Can coloring be unpleasant? 6 tricks for sore hands and body!

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I would never call coloring unpleasant. But as it turned out I do sometimes whine to my husband about neck pain or sore fingers. Ironically, always at the end of the day, when the coloring page is already finished :)

I totally see your smiles right now and thinking: "Yup, I really like to finish the coloring page, even though my fingers hurt, my wrist is sore, there is a pain in my elbow, not to mention my neck and back!" We've all been there and probably we still will be here and there. But not to worry, here are 6 tricks to help you reduce unpleasant parts of such a beautiful activity as coloring.

1. Proper body posture

Everything starts with a body position. Remember, when you wanted to do a crossword puzzle on the beach or color the new coloring page tucked warmly on the sofa? Body started to ache quite soon. You needed to change the position or even stop with the activity. So, body position is actually very important.

You should always sit comfortably with your back straight, both feet firmly on the ground and both hands on the table.

Source of the image: https://www.howtogeek.com/349796/six-tips-to-help-save-yourself-from-poor-computer-posture/

2. Ergonomic environment

Chair and desk need to be appropriate height so you can sit straight, your legs can be comfortably on the ground and your hands can easily rest on the desk with relaxed shoulders. If you are sitting behind the desk and coloring considerably a lot, then you should think about a leaned desk or a writing slope. And of course a big enough desk with a lot of space to move the coloring page and rest your hands. Don't forget comfortable chair as well!

Source of the image: https://hub.awin.com/hobbycraft-black-friday-deals-up-to-50-off-and-more/

3. Light

You always want to have enough light when you are coloring, but more importantly, the light from a good angle. I just hate it when the coloring page starts to glare and I need to move my head around to see what I am coloring. You don't want any shadows either. And lastly, you really want to see the correct colors.

Source of the image: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-fixing-the-lighting-on-his-table-3965681

4. Holding the pencil

Do you know what is the right way to hold a pencil? I am sure you've heard about "tripod hold" in primary school. It's what they teach all of us, but then we figure out our own way to hold it. Nonetheless, sooner or later you will come back to the tripod hold as it is the least invasive to your fingers and joints - unless you really like your unique way of holding a pencil :)

If you want to read more about variations of holding a pen, then you should definitely check out the videos here: https://www.wikihow.life/Hold-a-Pencil

Source of the image: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-gray-twist-pen-and-white-printer-paper-on-brown-wooden-table-955389/

5. Regular time offs

We all know that one. It is important to take a break here and there, stretch your fingers, hands, body, get up and walk a little, drink a glass of water, look through a window for something far away and then come back to the coloring.

Source of image: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-drinking-water-1458671

6. Stretching and exercises

I've already mentioned the stretching of your fingers, hands and body when you are taking a small break from coloring. It is important to do those exercises to prevent injury and sore fingers, wrists, etc. There are a lot of different exercises online and I couldn't possibly list all of them, so I will just show you the ones that I find most practical and effective. Remember, do it at your own pace, repeat a few times and don't push it too hard, because it shouldn't hurt!

Shake it off

Everytime I start coloring, this is the first thing I do with my hands. I just love to shake hands, thinking "OK, now I am ready to do awesome work, I am feeling great, let's go!" So it's kind of motivational for me as well :) I do use it during coloring and afterwards too.

Open and close fist

Start with the closed fist and then slowly open all the fingers as far as you can. You should feel the stretch in all of your fingers. Wait a few seconds and then slowly close your fingers into a tight fist. Repeat a few times.

Finger wave

Oh, my fingers love that one, because the feeling is just great. Start in a position, where your thumb is open and your fingers are bent in front of your palm. Start lifting your index finger, when it's half way up, start lifting the middle finger and so on, so it looks like you are making a wave out of your four fingers. When all the fingers are up, do the same again but down - start dropping your index finger, when it's half way down, start dropping the middle finger and so on. Do that repeatedly a few times.

Stretchy wrist

Hold your arm horizontally in front of you with your palm looking down. Hold the fingers with your other hand and push them up and towards you. Wait a few seconds, do the same with another hand and repeat a few times.

Now hold your arm horizontally in front of you with your palm looking down and make a fist. Hold your fist with the other hand and push it down and towards you. Wait a few seconds, do the same with another hand and repeat a few times.

Long neck

Look forward and slowly move your head towards the right shoulder. When you feel the stretch (no pain!), wait a few seconds and then slowly move your head towards the left shoulder. Repeat a few times.

Now look forward, slowly move your head in front of you to see your new shoes, wait a few seconds and then slowly move your head back to see the beautiful clouds, wait a few moments and repeat.

Long back

Stand up straight, put your right arm on your hip and left one above your head. Move your upper body to the right as you want to grab something with the hand above your head, but you must not rotate your body forward or backward. Wait a few seconds, change your hands and do the same to the left. Repeat a few times.

If you want more thorough explanation and video presentation of the exercises, I suggest watching AskDoctorJo - Hand, Wrist, Neck, & Shoulder Stretches & Exercises for Artists. From there you can find more interesting videos for other body parts as well. Please have in mind, I am no doctor or physician, so make those exercises in a way you feel comfortable, but I encourage you to research more videos or consult a real doctor if you have any problems.

That's it!

Those are the 6 tricks to help you feel better while coloring and prevent all the unpleasant things. Do you have another trick that I didn't list and you think is super important as well? Please let me know via Facebook or e-mail!

Happy and healthy coloring!