Any suggestions to help stiff muscles?

[HeyWayne]

Heat the muscles before stretching (hot bath is ideal) and ice the painful areas after - at least that's what my osteopath tells me. If mammory serves me correctly he says that heat dilates the blood vessels allowing increased blood circulation, speeding up the removal of "nasties" et al, and the strecthing allows the muscles to "rebuild" at a longer length so that when relaxed they are not under as much tension. Cold therapy then constricts the blood vessels and reduces swelling and thus the pain. The muscles will hopefully then relax in a more "lengthened" state. Make sure you wrap the cold/ice pack in a tea towel or something - you don't want direct contact with the skin.

Or something loik dat.

Hope you feel better soon Hazel.

[Flummery]

Two paracetamol, a large glass of what does you good and an early night with a hot-water-bottle!!

Be very careful of paracetamol AND alcohol - both attack the liver.

[shirlthegirl43]

A useful tip (which I find helps me a lot anyhoo) is to change the type of garden job you are doing every 10 mins or so. It takes longer to get a specific task done but by using different muscles - dig for 10 mins, prune for the same, shift pots, sow seeds etc - then no one group gets over fatigued. It is the way I manage my life - iron for 10 mins, vine for an hour (well you don't notice the time passing do you?)

[Flummery]

If mammory serves me correctly

You breast-feeding then Wayne!

[bobleponge]

So M'lady?
How was your stiffness this morning???
(written with a perfectly straight face!)

[piskieinboots]

(written with a perfectly straight face!)

I can't see anything wrong there at all
*what's that lump in your cheek Piskie

[Hazel at the Hill]

Hurrah! I'm up and about and feeling significantly better, thank you to one and all!

So - was it the warm bath? The neck rub with tiger balm? The gentle stretching?

Well it sure as hell wasn't jumping in a bath of ice water (thank you, spiderpig) as each and every one of you would have heard me first hand hollerin' about it!

Interestingly, Shirley's made a good point - sitting on the settee with the lap top last night made it all worse, so there's a lot to be said for 10 mins each activity before doing something else (even if it's just getting up to put the kettle on - not that I need much of an excuse!)

[lynda66]

it is a timer

well in that case just reset the timer ........ or buy one without one

[shirlthegirl43]

Glad to hear you are feeling looser today Hazel.

I am off out to tackle a few more brambles and dig a wee bit more and plant some spuds. I might even have something achieved by the end of the day and be able to add to the 'what I did today' thread for a change

Take it gently folks.

[lynda66]

!

Interestingly, Shirley's made a good point - sitting on the settee with the lap top last night made it all worse,

i find the best way to use the laptop whilst on the settee, is to
lean against the arm with comfy cushions, and have your feet up on the sofa, if you sit up, then you lean over the keyboard, but when comfy, you dont

[Hazel at the Hill]

i find the best way to use the laptop whilst on the settee, is to lean against the arm with comfy cushions, and have your feet up on the sofa, if you sit up, then you lean over the keyboard, but when comfy, you dont

I'll try that.

[Flummery]

Oooh, glad it's eased up a bit kid. That reminds me - cuppa overdue!