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Tom's Guide
14 hours ago
- Health
- Tom's Guide
Neck pain from your 'silly little emails job'? Here's 3 things I do every day after work
Like many others, my job requires me to sit at a desk for eight hours a day. After a while, that takes a toll on your neck and shoulders. While my neck still hurts, it definitely huts less than it used to. I've compiled a list of my go-to activities that alleviate neck and shoulder pain here, including a heated massage gun, regular yoga routines, and which mattress I use. I asked Tom's Guide's Fitness Editor and qualified trainer Sam Hopes for extra tips, too. If, like me, your neck always hurts, why not check out my methods? Obviously if your back pain is severe, I would recommend visiting the doctor. However, for more mild desk-job neck pain, these could be easy fixes to add into your routine. I've had the Bob and Brad M7 Plus Mini massage gun for about a month now, and it's really helped me. I love the heated attachment because it soothes my painful traps without being too aggressive on them. I only use the lowest setting for my neck, shoulders, and upper back, otherwise it hurts! In my four-star review, I discuss exactly how I use it on my shoulders. I don't use the bullet or ball attachments most of the time, as I've found the heated tool is the quickest way to relieve my pain. I love this massage gun, purely because it's got a heated attachment. This is second-to-none when my back really hurts. Just make sure you keep it on speed 1, otherwise it'll be too strong and will start hurting. For those days where I'm really hurting, I also use Deep Heat, $11 on Amazon, for a little extra help. I would only use this after massaging though — definitely not before. I go to yoga classes at my local gym three times a week, but I still need to stretch my neck and shoulders after work every single day. This Yoga For Neck routine by YouTube instructor Adriene Mishler is the one I use for a super effective stretch. It's a 30-minute routine, but you don't have to do all of it to get a good stretch. Adriene starts with head rolls, which I find are great for ironing out the creases in my neck. After, she goes into puppy pose, which stretches the upper back instantly. Then, she teaches you how to do one of my favorite stretches: a shoulder twist. I find this stretch releases the tension in my shoulders like no other. While it hurts, it's definitely a good pain. Most of the time, I stop at around the 12-minute mark, but the entire routine is fantastic for helping with neck opening. If you have 30 minutes, I recommend it completely. I also found this 10 minute yoga routine that reduces neck pain, too! I asked Sam Hopes, Tom's Guide's Fitness Editor and personal trainer, for extra advice. She said this upper trap stretch is one of her favorite quick exercises for instant relief. Here's how you do it: I also go to the gym and lift weights. You can also use a resistance band to improve upper-back mobility. Remember, you need to strengthen your muscles as well as stretch them. Most of the best mattresses are incredibly expensive, especially the best mattresses for back pain. As I had to take budget into account when buying my new mattress, I wasn't able to splurge on something like at Saatva. Instead, I purchased the Nectar Classic Memory Foam mattress, which used to be our top memory foam mattress (until it got usurped by the Nectar Premium!). This mattress is oh-so comfy. It's firm without being too firm, and means that I never wake up in pain like I used to. Twin: $349 | Queen: $649 | King: $849 Nectar offers a 365-night trial, so if you don't like the mattress, you can return it, no questions asked. There's also a 10-year warranty, which I find incredibly relieving. I'm 6 months into using this mattress, and I still look forward to getting into bed just to feel its memory foam envelop me and relieve my back pain.
Tom's Guide
28-05-2025
- Health
- Tom's Guide
I tried the 5-4-5 walking technique for a week — and it boosted my fitness and mood
There's no doubt about it — walking is a seriously underrated way to boost your fitness. It's free, it's low-impact, and it's accessible to almost everyone. That said, as someone who walks every single day for her physical and mental health, I know that sometimes, it can get a little dull. Here on the Tom's Guide fitness desk, we love a walking challenge. You can read what happened when I recently tried this Japanese walking method, and everything you need to know about 'fart walking', as well as what happened when our Fitness Editor Sam Hopes tried silent walking. Next on my list? The 5-4-5 walking technique. Read on to find out how to do it, and how I found it after giving it a go. Similar to the Japanese Interval Method of walking, the 5-4-5 walking technique involves changing the pace of your movement to raise and lower your heart rate, similar to HIIT training. Here's how to do it: Designed to be lower-impact than just running, this is designed to boost your heart rate, then let it recover, before elevating it slightly again. If you repeat the circuit twice through, you'll have a 28-minute workout. Do it three times and you'll have run/walked for 45 minutes. As you'll be running for five minutes, it's a good idea to set out with a pair of the best running shoes on your feet. These don't have to be expensive, but you'll need a comfortable, supportive pair of sneakers, rather than a set of hiking boots. As this workout moves between high, low, and medium intensity, you'll burn more calories than if you were walking at a steady pace for the same amount of time. The running element of the workout will boost your heart rate and metabolism, followed by a four minute walk to aid recovery, then a brisk walk to work on your cardiovascular fitness. You'll work on your endurance and stamina during this workout, and it's gentler on the joints than heading out for a non-stop run. If you're a complete beginner, looking to build up to running your first 5K, this is a good place to start. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. This workout is generally safe for most people, as it only involves short amounts of running, but if you're recovering from an injury or pregnancy, it's always a good idea to speak to a doctor beforehand. If you are new to running, remember that this isn't a sprint — you should still be able to hold a conversation with someone running next to you. Here's what happened when I added the 5-4-5 walking technique to my routine for a week: I'll caveat this by saying I'm a marathon runner, so I'm very used to the running element of this workout. For the first day of this challenge, I opted to do two sets of the workout, and I immediately enjoyed the gentler start to my day than my usual run. I'm a year postpartum, but have built back up to running five miles three mornings a week, but I'm currently recovering from a head cold, and am on antibiotics for a throat infection, so this was a much kinder way to add movement to my morning. I found it easiest to program the intervals into my Apple Watch 10, using the custom workout feature. This meant the watch buzzed when I needed to change pace, so I didn't have to check it every few seconds. Most of the best fitness trackers on the market will allow you to do this, but if you don't own one, just use the timer function on your smartphone. I have a tendency to rush through my workouts, so the four minute recovery walk was a challenge. I had to really focus on slowing my pace down, taking deep breaths, and letting my heart rate recover during this part of the workout. After all, this is designed to be the recovery part of the workout. I found myself breathing in for four, and slowly exhaling, almost like I was in a yoga class, and made an effort to look at my surroundings, rather than watch the seconds go by on my watch. As mentioned in the intro, I walk every day for my physical and mental health. Most days I'll have my dog with me, some mornings I'll have my toddler in tow, but this workout made the walk fly by, and really made it more interesting. On my days when I had my baby with me, I strapped him into the running stroller, and he loved the faster intervals. The dog, on the other hand, seemed mighty confused, but I'm sure he'll get over it. My morning walks outside help me manage the stresses and strains of everyday life, and this was definitely an endorphin buster. I personally prefer running outside, but if you'd rather, this could easily be replicated on one of the best treadmills, manually changing the speed of the belt to reflect the different paces. While this felt a little easy to replace my morning runs for good, it was a great form of active recovery, and a fantastic way to keep my legs moving when I wasn't feeling 100%. I'd definitely recommend this to beginners, and will be returning to it on mornings when I want more than a steady walk to wake me up.
