Often times in the clinic, we treat a number of female patients who are unaware of the small things they can do to prevent injury and the effects of aging bones and muscles. We know that exercise is a proven way to ensure that our physical health is up to scratch. However, there are a number of other small changes that women can make to their lifestyles in order to improve their health. Today, our very own Clare ran us through some of these.
1. A bedtime routine is more important than you think
We know that it is important to average about 8 hours of sleep a night, but "did you know that big changes in our sleeping patterns can make us more tired, even if we still get the right amount of rest." This means that if we keep changing the time that we go to bed or wake up in the morning, we are more likely to feel as though we hardly had any sleep at all. Such increases in fatigue could demotivate your body and prevent you from undertaking any exercises or stretches that you otherwise could have engaged in.
2. Stand up
"A lot of the patients I have come across with extreme back and hip pains are those who work in seated professions." It's important that you stand up whenever you get the chance to stretch out your muscles. Clare recommends a small stretch every thirty minutes and a small walk every hour should be able to reduce back and hip pains substantially.
3. Exercise balls are a great way to go
A common trend that we are seeing in a lot of office jobs is a shift in the traditional work chair. Specialized seats with an exercise ball attached have become popular on the job as they allow workers to keep moving while performing their daily tasks.
These are great for women as they can assist with strengthening of muscles, especially those involving the pelvic floor.
4. Diet... In Moderation.
Diets are an amazing way to take control of your weight, but they can also be incredibly restricted and painful. Like we mentioned before, exercise is important to stay healthy, but if your body isn't happy, you will find it hard to exercise.
"Treating yourself is important, just don't go overboard," Clare says that it's okay to eat that chocolate or upsize your drink, but these need to be done in moderation. Treating yourself is a great way to improve your motivation after all and we all know it's easier to push ourselves when we have the energy to do so.
For more helpful tips like these, visit Clare at our clinic. You can make a booking at 97933119 or on our website.