How to Fix Muscle Pains & Aches from Inactivity

Does Inactivity Cause Muscle Pain and Aches?

Can inactivity cause muscle pain? The simple answer is yes. In fact, inactivity can cause back pain, knee pain, and even neck pain. The discomfort or pain from inactivity stems from one of two things: Pain and Weakness. Of course, some of these happen as a result of a one-time occurrence, such as being struck by a random baseball or stubbing your toe on a coffee table.

In most cases, however, these aches and discomforts stem from repeated activities or rather “inactivities”. Even diseases start as one strain of cells before multiplying into something significant. Physical pain is no different. It, too, has a source. Do you know what the #1 practice for causing aches and pains is? It’s actually not a practice at all. It’s a lack of practice completely. The culprit of body aches, my friends, is inactivity.

Let’s take your back for example. When your back hurts it’s for a multitude of reasons: your hips are tight from sitting all day, your spinal muscles are tight from lack of movement, and your spine is compromised as a result. Sitting for long periods of time can cause a lot of pain and discomfort. Often it hurts just to be sitting down – and the reason is obvious! Check out this photo!

Can you imagine if you were to stand in that hunched position all day? Of course, your back would hurt! So it’s no wonder why your back hurts while you sit. Your body was made to move, and when it stays in the same position, particularly in one that is not neutral, it starts to get angry!

How To Fix & Counter Muscle Pain And Aches

You know that the lack of exercise or movement causes body aches, so the simple answer to correcting this is to move regularly. Building range of motion and strength in the muscles of your spine (in addition to the muscles that work in conjunction with your spine, like your abs) through systematic exercise over time will help to solve the root cause of this pain.

I know what you’re thinking. “Systematic exercise”? Do you mean a workout routine? Yup. But it doesn’t have to last as long as you think. Working out for an hour every day is a lofty goal, but what do you think about 10 minutes? How about less than 10 minutes? Even a short routine has the power to quickly counter muscle pain from inactivity.

Here is a beginner’s routine I put together that takes just about 8 minutes. That’s it! I want you to try and do these exercises every other day (or maybe every day) for the next week. Exercise is only effective when done over time, but the exercises and postures in this video have the ability to immediately relieve discomfort and increase energy. Make this tiny commitment to yourself, and your body will feel better!

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Additional Resources

You might be interested in relieving neck and shoulder pain, strengthening your glutes, or learning how to decompress your spine, so check out these 3 blogs!