Sean Kinsman

Sean Kinsman, PT, DPT, is the chief clinical officer at RecoveryOne. He is board-certified in orthopedics and has more than 15 years in clinical practice.

Running tips: Stay healthy and avoid getting hurt

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The COVID-19 pandemic has changed daily routines for a lot of us. No longer do we leave the house to stop for coffee, drive the 40 minutes to work, or move about the office for meetings. While working from home has had many pros and cons, it has caused a lot of us to be less active throughout the day.

To make up for this lack of action and social time during the day, many people have turned to more intense workouts. Sales of remote fitness products, such as Peloton, Mirror, and Nordic Track, have boomed during the past year. Of all types of activity, running has seen a huge surge, with many people running to help their physical and mental health.

With more running comes more risk for injury. Before COVID-19, most of us had not prepared our muscles and joints to handle so much impact and mileage. Common running-related issues include shin splints, ankle sprains, plantar fasciitis, stress fractures, knee pain, and back pain. To avoid getting hurt, follow these tips:

  1. Maintain your shoes. Both miles and time affect your running shoes. Not only does the impact of running wear down your shoes, but the material of your shoes breaks down even if you’re not using them. We suggest you change your running shoes every 300 miles or every year, whichever comes first.
  2. Warm up and cool down. Going straight from the couch to a sprint is not a good idea. Try doing some light calf and quad stretching to loosen up your muscles. You can also start with a walk for the first few minutes, then ramp up to a jog, and then walk again at the end of your run. Warming up and cooling down protects your heart by making the change between resting and moving more gradual.
  3. Don’t tire yourself out too much. As you get tired, your form gets worse, which can cause injuries like sprained ankles. The “talk test” is one great way to measure if you’re overdoing it or not (i.e., would you be able to chat with a friend while running?) Another is the Karvonen heart rate formula, which can help keep you in a healthy heart rate zone during your exercise session.
  4. Avoid doing too many types of sports. Instead of jumping into hardcore circuits, biking, and running all at once, try sticking with one type of workout at first. Then, try adding in a second type once you have built up some strength. This will help you prep your body for the added stress of a new workout.
  5. Take days off. While many of us may want to come out of this year fitter than ever, working out every day can get you hurt. Take a break every other day, and make sure to take stock of how you’re feeling before you work out.
  6. When in doubt, seek someone out. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to a health care provider for guidance. Your routine may have changed a lot in 2020 and 2021, so it’s important to consult with an expert before you exercise. If there’s anything that COVID-19 has taught us, it’s that our health and safety should be top concerns.

Sean Kinsman

Sean Kinsman, PT, DPT, is the chief clinical officer at RecoveryOne. He is board-certified in orthopedics and has more than 15 years in clinical practice.

Working from home: Tips for a safe at-home work environment

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In the Age of COVID-19, working remotely has become commonplace among office workers.  While it certainly comes with its perks – lack of a commute, flexible schedules, increased quality time with our families (questionable if this is a perk for some of us, I’m sure) – there are also some real risks to general health and wellness with our new normal. 

For many of us, our work life balance is blending together – a personal example: I am writing this blog at 12 AM because I can’t find a more productive time while balancing homeschooling, cooking, and meetings.  Behavioral disorders are on the rise as a result – the risks for increased stress, depression, insomnia have all increased during the pandemic. 

Weight gain is another common theme of this pandemic. A recent poll by WebMD found over 50% of respondents reporting gaining 1-5 lbs., with another 25% gaining 10 lbs or more.  Much of this weight gain can be tied to several factors: increased alcohol intake, stress eating, lack of activity.  Whatever the cause, the changes to our homelife is placing increased stress on our bodies in ways that could have long lasting effects. Added weight places greater strain on our heart and cardiovascular systems.  It makes it more difficult for us to fight off infections (particularly concerning given the current state of affairs) and can strain our muscles and joints, leading to greater risk for injury (low back and neck pain are most common).

To make matters worse, for many of us working from home comes the plight of poor ergonomics.  Pre-Covid, most of us had a decent office chair, a desk, and a workstation with a relatively good ergonomic set-up. Now many of us are working on the couch or at the kitchen table, slumped over our laptops for hours on end.  While short term, these postural abnormalities are fleeting, without the distraction of co-workers to chat with down the hall or the need to step into a meeting, we’re spending longer periods of time in those poor postural positions. This can cause major structural changes to our spinal alignment, and lead to long term pain and discomfort if left unchecked.

Here are some simple ways that you can minimize your risks:

  1. Set personal time on your work calendar
    You’re not likely to miss that work meeting, because most of us link greater importance to our work calendars than any personal one.  Place boundaries on your time, and sprinkle in some “You time” throughout the day
  2. Set reminders on your computer to get up and move around every 30 minutes
    It’s easy for us to lose track of time when we get involved.  With many of us working from home now from the couch or the kitchen table, our necks and back are at greater risk for injury.  Using your work computer to set audible reminders to get up and move every 30 minutes will reduce your risk of injury related to poor posture.
  3. Connect with your team
    Make sure to connect with your colleagues and friends. An easy way to do this is to build social time into your work meetings, where you talk about non work topics. Adding a face to the interaction can help overcome some of the isolation you may feel during this pandemic.
  4. Use household items to augment your workstation
    Sitting on a soft couch, try placing a baking sheet or tray under the cushion to provide more support.  Improve your sitting angle by rolling up a towel and placing it behind your lower back or under the edge of your bottom.  Mirror your laptop to the TV screen so you can maintain your neck in better alignment.  If you’re at the kitchen table, grab a chair with armrests and roll a towel behind your back.  Consider placing an extra cushion on top of the seat to raise you up to a more optimal sitting position and plugging in your laptop to an old computer monitor that is raised up to eye level to limit slouching.
  5. Take a walk
    You risk for covid is lowest during the day in open spaces. During one of your midday work breaks (see item 1 from above) get outside and take in the fresh air now that summer has arrived. It will help your mind and your heart!