In this article, having slept and fed our bodies (and minds) we are going to look at how we use our body and how to care for it – so here I am thinking about movement and skin.
Skin
Our skin is the largest organ of the body, and is in a constant state of activity – it senses the ambient temperature and shivers or sweats to regulate our body temperature, it makes vitamin D from sunshine, and it absorbs what we put on it, whether cheap and cheerful moisturisers that are on special offer in the supermarket to hi-end expensive unguents, or handmade organic lotions and potions – or indeed nicotine patches, oestrogen creams, suntan lotion or antiperspirant. Needless to say, the purer the products the better!
One good thing to do for your skin is dry skin brushing, either first thing in the morning before your morning walk or run, or before your morning shower if you are not all hot and sweaty from aforementioned exercise!
Use a natural bristle brush and gently brush your skin in the direction of your heart – start with little circles on your feet, and then long strokes up your legs (front and back), circles on your hips and belly, very gently circles on your chest area, whatever you can manage with brushing your back, long strokes up your arms, and then finishing up with very gentle little circles at the lymph node points: behind your knees, the groin on both sides, the crease in your elbows, your armpits, and down both sides of your neck. This sloughs off the dead skin cells that accumulate over time, and soon you will have wonderfully smooth skin, especially if you moisturise with a healthy body lotion after your ablutions.
Movement
These days a lot of us spend too much time sitting – whether at our desks, in the car, on the train, in coffee shops. Yet our bodies are designed to move – that’s why we have bones and muscles! Use them or lose them.
There are so many different ways of moving – from yoga stretches and slow Tai Chi all the way to an Aerobics or Zumba or Ceroc class; a walk in the country to a park run; riding a bicycle or riding a horse; swimming lengths to playing water polo.
Find one that you enjoy, and relish that feeling of putting your body through its paces. Even for those with more limited movement, there are always simple exercises that you can do. If funds permit, having sessions with a personal trainer who comes to your home can make a real difference, plus they can tailor the exercises to what you can manage.
Years ago, at a time when I had become very weak and fearful of moving because of the pain of my arthritis, it was seeing a personal trainer that really made the difference for me. She had never worked with anyone as fragile as I had become, yet with her encouragement and my knowledge of anatomy, we worked out together how to get me moving more and better, and my life was truly transformed.
Find ways to sneak more steps into your day – park further away from the train station, get out at an earlier stop so that you have a longer walk to work. Walk up the escalators rather than just standing on them. Walk up the stairs at least part of the way rather than take the lift. For those of who work from home, give yourself the gift of movement – take a walk before your day starts, or take a break during the day.
If space permits, you could try sitting on one of those big Swiss exercise balls rather than a regular office chair, your muscles will be constantly doing small adjustments. And you can always do some exercises sitting at your desk – such as stretching out your fingers, stretching your arms whether up, back or sideways (space permitting!), rolling your wrists.
Our eyes need exercise too – too much staring at a computer screen is not good for them, so make a point of looking at something a long way every now and then just to shift focus and use your eye muscles in a different way.
If you need to have a meeting – rather than going to a hotel or coffee shop, if it is purely for talking rather than a looking at papers, why not suggest that you go for a walking meeting –down some quiet back streets and discover some new nooks and crannies near where you walk, or in a nearby park – or even go for a walk in the countryside. I did read somewhere that at NASA all meetings are held standing up – what a fabulous idea!
Regular sessions for your body, whether seeing an osteopath or having a massage, can really help to keep your body moving better, loosening up areas of your body which may have stiffened up. I have patients who come for what I call an MOT every few weeks or months, and they find it invaluable for simply keeping them moving better, and able to live their lives and enjoy their hobbies and interests in greater comfort. As one of them says – “I feel ok when I arrive, but when I leave I feel fabulous!”
Rest
Our bodies, and stress hormones, also need that scary 4-letter word REST – which preferably means lying down without scrolling on your phone keeping your mind busy. Maybe lie down to have a short nap, listen to a hypnotherapy CD or a guided visualisation, or listen to some calming music; or sitting comfortably to meditate…
What do you do to cherish your body?
If you live or work in or near Baldock in North Hertfordshire, or Bromley in South East London, and would like to have a chat about how osteopathy might be able to help you, then do get in touch: text me or call me on 07535 350 343. I may be with a patient, so a text is best, and I can call you back.