be suffering from a headache.

Headaches

Headaches are a common ailment, which will have been experienced by most people at some point. In fact they’re so common that we often don’t give them the proper attention they deserve - we may ‘pop a pill’ or ‘sleep it off’. However, there are different types of headaches and therefore different reasons as to why they occur. It’s worth looking at the factors which may trigger a headache in order to treat it correctly. We give you a summary overview here in this article.

What is a Headache?

Very simply, a headache is a pain experienced in the head, which can manifest as a dull ache, a sharp pain or pulsating/throbbing. Symptoms tend to be:

● Pain or discomfort in the head and/or face
● Tenderness of the scalp
● Pressure in the head and/or behind the eyes
● Hypersensitivity to sound, light and temperature

What can cause a headache?

● Dehydration
● Erratic eating patterns
● Food allergies or intolerances
● Stress
● Eye and/or eyesight issues
● Muscle tension and/or tightness
● Injury to the back, neck, shoulders or head
● Poor/incorrect posture
● Lack of sleep
● Illness such as flu
● Menstruation
● Hormone imbalances
● Overconsumption of alcohol or caffeine

These lists are illustrative and not exhaustive.

Different types of headaches

Tension - the most common type of headache, which feels like a tightening or a pressure around the head

Hormone - changes in hormone levels can trigger headaches and can be brought on by menstruation, contraception, pregnancy, menopause or HRT

Cluster - an intense head pain, usually experienced on one side of the head and/or face and eye. Not overly common. Tend to be experienced from middle age onwards. Come on suddenly and can last for several weeks. Can cause changes to the eye, such as redness, watering or swelling, as well as extreme agitation in a person. Cluster headaches have been linked to smoking and genetic predisposition. Seek medical advice as further investigation and stronger prescription medications will be required.

Migraine - moderate to intense head pain, often experienced alongside nausea and/or sickness, brain fog, increased sensitivity to light, sound and/or temperature. Can occur from teens onwards. Can last for hours to days. There are three different types of migraine, which include the previously mentioned symptoms and:

  • Migraine with aura - head pain accompanied by the sight of colours or flashes of light
  • Migraine without aura - head pain without colours or flashes of light
  • Aura without the headache - colours or flashes of light are seen. No experience of head pain.

Seek medical advice as further investigation and stronger prescription medications will be required.

What to do?

Drink Water - try to drink at least 2 litres per day. Ensure you drink enough water to replace any lost through exercise and perspiration, or diuretic drinks, like tea and coffee

Medication - over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers such as paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin. Cluster headaches and migraines will require medical guidance for medication.

Ergonomics - ensure you keep your body in neutral alignment wherever possible. Consider how your seating, standing and lying positions affect your posture - do you have the correct support for your body, particularly when sitting and sleeping? Do you work from home - does your workplace set need to be assessed?

Rest and De-stress - take some time to rest and recuperate, allowing the pain to subside

Light Exercise - stretches/yoga, walking or a massage to help alleviate any muscle tension or tightness

Avoid - any food or drink that triggers allergies or intolerances

Test - get regular eye tests

Alternative Therapies - both acupuncture and reflexology have been known to help alleviate pain and headache symptoms

Always seek medical advice prior to treatment and/or consult a pharmacist.

Useful Equipment

All of the below equipment is available from our Partner Providers, Physique at 10% discount.

Use a combination of the below to help relieve your symptoms as appropriate:

  • Cold Therapy - a cold gel or cold pack can be used on the localised area to reduce any pain
  • Heat Therapy - a heat lotion, gel or pack can be used on tight muscles around the neck, upper back and/or shoulders
  • Painkillers - over the counter medicines like ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory) and paracetamol (compound analgesic/painkiller) can help reduce pain and increase comfort in the short term and as a temporary measure. Speak with a medical professional such as a GP or Pharmacist for bespoke guidance.
  • Physical Therapy - yoga, massage, acupuncture or reflexology can help alleviate causes and/or symptoms of headaches and migraines

 

Physique Be Confident written logo in blue and red

If you have any questions or feedback about this article, please send them to enquiries@bodymechanics.co.uk