Careless Armchair Fans Could Join Rio on Treatment Table

You would think World Cup fans are safe sitting on the couch in front of the TV with snacks and refreshments to hand, right?

Well, Scots cheering on anyone but England could do themselves an injury over the next four weeks – despite barely moving a muscle.

Due to long stints glued to their chairs, armchair supporters should really use some simple warm up and exercise movements to avoid suffering from a creaked neck or a bad back.

An increasing number of people are seeking treatment for problems brought on by long periods of inactivity – like sitting at desks, in cars, or in front of the TV.

Fans glued to the sofa or those with awkward viewing spots in crowded pubs (e.g. looking up at a screen for long periods) are most at risk. Even goal celebrations can cause problems – suddenly jumping up and throwing your arms in the air can be a real jolt on stiff muscles and joints.

The key to staying injury free is to move frequently – even if that means getting up to fetch a drink or changing channels on the TV rather than using a remote control.

Fans should take footballer’s lead by doing a few stretches in the living room to help prevent any long term problems. And if aches or pains as a result of watching the World Cup don’t clear up within a day or two, you should seek professional treatment.

Top tips and hints to help armchair football fans avoid strains and injuries.

Pain Relief
1) Armchair Exercise – stay limber during matches by occasionally twisting your back and neck to either side, and rotating your shoulder and ankles. Frequent trips to the kitchen for refreshments and snacks are a must.
2) Stretched Neck – if sitting in the pub means turning your neck or looking upwards for long periods to get a good view of the game, make sure you stretch your neck by bringing your chin to your chest and rotating in the opposite direction – this will stop your muscles and joints from getting stuck in one position.
3) Strained Voice – you can shout louder when you have good posture (this keeps the vocal passages open) so keep your neck long and shoulders upright. And if your jaw gets achie, just massage the muscles on the side of your mouth and temples to prep it for celebrating the next goal.
4) Limber Legs – remember to get up and walk around as often as possible both during the game and at half time. You’ll find that the amount of liquid you drink will facilitate this, so keep those cups of tea going!


Light Relief
1) Thumb Control – avoid any cramps on your channel flicking finger by flexing and extending the thumb several times to warm it up before any serious TV surfing
2) Goal Celebration Regime – relax jaw and open mouth wide, and then slowly sink to knees while raising arms above head. Hold for a few seconds before waving arms around then stand back up straight and loosen off by jogging around the living room a few times.
3) Mexican Wave – every time a free kick is given for the supporting team, start a Mexican Wave with the people in the pub/living room to keep blood pumping through the body.
4) Lip Puckering Exercise – pucker up your lips for a Laurent Blanc/Fabien Barthez good luck kiss by perfecting your pertest pout! Push out lips and pucker up, advance towards a window and slowly press lips against it before sucking hard – raise legs up behind you and hold for a count of ten before lowering legs and remember to wipe the window afterwards.

If you find you still have problems and pain after the game, feel free to contact the Edinburgh Physiotherapy Centre or Glasgow Physiotherapy Centre to see if one of our trained staff can help with your problem.