An Evaluation of Health and Safety Management Practices in the Hairdressing Industry
Appendix B: Breaks And Exercises
Hairdressers should consider making three types of break and four types of exercises part of their everyday work. The two interrelate in that breaks can be used to do exercises:
Table 2: Breaks
| TYPE | What it involves | Why is it needed? | Disad-vantages | Disguising the disa-dvantages | Exercises that should/ could be done in this break (See next table) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Micropause |
A few seconds relaxation every 3 minutes - to refresh the small (non-postural) muscles involved in rapid, repetitive movements of cutting and combing | To allow blood to flow in muscles that have been held tight - and thus refresh these muscles | It may be difficult to remember to do them | Supervision. Persistence. | 2A, 2B, 3A |
| 1 minute per 20 | Stopping working for one minute every 20 minutes | To give large postural muscles a break. To stretch postural muscles that have been held on one position for a time. | Client does not like the interruption. | Pretend to be doing something else - like taking a drink from a drink bottle. Take the opportunities that are presented - a customer inquiry. | 4A - 4CWalking across/ round the salon! |
| 10 - 15 minutes every hour or two | Taking 10 - 15 minutes every two hours instead of every 3 hours. | Three hours is too long without a break. A fundamental human rhythm seems to be about 90 minutes. | Perceived loss in productivity. Clients held up. | Choose to believe that this will result in better work and better overall productivity. | Walking further - e.g. a planned walk around the block. |
Table 3: Exercises
| TYPE | Name | How do you do it? | How often? | How long for, or how many, repetitions? | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warm up | Shoulder stretch | Move your right arm as far back as it will go. Look to your left. Move your right arm across your body and point to the left. Move your left arm up and pull back to fully stretch your right shoulder. Hold for 5 seconds. Repeat to the other side. | Before each work period | 2 - 3 | These prepare the body for action by signalling to the muscles involved that action is imminent and stretching tendons and ligaments. |
| Shoulder shrug * | Raise your shoulders as high as they will go. Hold for five seconds. Let your shoulders drop while standing as tall as you can. Hold for three seconds Then pull your shoulders down further for two seconds. | 2 - 3 | |||
| Lateral neck flex | Looking straight ahead, let your head tilt gently to the right. Do not force it! Gently raise and lower your left shoulder to loosen the neck muscles. Now push your left hand down, so that you feel a stretch on the left side of your neck. Hold for five seconds, then bring your head back to vertical and relax. Repeat the exercise to the other side. | 2 - 3 | |||
| To PromoteBlood Flow | Shoulder rolls | Move your shoulders in large, slow relaxed circles, forwards, up, back, down - both ways. Take 4 seconds over this. Stop, let your shoulders relax for a few seconds. Now rotate them the other way - back, up, forwards, down | During a micro - pause | 2 - 3 | Muscles held tight for a time (usually the ones that support the part of the body doing the repetitive actions rather than the moving muscles themselves) need refreshment or acid wastes can build up. However, if the moving muscles have been contracting and relaxing in a rhythm that does not allow for adequate blood flow, they too will need opportunities for a break. |
| Forearm flaps | With your hands loose at the side of your body, flap your hands in a gentle relaxed manner for 20 -30 seconds, with your wrists completely loose - to loosen your forearm and get the blood flowing. The movement comes from the UPPER arm, with the lower arm hanging loose. | 5 - 10 seconds | |||
| Stretches | Forearm turns | Hold your arms out at 45 degrees and rotate each wrist so the palms face out and up. Hold for two seconds. Relax and do the forearm flap exercise, then repeat, this time turning the palms down and back. Repeat 5 times. Don't push to the point of pain. | During a micro - pause | 1 - 2 | Muscles held tight for a time (usually the ones that support the part of the body doing the repetitive actions rather than the moving muscles themselves) need refreshment or acid wastes can build up. |
| Head turns | Stand tall, look straight ahead. Now slowly move your gaze around the room, until you are looking over your left shoulder. Your head will follow naturally. Pause for five seconds, then slowly move your gaze back to the starting position. Drop your shoulders and relax. Then do it to the right. | 1 - 2 | |||
| Chintuck* | Look down and pull your chin in towards your throat. Hold for 5 seconds and return to normal. | 1 - 2 | |||
| 'Contra'Exercises | Elbowlift | While standing, hold each elbow with the hand of the opposite arm. Now raise your elbows up above the front of your head and press them towards the ceiling. Do not bend your spine during this exercise. | Every 20 minutes | 2 | Large postural muscles that maintain the body in a fixed position can get 'set' in that position. Even a few (2 or 3) repetitions can make a large difference. |
| Elbow stretch | With your neck straight, clasp your hands behind your head and gently stretch your elbows back until your shoulder blades feel close. Now stretch each elbow out sideways and hold for 5 seconds. Move your elbows forward and close together. Hold for 5 seconds and relax | 2 | |||
| Backbend | Hands on tops of buttocks - arc back gently backwards. | 2 |
The point is not to make an ostentatious display of the exercise but to make use of legitimate opportunities that occur naturally in work for a worthwhile purpose.
Other exercises may work for you.
If you don't feel like doing exercises - they probably won't do much good.
See your doctor first if you have any concerns.
Take it easy with neck exercises - do not use force - only tilt half way (45 degrees) when tilting the head in chin tucks.
Some of the exercises (*) can be done while working - without the client noticing or being put off by them.