If I see someone making slow progress, or in pain who doesn’t know how to get out of it, I naturally want to help and offer advice.
– When we injure ourselves we seize up to protect ourselves. But instead of seizing up, can you let go? Allow your hips to rotate and get loose. Your shoulders will follow. To coin a phrase, people around me have started to refer to this as ‘Loosey Goosey’. In yoga we wiggle if we have a niggle. Animals do it to reset themselves by doing up dog, down dog, a yawn. Why shouldn’t we? I do believe we can reverse a lot of back injuries by doing this. People find their own ways with their own historical injuries. I’m very proud when I see my friends in the gym getting loosey goosey. Trying to get out of injuries the same way I do.
⁃ Water is great for testing movement. If you are sore the next day you know to be more conservative next time. If you can’t do it on land, try in water. Push boundaries but don’t break them. Great for trying range of motion for an ankle sprain, or break and to build muscle back up – doing calf raises in water, when you can’t due to pain on land.
There is much research going into cold water bathing/swimming and its benefits, even the highs of cold water vs those of cocaine. I will also get in any cold water going – wild swimming, a sauna and the sea. Live on the edge sometimes. But a hot bath is still my favourite!
⁃ Rest. Lie down often, even if you think you should be doing something more important. It’s a reset. Yoga nidra is the best. It’s great to induce a nap if silence isn’t your thing, so acts as a companion and a timer all at the same time.
⁃ Somatics is great for getting back to movement. Especially if you’ve lost faith or trust in your body. Lying on the floor doing knee ways. Have you ever wondered why simple plank, or Superman lying face down raising legs and arms are so effective? Because they’re simple. They’re not grand movements like a Burpee or an overhead press. They recruit muscles to support 
you.
– Counteractive stretches are something i’ve always advocated. Everything we do is so forward focused. When we drive, use our phones, sit at a desk, we move from our mid spine and don’t counteract this movement. Lying back over something allows us to open our chests and stretch the tissue round the front of the shoulders.
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