Twin Willows Farm - Spinning
Without Pain
Nothing will
ruin your spinning time more quickly than pain.
Sometime you experience pain while spinning and sometimes it comes the
next day. Either way, it discourages one from wanting to sit
and spin again. There are several causes to this pain and you
may find that more than one will apply to you! If you make
the adjustments listed here and still have problems, it may be time to
see a professional to keep you spinning.
The Proper Chair
There are
many types of spinning chairs and stools on the
market. Some cost a pretty penny and others are more
moderately priced. But price really isn’t the issue; it’s the
fit that matters. Your favorite kitchen chair may work just
as well.
A chair or
stool that is too low or too high will cause stress to your
lower back. Choose a chair that lets you sit with your thighs
parallel to the floor. Some spinners love a chair with a back
on it and some prefer to perch on the edge of their chairs.
This is totally spinner’s choice. If you like to use the
chair back chose one with a short seat so the backs of your knees do
not touch the chair. Chairs with arms are not a good idea,
they inhibit the use of your arms and make long draw drafting more
work. Padding or hard seat is also spinner’s
choice. Some of us come with more natural padding than others!
The Proper
Posture
Nothing
makes my back ache more than seeing a spinner tottering on the
edge of her seat as she hunches over the spinning wheel. Is
there anything relaxing about that picture?! Good posture is
so important for many health reasons and while you are spinning is no
exception. If you
like to lean back in your chair, make sure you have a chair with a
short
seat and good back support. If you like to perch on the edge,
make
sure you stay erect and relaxed, not hunched over or leaning off to one
side.
The Proper
Position
At some
point many of us got the mental image of great grandmother
sitting sideways to her spinning wheel as she worked. I’m not
sure where this came from, perhaps just from great grandmother posing
beside a wheel. Or perhaps from the great wheels that never
had treadles. Wherever it came from, we need to lose
it! Sitting all skiddy-wampus to the wheel
only causes us to have a twist in our torso as we spin. This
usually
puts a kink in the back about half way up on one side or the
other. Or some spinners with single treadles spin with one
leg cocked out at an awkward angle. This doesn’t do your hip
or knee joints any favors. With the specter of osteoporosis
on every woman’s horizon, we don’t need to
add any ammunition to the fight!
The Proper
Attitude
What does
attitude have to do with pain and spinning? Maybe
more than you think! Being relaxed and enjoying your spinning
are the best ways to avoid any pain associated with the
exercise. Being tense means that you have muscles engaged
that do not need to be, or that you have working muscles already tensed
up and now they are doing double duty. Anger can cause the
same situation.
Many
spinners hold their shoulders too stiffly. These are
generally the “perched” spinners on the edge of their chairs.
(Lest
you imagine that I am laughing at the “perched” spinners
out there, I happen to be a “percher” myself!)
Having a good, straight posture doesn’t mean being stiff as a
board! Keep your shoulders loose and moving easily.
And for those who are all leaned back in their chairs, they need to
make sure
that they don’t lean so far back that their arms are getting too
stretched out in from of them.
Every so
often as you spin, pause and think about your body.
Is
it telling you that an ache or pain is setting in? Really
think about your posture, position and state of relaxation, see if you
can pin point the
problem and fix it. And if you’re going to be spinning for
over 30
minutes, be sure you take a break. Walk out to the kitchen
for a drink
of water or go check the mailbox. You don’t have to take a
long break,
just get up and move around for 2 or 3 minutes. Enjoy your
spinning and make the best of it!
All
articles are copyright protected and may not be copied for any use
without the author's written permission.
Contact Pegg
Thomas at twinwillowsfarm@gmail.com.
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Twin
Willows Farm
