RSI and back pain prevention exercises
Repetitive strain injury (RSI) and lower back pain are common injuries for those working in the beauty and spa industry, commonly caused by overuse of certain muscles and joints.
Kerry Beavis, Pilates teacher, owner of home-based salon The Revive Company and Professional Beauty’s Therapist of the Year 2016, demonstrates four exercises that your therapists should be doing daily to help prevent these symptoms occurring.
“If you can get into the habit of doing these exercises every day then you will really feel the benefit of stretching your core, wrists, hands and the back of your body. If you don’t look after your posture then later down the line you’re going to have problems,” explains Beavis.
4 exercises that help prevent RSI and back pain:
1. Hand strength exercise
“This exercise is brilliant for strengthening your hands and it’s really easy to do. Start by pressing your index finger and thumb together, before holding for a slow count of five, pressing as firmly as possible. Then, release and stretch your fingers out nice and wide into a star shape,” says Beavis.
“Next, move your thumb to touch your middle finger and then squeeze for five seconds, before releasing and stretching. Repeat this movement on each finger as often as you can throughout the day.”
2. Wrist curls
“This exercise is good for strengthening your wrists and forearms and you want to be performing it every day if you can. Grab a weight – if you don’t have one then you can use a bottle of water or tin of beans instead – and then make sure that your hand and forearm are flush to one another. Next, flex at the wrists, bringing your fingers towards your arm and then release, making sure you’re back at that flush angle,” explains Beavis.
“You want to do this for a count of seven. If you get any pain, stop immediately or reduce your range of movement. Once you’ve done this seven times, turn your hand around and then lift it, bringing your knuckles up to your forearm. Once you’ve done your count of seven, shake your hand out and repeat on the other side.”
3. The roll down
“This exercise is really great for stretching out your posterior chain. It enables your spine to be more flexible and it’s ideal to do at the start and end of the day. To start off, you want to make sure your feet are hip-width apart, with your toes facing forward, pressing your feet into the floor firmly,” says Beavis.
“Next, roll your shoulders back and down, drawing your naval in towards your spine so that those muscles around your mid-section are engaged – these are vital for supporting your lower back. Then, breathe in, and as you exhale nod your chin towards your chest before rolling down bone by bone, letting your arms hang freely.
“Reach down as far as you can and then when you’re at the bottom, breathe in. As you exhale, restack bone by bone to a standing position. You want to do this seven times.”
4. The leg slide
“This exercise will strengthen your core without jeopardising your lower back. Start by lying down with your knees bent, hip-width apart, and feel that length through the spine. Press your shoulder blades into the floor but don’t squeeze your bum cheeks or thighs, it’s a case of using your abdominals to press your back into place,” explains Beavis.
“Then, place your fingertips on the inside of your hip bones, drawing the naval in so you can engage those core muscles. Once you’re there, breathe in, exhale and slide your right leg away from your body. When it’s fully extended, slide the leg back to the start position. Repeat seven times on each leg.”
Watch our other PBTV video with Beavis where she shares her top advice for preventing work-related injuries. You can also read Beavis’s top tips on enforcing cancellation policies and tasks mobile therapists could outsource to free up their time.
For more helpful advice and tips, visit Professional Beauty’s YouTube page.
Other PBTV videos: