The following article is a guest post by Drexelle Park, a photographer from Orange County, CA. More of her and her husband’s work can be found at www.dparkphotography.com; and as always, we welcome your comments below.

Before becoming a photographer, I nearly got carpal tunnel from my desk job of 4 years. Repetitive stress of any kind hurts your body. Thankfully, the company gave me all the ergonomic tools and even software that popped up with reminders from the beginning to the end of the day to pause and stretch. Once I learned those habits, I stopped getting those pains.

Then, I became a photographer and learned about new pains. I was surprised to not see an emphasis on how to get rid of these repetitive stress pains after every shoot. So I learned methods to deal with them myself. Here’s what I’ve learned.

Do light cardio (walk, jog, bike) for just 10 minutes! Especially if the weather’s extra cold, this is key to warming your muscles and getting it ready to be stretched and worked.

There are tons of stretches for the specific aches and pains you get regularly. But these are my personal favorites.

Upper Back
¢ Place your right arm over your left arm and, with palms inverted, place them together.
¢ Press your shoulders together to increase the stretch.
¢ Place your arms behind your back.
¢ Grab your palms together high up on your back.
¢ Then, with your hands clasped together, reach low.
¢ Switch and repeat.

Neck
¢ Widen your feet.
¢ Exhale as you roll your head to your right shoulder.
¢ Inhale and then roll to the left shoulder.
¢ Repeat.

Glutes
¢ Lie on your back.
¢ Extend both legs.
¢ Place your right ankle over your left thigh.
¢ Reach your hand through the hole to hold the shin of your left leg.
¢ Clasp your left leg, lie back and pull.
¢ Switch legs and repeat.

Hamstrings
¢ Widen your feet.
¢ Reach forward Ëœtil you reach the floor.
¢ Fold your arms and rock side to side.

Knees
¢ Rest your knees on the floor.
¢ Pull your right knee forward and sit on your right ankle. Keep that right foot flat.
¢ Extend your left knee to the back.
¢ Place your right hand on the floor.
¢ Grab your left ankle with your left hand and pull.
¢ The further down you lie on your right side, the more you’ll feel it.
¢ Switch and repeat.

Calves
¢ Get into the yoga move – downward-facing dog
¢ Straighten the left leg and bend the right to stretch the left calf.
¢ Switch and repeat.

Quads
¢ Stand near a wall for support.
¢ Grab your right ankle and pull your heel up until you feel your thigh stretch.
¢ Tighten your stomach muscles.
¢ Keep your knees together.
¢ Hold for 30 seconds.
¢ Switch and repeat.

Shoulders
¢ Widen your feet.
¢ Rest your right elbow over your right knee.
¢ With your left arm, rotate widely 10x like you’re stirring a large pot.
¢ Switch and repeat.

Arms
¢ Widen your feet.
¢ Place your right arm across your body and keep it straight.
¢ Pull it back with the left arm to pull your bicep towards your neck.
¢ Then, reach your right arm up and grab the right elbow with the left hand.
¢ Gently pull the tricep behind the shoulder.
¢ Switch and repeat.

wrists
¢ Place both hands parallel in front of you.
¢ Close your hands to create a fist.
¢ Lower both fists downward. Hold.
¢ Raise both fists upward and open your hand to stretch all fingers outwards.
¢ Repeat.

Why Stretch?
You can do this for just 10 minutes! This will help you:
¢ Increase flexibility
¢ Improve joint motion
¢ Improves circulation to speed recovery after muscle injuries
¢ Reduce tension and soreness

Important Tips
¢ Breathe regularly.
¢ Go slow!
¢ Don’t bounce.
¢ Start with tight muscles first.
¢ Stretch both sides evenly.
¢ Don’t overstretch – If it just hurts, stop.

Repeat a stretch for any muscle that starts to get too tense during the shoot.

Ugh, I know you think you’re done but this will seriously help. Spend 5-10 minutes to warm down your body to reduce the production of lactic acid.

We know you’re beat from your long shoot, but it’s important to stretch one more time to reduce soreness and recovery time.

A gentle massage at any place that’s extra tender afterwards is a nice way to tell your body, “Don’t worry. I still love you. 

If you’re still in pain and it’s swelling, use RICE. Rest. Ice. Compress. Elevate.