FOR A FITTER, MORE ACTIVE LIFESTYLE
Ready, set, go for Hansaplast‘s new initiative
because being more fit and active will help to reduce illness, infliction and pain.
“MORE ACTION - LESS PAIN” co-founder and chairman, orthopaedic specialist
Dr. Gerd Müller says: No more excuses – start moving today!
Be pro-active about your health
In collaboration with Dr. Gerd Müller, orthopaedist and head physician at Hamburg’s renowned back centre “Am Michel” Hansaplast has developed the MORE ACTION LESS PAIN initiative with the aim not only to relieve complaints in the short term, but also to get people to be more pro-active about their fitness and pain and relieve it in the long term.
How? By exercising at an appropriate level.
RELIEVE ACHES AND
PREVENT PAIN IN THE
LONG RUN.”The programme‘s holistic approach is made-to-measure by taking today’s modern lifestyles into account. See our tips and our video section for a variety of tips and exercises tailored for office workers, from the Hansaplast initiative “MORE ACTION - LESS PAIN”.
His clinical focus is on sports medicine, prevention treatment, back and neck pain as well as muscular rehabilitation of muscular and skeletal diseases. Another focus is multidisciplinary pain management and occupational health management. He was also Co-chairman of the EU Commission for Back Pain.
THE HANSAPLAST INITIATIVE THAT WILL GET YOU MOVING!
pro-active about it.
The concept of graded activity
Hansaplast, as expert for pain treatment and solutions, has risen to the challenge.
Together with renowned orthopaedist Dr. Gerd Müller, founder and head of Hamburg’s “Rückenzentrum am Michel”, we have founded the “More action – less pain” initiative which is based on the concept of graded fitness.
The goal of the “More action, less pain” programme:
Making you fit (again) for everyday life!
Graded activity for more fitness
So sticking with inactivity for too long or not working out is never a good idea, even in cases of back pain.
YOU'RE AT IN TERMS
OF FITNESSThat’s why I have chosen to participate in and help develop Hansaplast’s MORE ACTION – LESS PAIN initiative, which consists of a made-to-measure activity programme based on the concept of graded activity (starting very slowly and increasing over time), whilst incorporating Hansaplast’s specialised products for pain relief and treatment. Let’s go!”
It means starting where someone is at in terms of fitness and increasing over time. A fitness routine based on graded activity is all about avoiding extremes, which is key for both: avoiders (couch potatoes who will stay away from exercise) and those who push themselves too hard when exercising. The concept of graded activity is therefore based on exercise sessions with a preset amount of repetitions or amount of time, increasing slowly. This avoids the usual „push-crash“ cycle of over-exercising or not exercising at all due to concern of relapse or pain.
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ANY ACTIVITY IS BETTER THAN NONE!
Assess your grade of fitness and start with that. Empower yourself.
A misconception: Some people think that suffering from back pain would prevent them from being active and working out. In most cases avoiding physical activity will only increase the pain and condition. Why? Because the body will react by decreasing muscle tissue and bone mass which in turn will lead to more stiffness and soreness, which will only increase pain.
Pain will likely occur if the capacity of your body is not fit enough to match the requirements of your everyday life or given task. Instead of avoiding the task, it is better to increase your abilities.
Therefore, the trick is to stay active whatever you do, and work on your fitness continually and gradually (yes, even if you have suffered from an injury). There are even psychological benefits: your body will also produce hormones that will reduce pain and lift your mood. “People who understand that there is a lot they can do for their own fitness and in order to prevent aches and strains will experience less pain”, says Dr. Müller. You are responsible for your health, so be pro-active about it.
THREE STEPS TO FIT
1. Assess your grade of fitness
Some people tend to overestimate themselves and do too much. Once they experience pain, they see this as proof for the body not cooperating. They tend to lose interest in the activity. Those are the over-achievers. The avoiders are afraid that they will experience pain or that they might “damage” something in their bodies. Both set different priorities – but sooner or later the body will set the priorities straight…! So the sooner you realize how important activity is, the better.
2. Do something that you want to stick to
3. Do it regularly
Build up gradually and increase your level slowly… with an emphasis on “increase” for avoiders and an emphasis on “slowly” for achievers. The intensity is key.
Also, work against your preferences:
In addition to a workout that you like and that feels natural to you, you may need to focus on your weaknesses rather than your strengths
There are a few things you can do in everyday life. Prevent muscle strains and soreness, depending on your lifestyle.
GET A MOVE ON! - SIMPLE TIPS TO INTEGRATE INTO YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE
Tips for Office Workers
- Dynamic sitting
Change your seating position as often as possible. Stretch your legs, sit upright and stretch your spine, lean back experiment and see to it that you have enough variety. - Phone headset will relax your back,
neck and shoulders.
Do you tend to squeeze the receiver or your phone between your neck and shoulders? Don’t, as this might lead to one-sided strain. - Exercise during the day
Press both hands and arms on the arms of your chair and press upwards stretching your arms. This will decontract the spine and lead to more mobility in the shoulder and neck area. - Visit our video library for more exercises.
Tips for Seniors
- Be active
It’s continuity that counts – stay active regularly and try to exercise three times a week for 30 minutes each. - Continuity counts
Try to get back to your old level of fitness if you have had to suffer a setback due to injury or illness. Be patient because building muscle tissue can last up to three to six months. - Build confidence
Train your balance, which is also important as prevention for falls which might easily lead to serious bone injury. An easy exercise: Stand on one leg while brushing your teeth. Take it one step further by closing your eyes while doing sos. - Visit our video library for more exercises
Tips for Athletes
- Variety
Try to equally train all of your physical skills in your workout by practicing endurance (cardio) and flexibility exercises. Monotonous workout will not train all the muscle groups or ligaments. - Good shoes
Are essential because stability in your ankles and knees will travel further up to your spine. The righ footwear can thus help prevent pain and wrong gait or posture while running. - Time for regeneration
Allow your muscles to regenerate after exhausting training sessions and let them pause for two to three days. Always see to it that you drink enough and go for a diet high in carbs as well as proteins. - Visit our video library for more exercises
Please note that none of the above given tips or recommendations substitute medical advice. Important: consult a health professional in case of an injury or if you suspect overuse of joints or a medical condition such as a fracture. A physician should be consulted in those acute cases when the condition is accompanied by reddening, swelling or hyperthermia of joints, ongoing joint trouble or severe pain and/or are associated with neurological symptoms
(e.g. numbness, tingling, loss of motion).
For further information regarding Hansaplast products, please contact us via email on phc@beiersdorf.com. Carefully read the instructions for use given in our products‘ packages.
