If you’ve just started an exercise routine, switched up your regular one, or intensified a training plan, you might expect to feel a few more aches and pains throughout your body. But what about if everything on the fitness front is status quo and you’re still experiencing some niggles?
In that case, muscle or joint discomfort may simply stem from how you move your body when you’re working, relaxing, doing some chores—whatever it may be. In fact, physical therapist Kellen Scantlebury, DPT, CSCS, founder of Fit Club NY, tells SELF he notices folks doing some potentially dubious things “every single day.”
From the way you walk to how you stand, look at your phone, or read on the subway, there are “so many different things” that could trigger the ouches. The tricky thing is, many of these habits are small and subconscious, so chances are, you have zero clue you’re doing them. But bringing them to your attention is important, since they carry some pretty big and not-so-pleasant repercussions—like pain, hampered mobility, and increased chance of nasty injuries—if left unchecked. And that’s where this list comes in.
We tapped Dr. Scantlebury and two other physical therapists for a roundup of the common, everyday movement habits that they wish people just…wouldn’t do. The point here isn’t to shame, but instead to gently inform so you can go about your day—and ultimately your life!—using your body in ways that make you feel as awesome as you deserve to.
1. You crane your head to scroll on your phone.
Okay, pretty much all of us do this at some point…if not for many hours every day. In fact, it’s so common it’s got a name: tech neck. And while the most obvious repercussion—an achy neck—may seem annoying but harmless, the reality can actually be more serious. Chronically straining your head to look at your phone is a habit that’s “wreaking havoc” on lots of people’s health, Candace Harding, PT, DPT, a physical therapist and a registered yoga teacher in Arlington, tells SELF, triggering a host of serious neck, jaw, and even headache issues.
Think about it this way: Your neck muscles are designed to support a head that weighs around 11 pounds, Dr. Scantlebury explains. But when your head moves forward, even a few degrees, the shifted angle places more pressure on it and it starts to feel heavier, all thanks to physics. So your neck muscles are now being forced to support a head that feels like it’s heftier than intended—say, 15 or 16 pounds. These muscles are not built to work that hard, so when they’re forced to take on the extra pressure, well, that’s when problems can arise, Dr. Scantlebury explains.