HEALTH &
WELLBEING The 10 minute kitchen workout I created this workout to help patients fit in their strength training around their busy lives, and the feedback has been great. Working from home is here to stay for a bit longer, and for many it may become an established way of working. I know how hard it can be to motivate yourself to move when you are at home, with no allocated time slot, no personal trainer and no idea where to start. So, here is the solution. You have 10 minutes, right? I have come up with a simple movement routine that you can do in your kitchen, takes only 10 minutes, no gym kit or change of clothes needed, and you can modify to your own fitness levels. You can even do it between work emails, taking calls, running the bath or whilst watching a film. Osteopathic care is focused on creating an environment that supports total health for our patients, and our approach reaches far beyond fixing a bad back. “The benefits of regularly using weights and raising your heart rate are significant and must become a regular practice, especially as we get older”. The benefits include: • Reducing pain levels • Improved mobility and strength, and less chance of injury • Slowing the aging process at a cellular level • Increasing the growth of brain cells • Prevention of Diabetes Type 2 • Losing the dangerous, internal visceral fat • Increasing mitochondria which improves your metabolism and energy • Reduces inflammation • Improves respiration, circulation and heart health Life is now full of conveniences; from the chair we sit in and the car we drive, to online shopping and ready meals. We barely need to even move our arm to brush our teeth. It’s all designed to make life easier, to prop us up, make us more comfortable, provide us with time saving hacks and make us more efficient. Efficient at working at speed and from the luxury of a fully adjustable ‘orthopaedic’ chair, yes, but at what cost to our health? All these conveniences are turning our bodies to mush. A chair is simply an orthotic, a brace or support to hold our ever-weakening bodies upright in the ‘perfect posture’. The risks of a sedentary lifestyle are so well documented now. This movement-medicine will wake up your sleepy backside, open your creaky hips, stretch out your exhausted shoulders and lift your ten ton head. All you need to do is pop on your trainers, or better still do it in bare feet.
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You can even adapt it for the office, just use your chair for balance and a box of files to deadlift. There really is no excuse! The 10 minute kitchen workout is available to download as an exercise sheet or watch as a video on our website. Or you can email us for a copy. Make yourself accountable to a partner, friend, or me! Take a picture, tag us and post it to Instagram @stockbridgeosteopathy or Facebook @stockbridgeosteopathicpractice. I’d love to see how you are getting on! Have fun, enjoy the process of creating good movement habits, and feeling the health benefits along the way. Emma Wightman - www.the-sop.com E-mail: emma@the-sop.com
Keeping well this winter As the colder weather starts to set in, there are lots of things you can do to keep healthy and well this winter.
Keeping your body healthy in winter As people age their immune system becomes weaker and we can lose muscle mass and so here are some tips to help boost our immune systems and stay healthy • Keep Active – try to move around once an hour, even if it’s only for a short walk to and from the kitchen to put the kettle on • Eat well and regularly – make sure you have plenty of food at home or have arranged meal deliveries • Keep hydrated – there is still the risk of dehydration even in the colder months • Get your free flu jab • Keep warm – layering is the best way to keep warm and set your heating timer to ensure your home is warm when it is coldest Keeping your mind healthy and your spirits up in winter Winter can be a difficult time but there are lots of ways to keep our minds active and our spirits up • Keep to a routine – Routine is a great way to give us some certainty in uncertain times and helps us plan for the week ahead • Keep connected – Keep up the connection with family and friends. Arrange regular visits (if possible due to Covid-19 restrictions) or arrange regular phone and video calls. Age Concern Hampshire can also help to put you in touch with a befriender. • Stay active – exercise is well known to give our mental health a boost and so a small amount of exercise is good for our bodies and our minds. This may be a short walk around the garden or even some armchair exercises. • Get Help – if you are finding things particularly tough, are feeling lonely or isolated or need help, reach out to family, friends or your GP for support. • Do something you enjoy – find time for hobbies you enjoy or perhaps try a new hobby. • There are lots of resources available to keep our minds active, from crosswords, quizzes and games to online exhibitions and events. Try something new! Alternatively, contact your local Village Agent, Denise on: 07969 376023. Village Agents are volunteers who can help you find information and local services that will enable you to stay living safely and independently.
