I'm not going to tell you to skip the pie. Every January I see the same stories walk through the door. A back that locked up hauling bins out of the attic. A shoulder that went during the Thanksgiving morning football game. A cold that wiped out the entire week between Christmas and New Year's. None of it was bad luck. Most of it was avoidable with a few small habits that cost you almost nothing.
If something has been nagging you already, don't wait for it to get worse over the holidays. Request your injury consultation and we'll figure out what's going on before the season gets busy.
Warm up before the backyard game
If your only sprinting all year happens in a turkey bowl with your cousins, your hamstrings and calves are going to have opinions. Give yourself five minutes first. Jog easy, swing your legs front to back and side to side, do some bodyweight squats and walking lunges, and loosen up your shoulders. Then go play and have a great time. Five minutes is the difference between a fun story and a month of limping.
Lift like the boxes are heavy, even when they aren't
Holiday injuries love ordinary tasks. Decoration bins, a Christmas tree, a toddler on your hip, a suitcase into the trunk. Hinge at your hips instead of rounding your back, keep the load close to your body, and turn your feet instead of twisting your spine. If it's awkward, make two trips or ask for help. Nobody gives out medals for carrying every bin in one go.
Ladders and snow deserve their own warning. When you hang lights, keep three points of contact and move the ladder instead of reaching past your belt buckle. When it snows, and it will because this is Pittsburgh, push the snow instead of lifting it, take smaller shovelfuls than you think you need, and stop for a break before your back makes you. Wet snow is heavy. If you have any history of heart trouble, let someone else handle it.
Break up the long sits
The holidays are an endurance event for sitting. Two hours in the car to see family, a flight, a three hour dinner, then the couch for the game. Your hips tighten up, your low back gets cranky, and you stand up feeling twenty years older. Get up every 45 to 60 minutes when you can. Walk around at the rest stop. After a big meal, take a ten minute walk with whoever is willing to go with you. It helps your back, helps digestion, and it's a good excuse to get out of the kitchen for a minute.
And if your back, hip, or neck has been giving you trouble on long drives, that's worth looking at now, not after you've driven to Ohio and back. Request your injury consultation and let's get ahead of it.
Keep a minimum, not a perfect routine
I'm not asking you to train like it's June. Your schedule is going to be a mess and that's fine. Pick a floor you can actually hit, two or three short sessions a week of 20 to 30 minutes. A few lifts, a walk, a quick mobility circuit, whatever you'll really do. The point is to keep the habit alive and your body used to moving. The January injuries I see most often come from people going from nothing at all to full intensity on January 2nd. Ease back in.
Protect your sleep and your immune system
Most holiday colds trace back to the same few things. Late nights, a lot of travel, a lot of handshakes, and a body that's run down. Sleep is the biggest lever you have, so protect it where you can. Drink water between drinks, get outside for some daylight, and wash your hands before you eat, especially after airports and gas stations. If you're sick, stay home. Your family will forgive you for missing dinner far faster than they'll forgive you for passing it around the table.
If something flares up, don't wait it out
A stiff back after a long day is normal. Pain that keeps getting worse, pain that travels down an arm or leg, numbness, or weakness is not something to ride out until February. Gentle movement usually beats lying in bed, but if it hasn't eased up in a few days, get it checked. Most problems are much easier to fix early than after you've spent three weeks compensating around them.
That's what I do every day. One on one, movement based care that goes after the root cause instead of just managing the symptom, and we don't rush appointments. If you want a plan for the holidays, or you're dealing with something that's been in the way, Request your injury consultation.
Enjoy the food, enjoy your people, and move a little every day. Happy holidays from my family to yours.
I see patients from West Mifflin, Bethel Park, Baldwin, Jefferson Hills, Pleasant Hills, Mt. Lebanon, and across the South Hills of Pittsburgh.