-- LiBBy - 24 May 2004 Dutch(original)

Exercises and massages for media(h)activists

Media(h)activists often spend a lot of time behind a computer. This can put a lot of strain on hands, forearms, shoulders and neck. Especially during actions and dispatch situations it is difficult to get a decently set up working post and the pressure of deadlines and the risk of a raid cause stress that also affects the body.

Hence the compilation of a series of exercises and massages that can help you relax and bring relief during little breaks in between or at the end of a long day.

Overview:

Hands and wrists

Exercises

Fast exercise (1 min.)

Let your elbow rest on a table and keep your forearm stretched, the palm of your hand facing away from you. Put your other hand sideways over your palm, so that it cover the lower phalange of your pink, start by pressing gently and build up the pressure, do this for about half a minute. Do the same with your other hand.

Short exercise (3-5 min.)

1. Relax your hands and arms, shake your hands for a while with a movement that starts from the wrists.
2. Turn your hands away from you in a movement starting from the wrist, make five circles in increasing size. Make the same movement in the other direction.
3. Bend your fingers one by one until you have a fist, start with your thumb. Then stretch them again, beginning with your pink. (5 x)
4. Bend and stretch each finger separately one by one. (5 x)
5. Make a fist and then stretch your hand as fast as you can (10 x)
6. Shake your hands again as in 1. to finish the exercise.

Under water exercise (15 min.)

1. Fill a basin with hot water
2. Let your hands and wrists rest in the water in a comfortable position for five minutes.
3. Make a fist and stretch your hands under water, repeat for five minutes
4. Turn your hands from the wrists, five times away from your body, five times towards you in increasing circles, do this for five minutes.

You can add some bathing salt, bathing oil or herbs to the water.

Massages

Hands

Rub your hands together for about 20 seconds until they are warm. Put a little oil or cream in one hand and gently stir that with one or two fingers of the other hand to warm it up. You can add some essential oils to the massage oil or cream if you want to [ gold flower (arnica), lavender (lavandula angustifolia) or cloves (eugenia caryophillus) if the subjects hands or arms are sore]

1.Effleurages

Take the hand by the wrist, then place the hand between both your hands and gently stroke from the wrist to the fingers, with increasing intensity (10 x) finish with one movement in the opposite direction.

2.Kneading

Palm:

Turn the hand with the palm towards you. Make circular movements with your thumbs, move upwards from the wrist to the fingers. With one thumb you rub the mouse of the hand, with the other one the rest of the hand (5x) Finish with one or two effleurages towards the wrist. Fingers:

a. Work from the outside of the hand to the inside and from the palm to the fingertips. Take each finger phalange between your thumb and your index finger, and make little circles (5 x for each phalange).Finish with one or two effleurages towards the wrist.

b. take the hand by the wrist, with your other hand you take each finger between your index finger and your middle finger and go from palm to tip in one fluent movement. Repeat five times for each finger. Finish with one or two effleurages towards the wrist.

3.Stretching

Hook the fingers of your hand in the hand you are massaging, briefly bend the hand backwards and forewards (5 x) Finish with one or two effleurages towards the wrist.

4.Loosening

Take the wrist between both hands and roll it back and forth really fast between your hands (count to five)

5.Effleurages

Do the same as in 1 but this time with decreasing intensity. To finish briefly put one hand near the wrist and the other on the fingertips.

Forearm

1.Effleurages

Take the arm by the wrist. Rub in slow, smooth movements from the wrist to the elbow and back repeat 10 x with increasing intensity. End at the elbow.

2. Kneading

Take the arm by the wrist. Move your thumbs in slow circular movements from the wrist to the elbow, start with the inside of the arm (5 x), followed by 5 effleurages.

3. Tapotages

Slightly knock on the skin with the side of your hands, from wrist to elbow and back. (5 x) Followed by 5 effleurages again. WARNING: Start at two cm from the wrist (about two fingers) at the inside of the arm, end at the same distance from the elbow at the outside of the arm. Tapotages on the tendons can cause bruising.

4.Vacuum tapotages

Slightly bend your hand at the knuckles, keep your fingers tight and press your thumb against your index finger so you get like a little bowl. With those little bowls slightly knock on the skin from wrist to elbow. Here also watch out not to bruise the tendons.

5.Effleurages

Repeat as in point 1. but with decreasing intensity. To finish briefly put one hand on the wrist and the other on the elbow.

For points 2,3 and 4 do them in a series on the inside of the arm, then turn the arm and do the outside.

Shoulders and neck

Exercises

Shoulders

Stand up, or sit up straight, hold your arms relaxed at the side of your body

1. Relax your shoulders
2. Push your shoulders up and hold for a few seconds, relax again. (10 x)
3. Turn one shoulder to the front ( 5 x) then turn back (5 x), switch.
4. Slightly bend your arms. Bend your torso a little to the front (not from the lower back) move your shoulders alternately form front to back, increase the speed and end in a shimmy (might not work from the first time)

Neck

Stand up, or sit up straight, hold your arms relaxed at the side of your body

1. Very slowly let your head roll forward till your chin touches your neck and go back. (10 x)
2. Point your chin toward your neck and slowly roll your head from side to side, each time look briefly over your shoulder when you get to the end of the movement. (10 x)
3. Hold your head straight and move your chin forward in a short jolt. (10 x)
4. Hold your head straight, hold your hands at a few cm from your cheeks, move your head from side to side , try and touch your hands with your cheeks. (10 x)

Massages

Shoulders

1.Effleurages

Put your hands on the shoulders at each side of the neck. Slide both hands along side the vertebral column till just under the shoulder blades, slide towards the armpits and come back to the top of the vertebral column via the top of the shoulders. Repeat ten times with increasing intensity.

2.Kneading

Gently take some skin and muscle tissue between your thumbs and index fingers (don't pinch) and knead it carefully. Work from the neck towards the armpits and via the shoulder blades back towards the vertebral column, on both sides (5 x). End with five effleurages.

3.Tapotages

Slightly knock on the skin with the side of your hands, from the neck towards the armpits and across the shoulder blades back to the vertebral column, on both sides. Again finish with five effleurages.

4.Vacuum tapotages

Slightly bend your hand at the knuckles, keep your fingers tight and press your thumb against your index finger so you get like a little bowl. Gently slap on the skin, from the neck towards the armpits and across the shoulder blades back to the vertebral column, on both sides. Again finish with five effleurages.

5.Vibrations

Put your left hand in the neck and put the index finger and the middle finger of your right hand each at one side of the vertebra just under the shoulder blades. Make your hand vibrate from the wrist, move up to the next vertebra and do the same, all the way up to the neck (5 x). (for left handed people the other way around)

6.Effleurages

Do the same as in 1. but with decreasing intensity. To finish put one hand in the neck and the other over the vertebra just under the shoulder blades.

Neck

1.Effleurages

Put both hands at the side of the neck, gently stroke upward to the base of the skull and come back down in a fluent oval movement, increase the intensity. (10 x)

2.Kneading

Put your thumbs at the base of the neck on both side of the vertebral column, push them in slow, circular movements towards the base of the skull. (5 x) Finish with five effleurages.

3.Tapotages

Very, very gently slap the sides of your hands across the neck, from the neck up to the base of the skull (5 x) Again followed by five effleurages.

4. Vacuum tapotages

Slightly bend your hand at the knuckles, keep your fingers tight and press your thumb against your index finger so you get like a little bowl. Very, very gently slap the sides of your hands across the neck, from the neck up to the base of the skull (5 x) Finish with five effleurages again.

5.Vibrations

Put your left hand on the head and put the index finger and the middle finger of your right hand each at one side of the vertebra at the base of the neck. Make your hand vibrate from the wrist, move up to the next vertebra and do the same, all the way up to the base of the skull (5 x). (for left handed people the other way around)

6.Effleurages

Do the same as in 1. but with decreasing intensity. To finish put one hand in the neck and the other at the base of the skull.

This massage can also be done on the whole back and neck at once . WARNING no tapotages on the lower third of the back, could bruise the kidneys.

Head and eyes

Exercise

For the eyes:

Keep your hands at about 30 cm away in front of your face, with your palms towards you. Watch your hands for a while. Slowly move your hands apart and for a while focus on a point in the distance. Slowly bring your hands back together and concentrate on your palms again. Repeat this exercise for a few minutes.

Massages

Both the head and eye massages can be done on yourself or on someone else.

Head

1. Grab the head with both hands, spread your fingers. Move in slow circular movements form the forehead to the base of the skull. (10 x)
2. Put your hands on both sides of your head vertically across the temples slide towards the top of the head with gentle pressure. (5 x)
3. Gently slide your fingers over the skull, from the forehead to the neck, alternately across the top of the head (5 x) and across the temples (5 x).
4. Gently scratch with your nails across the skull, again five times across the top and five times across the temples.

Eyes

1. Cover the closed eyes with the palms of your hands, let your fingers rest on the forehead, apply an amount of pressure that still feels comfortable for a few minutes. (WARNING: do not do this while wearing contact lenses)
2. Put your thumbs in the space next to the nose, just under the eyelashes and push upwards for one minute.
3. Put your index fingers next to the outer end of your eyes and make little circles for a few minutes.
4. You can end the massage with the exercise for the eyes.

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-- LiBBy - 24 May 2004 This text was used as handouts for a workshop i was planning for indymedia but got presented for the first time at the ascii five years event in Amsterdam. The ascii people came up with the name "Nerd Kneading".

Please feel free to add more exercises, tips and tricks.

Additional translations in other languages would be very welcome.

Collectives who are interested the workshop or want to learn how to give the workshop can contact me by mail.
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