Living in this modern world of ours is a double edged sword.
We live in an age where technology can make life very simple. There’s an app for everything you can imagine. Uber means you don’t need a car, Ocado means your groceries come to you and we have access to more entertainment and knowledge than people from the past would think possible.
All this wonderful convenience however comes with a price.
As a people we have become increasingly sedentary, our joints and limbs largely lay idle. Our spines slouch and our waistlines grow. We are increasingly distracted and confused and no wonder with the vast and confusing amounts of information swirling around us. Messenger apps have replaced phone calls, face to face interactions have been replaced with facetime.
Modern living impacts our physical, psychological and social wellbeing in lots of ways
Wellness is described by the World Health Organization as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”.
Now more than ever before it’s critical that we learn to look after ourselves by dedicating time, attention and effort to our health and wellbeing.
With that all in mind here are five tips for those new to wellbeing who need some help to get started.
1.Connecting with your breath
Breathing sub optimally is so common that it’s the norm. Shallow breathing causes many issues both in performance and general health. Deep breathing on the other hand, a breath every 10 seconds or so helps us trigger a system called the para-sympathetic nervous system which operates when we are relaxed. This is when our body heals and rebuilds itself, it can’t do this if we perceive a threat or are in any way stressed. Modern living has made it difficult for many people to fully relax, causing physical and psychological issues long term. When operating within the para-sympathetic nervous system our body is:
* Reducing stress on the internal organs
* More focused on healing and reducing inflammation
* More focused on maintenance and digestion.
2. Keep joints supple with mobility
The data on the loss of range of motion as we age is not pretty. Prolonged sitting and a general lack of movement results in an average person losing 8-10 cm in lower back flexibility over a lifetime. Pain and stiffness is strongly associated with this debilitating outcome as is depression. The solution here is regular mobility training, this maintains range of motion and keeps joints supple . Supple joints means:
* Less likely to be in pain
* Less risk of injury
* More likely to stay active
3. Build strong balance and posture
The more we sit the weaker our legs, our backs and our posture gets. Inactive people are more likely to fall and more likely to become injured when they do. Movement drills along with stance training helps to link our sense of balance deep into our body. Reducing the likelihood of injuries from falling is important for everyone but especially true for us as we age. Having strong balance and posture means:
* Less risk of injury
* More confidence
* Transferable skill for other activities
4. Spending time in nature without music or phone
Modern living for most people means being in an urban environment being distracted by an electronic device. Spending time walking in nature minus a device has numerous benefits for the body and mind. It has been shown to improve creativity, reduce stress and to aid focus. Even regular short walks in nature can have a tonic effect on our health and wellbeing. It does this by:
* Letting the mind unwind from the distracting world
* Allowing the body to move and react to an environment
* Helping to facilitate ideas and solutions to our problems
5. Stay connected with friends, speak on the phone if face to face is not possible
We are social creatures, even the most introverted person needs human contact. Messenger apps are great for sharing information but they do not give you that same sense of connection as seeing someone’s face or hearing their voice. Now more than ever with the rise of social media it’s important that people get quality, social connection. Without it it’s too easy to become isolated and withdrawn. Regular social contact:
* Acts as a supportive tool in times of stress
* Allows us to participate in the natural back and forth of real communication
* Helps maintain relationships long term
If you want to learn how to unlock the foundation of wellbeing, email info@druidhighperformance.com and receive my free 14 day mobility program. In this series I share 3 exercises that develop your mobility, posture and breath in just a few minutes a day.