Fishermen and aquaculture harvesters spend a lot of time bending, pulling, tugging, and straining, and those movements should be balanced with opportunities for recovery. Taking even just a few minutes to focus on your breathing or stretch your back can help alleviate discomfort and even fend off injury.
And it only takes a few minutes at the end of the day to take it easy and recover for the next day of fishing.
Here are 10 ideas that can help you recover & take it easy after a hard day at work:
Use a heating pad! Even if your back doesn't hurt just sitting on a heating pad can help relax your muscles.
Put on comfortable shoes or slippers. (Don't sit around in your boots.)
Take a long hot shower or soak in a warm tub.
Go to bed early.
Stretch! (You can learn some stretches by visiting FishAbility. This is a project that MCFA has been working on with Maine AgrAbility and OryxWorx.)
Take a 20-minute walk. (Learn more about recovery workouts HERE.)
Rub IcyHot, Biofreeze, or other pain relief gel on sore muscles.
Watch a funny movie. (Laughter truly is the best medicine.)
Hydrate!
Do any or all of the above while listening to the Fishing Forward podcast to learn more about health, wellbeing, and staying shipshape.
Together, we persevere. (& get stronger!)
The Maine Coast Fishermen's Association, FishAbility, and OryxWorx have partnered together to help share monthly stretches, yoga poses, and information about better physical health for fishermen.
