Fixpert

I’ve been told I’m kind of like a little kid when it comes to winding down at the end of the day. If I’m really beat, I tend to get hyper right before I finally collapse and fall asleep, I’ll get the giggles talking excitedly about something completely incoherent. I also find that I tend to be more creative at night, especially after 10pm and I wonder if there is a correlation. The frenzy of energy that I sputter out just at the end of the day might be the same that I funnel into my creative work on late nights.

Are you more creative at night? If so, what would you attribute this to? (On a related note, the Fixpert brand and look/feel of this web site were created all in one late night burst of creativity.)

My friend Sam majored in Recreational Therapy in college and did an internship at a Physical Therapist’s office as she was still considering various career paths. She told me that 90% of the patients complained of lower back pain, and the majority of those were simply instructed to stretch their hamstrings (the muscles located on the back-side of your thighs). Apparently, if your hamstrings are too tight, and not flexible enough, it will throw your entire posture out of wack which, in turn, screws up your lower back. I’m pretty sure everyone in the universe has had lower back pain, right?

Well! This got me really interested, I think we had started the conversation because I had been complaining about some back pain, and I started thinking about how us web geeks sit all day. We know it’s not healthy. We really should spend most of our lives running barefoot through warm, sunny pastures with flocks of golden retriever puppies tripping over our feet and the smell of fresh dryer sheets in the air (preferable Mountain Spring flavor), but…more likely we sit at a computer at least 9 hrs a day, with the oppressive electric hum of cheap flourescent lighting, our skin translucent blue from lack of sunlight, our capillaries showing through from underneath. (I do love web design, don’t get me wrong).

Anyway! Think about the fact that you are sitting at your desk most of the day. Your legs were meant for walking, and being stretched out straight, but you are most likely sitting with your legs bent at a 90 degree angle, feet flat on the floor, am I right?? Those poor hamstrings of yours are the complete opposite of stretched out! Unless you are making an effort to loosen up and stretch regularly, chances are if you work full time at a computer your hamstrings are too tight. Just think of friendly Fixpert next time you have lower back pain. Go for a brisk walk around the block to warm up, and then for Pete’s sake stretch your hamstrings, stretch everything if you have the time. Then maybe you’ll be one of the lucky few that has the luxury of taking a lifetime of good back health for granted — more power to you. Now stretch!!