Yoga for Hardworking Tradespeople: Balancing Body, Breath and Business

Now, before you roll your eyes and dismiss Yoga as a trendy pastime for twenty somethings clad in Lycra clutching a green smoothie, let’s get something straight.  We're not here to turn you into a human pretzel or convince you to trade your tools for a meditation cushion! We just want to share some straight talk about how Yoga might be the secret weapon you need in your toolkit.

Time for a reality check

Long hours, tight deadlines, endless paperwork and physically demanding tasks, your workday is no stroll in the park. It's a perfect storm that leaves little room for downtime, let alone addressing the toll it takes on your body and mind. 

When you’re the one responsible for keeping the show on the road, day in and day out, your health is your most valuable asset and it is taking one hell of a beating! Those niggly aches and sleepless nights? They're not just a badge of time served on the tools; they're the ticking timebombs that could stop you in your tracks and leave a permanent hole in your finances. 

So why do I feel like I’m 45 going on 80 some mornings?

The short answer is usually repetitive movements, habits and imbalances – often the trademarks of a skilled tradesperson! What may seem like second nature on the worksite could be contributing to those unwanted creaks and groans you hear as you reluctantly haul yourself out of bed each morning.

Think about it for a minute.  Whether you're swinging a hammer or wrestling with wires, we all have a way we prefer to do the tasks we do on a regular basis.

If you want to try this in practice, next time you’re out on a job, take a moment and notice if you're always reaching for that tool with the same arm or stepping forward with the same foot? Now try deliberately doing it with the other side instead. Feel weird or uncomfortable? 

Now we’re not saying you must become completely ambidextrous if you want to stay in a fit state to work until you can afford to retire.  However, being aware of your habits and patterns is the first step to doing something about the wear and tear they can cause.

The good news is that middle age aches and pains aren’t inevitable if you introduce some small regular shifts to rebalance the body.  Likewise, unhealthy levels of stress don’t have to be an inevitable part of a busy working life even when customers are unreasonable, deadlines are tight and your van decided to not start!

Work smarter

However, we’re not talking about making random changes, crossing your fingers and hoping for the best! You need strategic disruptions to counteract the potential negative impacts of your daily routine. By addressing the root causes of aches, pains and stress, you're essentially practicing preventive maintenance for your body, ensuring it stands the test of time.  This is where the tools of Yoga can become your new best mate.

Yoga – A Practical Toolkit

Now, before you dismiss yoga as something reserved for the Gen Z crowd, let's get practical. Yoga isn't all about poses that you’d need to remove two ribs to access; its combination of intelligent movement, effective breathing and mind management techniques can allow us to stay fit and well so we can get on with living our daily lives uninterrupted. Whether you need to stretch those achy back muscles, sharpen your problem-solving skills, reduce pain or manage your stress levels, it can be an absolute game changer.

Getting started

We're not suggesting you make a drastic change on day 1!  Begin small – a few minutes a day, a couple of times a week. The impact might surprise you, offering relief for those aches, a boost in mood, and increased agility on the job.

If you need some ideas on where to start, attending a Yoga class can be an easy route to explore some of the options. These days there are so many choices so it doesn’t have to be scary!  If you’re a bloke don’t worry about being the only one in the class.  Times have changed and you’ll be surprised how many tradesmen we see on the mat these days!  You don’t need fancy clothes or loads of kit, just something comfortable you can move in so leave your steels at home!

Whether you choose in person or online we would always suggest starting with live classes rather than prerecorded so you can get feedback on what you’re doing and ask questions when you need to.  After all there’s no point creating a new set of bad habits to replace the old ones!

Ideally, you’ll also need an experienced teacher who understands your challenges and can tailor the practice to suit you rather than provide you with a one size fits all approach.  Think of it as the difference between working with the artisan or his apprentice!

Don’t be afraid to try different teachers too; there’s as many approaches to teaching Yoga as there are opinions on how to best renovate a French farmhouse!  If the first one doesn’t work for you, don’t give up; there will be a teacher out there who’s the perfect fit for you. 

If you prefer a more tailored approach that gets results even faster, 1-2-1 sessions are the way to go.  Even better, you’ll be given specific ideas that you can weave into your daily habits so that those annoying niggles disappear faster than the staff at a French builder’s merchants at 12 o’clock!

Don’t be put off by the stereotypes! Give Yoga a try. Your body and mind will thank you and your family and customers might too!

PS If you need to ditch some of those day to day tasks that tend to make your shoulders creep up around your ears at the end of a long day, have a chat with our friends at marketingfortradesmen.fr and get that specialised support you need!