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Ever woken up and realised that movement has suddenly become very uncomfortable? You are probably wondering what causes body aching – and what to do about it!
There are actually many reasons your body could be aching, both health and movement related. In this article, we explore five of these reasons, along with some suggestions to help you get back on your feet faster.
5 Possible Causes for Body Aching (and What to Do About It!)
There could be many reasons for your aches and pains, and if you are particularly concerned, we always suggest consulting a healthcare professional.
However, the following tend to be some of the most common for what causes body aching:
1. Bad posture
When our schoolteachers told us to “Sit up straight!”, they may have been giving us some excellent advice!
Slouching and general bad posture can be a prime cause of aches in the body, particularly in the neck, shoulders and back. This is because having poor posture can overwork the muscles in these areas, leading to inflammation and the resulting discomfort.
Unfortunately, we live in a world where desk jobs and smartphones encourage compulsive slouching!
To remedy posture-related pain, you can establish a better working environment. For example, set up your desk so it supports better posture, or buy an ergonomic chair. You can also try some posture-correcting exercises and stretches – there is a lot of free guidance online.
2. Lack of exercise
While doing exercise can cause soreness (see below), a lack of exercise can also contribute to aches and pains.
Moving your body helps increase the blood flow to your muscles and tissues, while lubricating your joints with synovial fluid (i.e., joint fluid) to alleviate inflammation. Therefore, if you are too sedentary, it’s time to get moving!
The NHS recommends exercising for 150 minutes per week, which you can split over 3 to 5 days. Try running, cycling, rowing, swimming, bootcamps, or dance classes, providing they get you moving, you enjoy them, and they don’t cause further pain.
Even if you are pushed for time, a ten minute walk a few times a day will do wonders for your aching body!
3. Exercise-related soreness
This may feel like it contradicts our point above, but remember that exercise is a good thing! Whether you are a complete beginner or a world-class athlete, exercise can result in soreness.
The prime reason for this is because you are putting your body under a new stress. This may be starting a new exercise routine, trying a movement for the first time, increasing the intensity of a movement, or adding more weight/reps/time under tension.
The resulting aches and soreness are caused when muscle fibres are broken down and then rebuilt (which is a good thing, because this is how you get stronger!).
Our article on How to Minimise Muscle Ache Post Workout will give you some direction on how to alleviate these aches and pains.
For easing muscle aches, we always recommend using our award-winning Relief Balm. This is an independently-tested balm that includes 12 evidence-based natural ingredients that work with your body to relieve inflammation. These include organic arnica oil, rosemary oil, and wintergreen oil, which have been proven to help relieve pain and enhance your wellbeing.
4. Too much stress
While feeling stressed is commonly seen as a mental health issue, stress can manifest in the body as physical issues like muscular aches and pains.
This is because stress can cause tension in the body. Over time, this can lead to aches and soreness. This can happen in any part of the body, although it’s commonly seen in the back, neck, and shoulders.
While there are many causes of stress, there as just as many stress-relief techniques, which we outline in our free Stress and Anxiety Management Guide.
If you are struggling from aches and pains, we recommend trying a soak in a warm bath while using our WholyMe Relief Salts. We use certified-natural Epsom salts, which are a timeless remedy for relaxation and recovery. These are infused with organic oils and botanicals to help you relax and relieve stress, while helping to soothe your aches and pains.
5. Underlying health conditions
As you now know, muscle aches are caused by inflammation within the body. If you aren’t convinced that your aches are caused by exercise or postural issues, then you may have an underlying health condition.
For example, arthritis, Lyme disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, and some auto-immune conditions can contribute to high levels of inflammation in the body, resulting in aches and pains.
If you suspect an underlying health concern is the cause of your aches, talk to your GP for some advice. You may be able to have a series of health tests that can identify any contributing factors to your aches and pains.
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So, if you have ever wondered what causes body aching, now you know. You also have some suggestions on how to ease these aches and pains, and restore some order to your body. Good luck!
