Sitting in the same twisted position for too long or doing repetitive actions with the wrong posture can cause injuries. To start with, a good basic endurance level is definitely a plus, as well as strong abs and back muscles. So work on your core stability, it really helps you get better at centering!
Small adjustments to your habits
It might sound weird when talking about clay and pottery, but why not do some warm-ups or stretches before you get started? Especially if you’re planning to do something unusual, like carrying in a delivery of many kilos of clay. Or why not warm up your wrists before you start throwing.
Alternate what you’re doing during a pottery session. Take a break from sitting by standing up to knead some clay. Better to switch positions than to get all of your clay kneaded in one go and then spend hourse in a row behind the wheel. Or take a break by dusting some shelves or boards. Or by filling your kiln.
Sometimes it can be nice to work with a different clay, for example a softer clay. No two types of clay are the same, and the tougher the clay the more effort you need to get the shape you want.
Your posture at the pottery wheel
We already wrote a blog post about how high your pottery wheel should be and what adjustments you can make to improve your posture. It’s also important to sit up straight and not bend over all the time to check the walls of your pot. If you notice yourself doing that a lot, consider using a mirror. Put the mirror behind the pottery wheel so you can easily see the shape of your pot. And for some people, throwing while standing up is the way to go.
The height of your table
The height of your table is also important. Often kneading requires a different height than hand building or glazing does.Adjust your table to your needs so you can work in the best possible circumstances. Your studio, your choice. There’s nothing wrong with sawing off parts of the table legs or putting them up on bricks.
Your studio set-up
Take your time to consider where in your studio you put what. Keeping heavy things in hard to reach places for example is not a good idea. Because then you have to twist your body into weird positions in order to move things around. Put as much as you can on wheels or make sure it’s in easy reach.
With a smart workspace set-up and a few things to keep in mind, you’ll avoid that making pottery becomes painful, while also taking care of your body. And that’s more than worth it!
