written by Lori Vargas, 360 Wellness Education

The average career length for a wellness provider is 7-years due to injury and burnout. Key to Career Longevity in a physically demanding professions that consist of repetitive motions is to Nurture Yourself, which includes practicing:

• Proper Body Mechanics
• Daily Self-care
• Daily Stretching
• Routine Strength & Conditioning

Repetitive motions can create weakness and stiffness. Most wellness providers will experience injury or pain syndrome at some point in their careers. The need to establish healthy lifestyle practices to prevent or minimize injuries should be a top priority! 

Most common injury to service providers is muscle and/or tendon injuries and nerve impingement injuries which both stem from repetitive overuse. Proper body mechanics and stretching need to be employed during services for injury prevention and to build a strong resistant body. 

The reason for the 7-year burnout is that wellness providers are not employing self-care and working too much and not understanding their limits. Many times wellness providers will push past the limits due to client demand at the expense of their own well-being.

Following a a lifestyle that is centered around a healthy body and mind will increase that statistic.

Proper Body Mechanics

For proper positioning, in all body functions one should strive to be in an anatomical neutral position or neutral stance. Proper positioning needs to be practiced until it becomes a habit. 

It is important to constantly self-monitor body posture and adjust when necessary. The neutral position places the least amount of stress to the body. Strive to sleep in the anatomical neutral position to allow your muscles and ligaments of the back to relax and heal during your sleep.

How to Employ Proper Body Mechanics (referenced example below)

1. Adjust the table height where the wellness provider is hip level to the table to allow comfortable access to the client's full body. 
1. May need to make slight adjustments to the height due to the body composition of the client. 
2. Start with feet hip-distance apart with slightly bent knees in alignment over the feet, hips facing in the direction of the force of your stroke, shoulders over hips, and the back of the neck long.
3. Feet should be pointed in the direction of waxing area to allow for a proper stance and to provide support for a proper spine alignment.
1. Weight will shift between feet throughout the treatment; ensure there is balance.
4. Navel should always be directly pointing at the area being worked on. As the direction of the work changes, the provider must reposition body.

More Tips, Insight and Advanced Training is offered within Lori Vargas'

Master Class Waxing Zone Method™ Series.