A beauty professional spends long hours in the same position, sitting, straining their back and repeating the same movements. All repetitive activities can cause fatigue and pain in various parts of the body and even lead to injury. The spine is made up of many bones called vertebrae, stacked one below the other. Between each pair of vertebrae there are joints and discs that give the neck and back flexibility to move. Both the joints and the discs can be damaged if they're strained or compressed. Keeping the body bent or twisted for a prolonged period of time can cause pain in the neck, back, arms or legs, especially if a disc ruptures. This pain and these injuries don't usually appear suddenly; they develop slowly over a long period during which the back suffers particularly. In many cases, these problems could have been prevented with better posture and better work habits.
The importance of keeping your back straight
If there's something we tend to emphasize in our training sessions and with our team in general, it's the importance of body posture. Keeping your back straight, avoiding straining the lumbar and thoracic curves, not only makes you look taller, slimmer and more confident, but it also increases oxygen flow through your body, reduces stress hormone levels and improves digestive function. Especially for beauty professionals, or for anyone whose job requires them to sit for long periods, practicing good posture isn't just a beauty tip — it's a health habit. Your career and your team's career may depend on it, since, as mentioned above, a hunched back can cause lasting pain and injuries that can eventually prevent you from doing your job.
What are the most suitable exercises to prevent aches and pains?
Below, we detail some quick, easy exercises to incorporate into your work routine that will help you improve your posture, prevent injuries and keep your back healthy.
Breathing
Stand up, with your shoulders back and down, and place your hands on your hips. Inhale slowly through your nose, allowing the air to fill your stomach (not your chest), and exhale through your mouth. Do this exercise for 30 seconds whenever you can throughout your workday. This breathing routine will generally help improve your health and reduce feelings of tiredness, fatigue, anxiety and general discomfort. The brain is also the organ that consumes the most oxygen, so poor breathing can cause headaches and drowsiness.
Getting up during a long work session
It may seem strange at first, but during a lash extension appointment lasting, say, 2 hours, you need to get up at least a couple of times for 30 seconds to breathe deeply and stretch your legs, arms, back and neck. You can let your client know in advance that you're going to take a couple of very short breaks for the health of your back, but that it won't interfere with the service. In fact, it will improve your focus and energy, which will benefit your clients.
After each client
Once you've finished the service, it's a good idea to stretch your body a little, paying special attention to your arms. For this, we recommend the following exercise: stretch your arms out to the sides in a cross shape, trying to lengthen them as much as possible for 30 seconds. Next, while holding the position, raise your hands as if you wanted to push a wall with your palms for another 30 seconds. Finally, still holding the position, spread and open your fingers for another 30 seconds, forcing the stretch. It may feel a bit difficult at first, but you'll soon notice the benefits.
At the end of the day
To wind down the day, even once you're home, you can do this final exercise. Standing up, lean your back against a wall, keeping your heels, lower and mid back, shoulders and head in contact with the wall. Hold this position for a few minutes with your arms at your sides. Next, raise your arms and try to reach the wall with as much of them as possible without moving your back, keeping the contact points mentioned above. Coordinate this movement with your breathing, inhaling as you raise your arms and exhaling as you lower them back to the starting position. You can do two sets of 10 repetitions.
Final recommendations
In addition to these fairly simple exercises, it's ideal to maintain a healthy lifestyle that includes daily physical exercise and strengthening activities, such as Pilates, yoga and weight training, which will help strengthen your back, core (the area covering the entire abdominal region and lower back) and all the muscles supporting the spine. Your back and your career will thank you. We hope you find these tips useful; if you think they could be helpful, don't hesitate to comment and share.
