Body & Mind

SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET

Lucy Lewis, Dorset Mind Ambassador

Many people are aware that soaking up the sun can have benefits for both physical and mental health, but not everyone knows how sunlight improves our wellbeing.

Here are some of the key factors that explain why sunlight can boost your mood – and how you can make the most of them. However, do always remember to take appropriate care and caution in the sunshine to ensure you don’t become dehydrated or damage your skin.

Serotonin Production When sunlight passes through the eye, it affects parts of the retina that trigger serotonin production. Serotonin is a hormone that is associated with wellbeing; it can improve your mood and help you feel calm. Without enough exposure to sunlight, your serotonin levels could drop, causing you to have less energy and feel lower in mood. To maintain healthy serotonin levels, try to spend some time every day in natural light.

Vitamin D Ultraviolet-B radiation in sunlight prompts vitamin D production in the skin. Vitamin D has been associated with improved emotional regulation and preventing mental health conditions such as depression and schizophrenia. Research has demonstrated that people who experience depression or schizophrenia are more likely to have low vitamin D levels compared to the general population. Additionally, taking vitamin D supplements has been associated with improved depression symptoms. Some research has suggested that vitamin D plays a role in the regulation of serotonin.

Circadian Rhythm You might be familiar with the concept of the body’s ‘internal clock’, which is also referred to as a person’s circadian rhythm. Your circadian rhythm uses sunlight (or lack thereof) to determine whether it is time to feel awake or go to sleep. Without enough sunlight, you could disrupt this rhythm, making it difficult to get enough sleep at night, meaning you are sleep deprived the next day. Sleep deprivation is often very detrimental to mental health; it can lower your mood and mean you have less energy to cope with your day. Therefore, it is essential to absorb enough sunlight, particularly first thing in the morning, to boost your mood and energy levels.

Eldar Nurkovic/Shutterstock

Sunshine Tips While sunlight has its advantages, it is very important to stay safe. This means drinking enough water, avoiding sun exposure at the hottest parts of the day, and using adequate SPF protection. Talk to a pharmacist about sun safety if you require further support.

Remember, you can also increase your sun exposure in small steps. Try drinking your morning coffee outside, or walking to work or school. You can also move your desk or sofa in front of a window to gain some extra rays. Additionally, you can boost your sun exposure by investing in light therapy devices. You can purchase a light box to help you boost your serotonin levels, or a daylight simulation lamp, which will wake you up with gradually increasing light, mimicking a sunrise. Try incorporating more sunlight into your daily routine to improve your wellbeing.

If you are in crisis, ring 999 or The Samaritans free on 116 123. Visit dorsetmind.uk for resources, signposting, and information about our individual and group mental health services.

Image: Katharine Davies

A HEALTHY NEW APPROACH

Mike Hewitson MPharm FFRPS FRSPH MRPharmS, Chief Pharmacist, The Abbey Pharmacy

As a community pharmacist the last 18 months have been professionally rewarding, despite the challenging circumstances in which we have found ourselves practicing. We have seen enormous changes in the way that the public access healthcare, and while some people have opted to move online, my skills have never been more in demand. Our GP practices, which were already stretched pre-COVID, have had to change how they care for patients, with more emphasis on remote consultations. For some patients this has been difficult to adopt, and many have chosen to speak to their community pharmacist because they wanted face-to-face care without the need for an appointment. The NHS wants to encourage more patients to speak to their pharmacist, and has for many years promoted community pharmacy as a first port of call for a range of minor ailments and advice about medicines and long term conditions.

Recently the NHS has launched a formal service called the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service which allows NHS111 and GP practices to refer patients directly to a community pharmacy for advice and treatment of minor ailments. This is a positive development which helps to reduce pressure on GP appointments, provides the patient with ready access to highly trained healthcare professionals and supports our local pharmacies.

As we look to the future it is clear that patients and the public have become more open to treatment by a range of healthcare professionals, not just their GP. Having just completed training as an Independent Prescriber, I am now able to write a prescription for virtually any medicine, which will help me to treat patients for a much wider range of conditions: from my own interest in dermatology through to travel vaccinations and beyond. Taking any medicine should be an informed choice, and this should always be balanced by a healthy respect for these powerful tools but it is one that patients should ultimately decide.

Community pharmacies sit at a crossroads between formal NHS & private healthcare, and the informal world of wellness. We see people at all stages of life, before they are ill, which is crucial for preventing ill health such as the epidemic of diabetes caused by our unhealthy lifestyles. A colleague has helped me to lose 3st in weight, and I would like to help others to do the same, which is in the long term interests of both the patient, but also more widely, society and our community.

As patients’ expectations have changed by the pandemic, so too must our approach as healthcare professionals, with greater flexibility, more innovation and a relentless pursuit of healthier, happier patients. We need to give younger people in particular, a reason and the opportunity to engage with us rather than a faceless, digital screen. Inevitably this means adopting new technology to offer the best of both worlds, but with a named, and accountable healthcare professional with whom they can build a relationship.

SOCIAL BENEFITS OF EXERCISE

Craig Hardaker BSc (Hons), Communifit

Image: Stuart Brill

Happy August! We hope everyone is feeling wonderfully healthy, relaxed and happy – if not then exercise may well be your answer! All too often we hear about the physical benefits of exercise. Whether it be improving your cardiovascular fitness, building strength, increasing mobility or even losing weight. These are all very important areas that we must continue to build upon. But what about the social benefits? Let’s discuss this more.

More enjoyable For so many people it is fair to say that they do not exercise just because they find it enjoyable. Indeed if it wasn’t for the health benefits, many may struggle to find the motivation to make the effort.

For a lot of people, exercising in groups is a much more enjoyable experience than merely exercising on their own. Classes can be fun, yet challenging, and participating with others just makes everything seem more possible. Targets and times can be shared, as can techniques and any difficulties that may present themselves.

Train harder We are more likely to train harder when in the presence of others. We keep each other going when we want to stop. We help each other to challenge ourselves. Even the least competitive person can become more competitive when exercising – giving that bit more in the presence of others than they would if training alone.

Form friendships

Having fun and training hard with other people will help form a bond with other attendees. This bond may then result in a friendship developing. Many of my class attendees have made new friends, and now meet for socials outside of the exercise class environment. It is a great way to meet new people.

More reliable We have all had that feeling of ‘should I go, or shouldn’t I go to the exercise class?’ But if you know your friends are attending, and maybe persuading you to attend – this can be the difference between attending the class or not. Motivation will rise and fall throughout your exercise journey, so sticking with your objectives and staying reliable is important to achieving your objectives.

So, in conclusion, there are not only physical benefits to attending regular exercise classes – but plenty of social benefits too.

IMPROVE YOUR PRESS-UPS

Simon Partridge BSc (Sports Science), Personal Trainer SPFit

Last month we discussed why it is important for runners to be strong and include weight training in their training programs. This month, let us look at upper body strength and not just for runners, but for everyone. No matter who you are, how strong you are or whether you are just a beginner or experienced, the press-up is quite simply a brilliant exercise.

There are so many benefits and variations to pressups that we can all use them. For example, in yoga we do chatarungas or tricep press-ups while we can also challenge the chest muscles more by placing our hands wider.

The press-up not only works the chest, shoulders and arms, it is also a plank so it is a great exercise to improve your core strength and stability. Thus, it has many more benefits than using a machine or lying on a bench and performing a chest press for example.

To make your press-up as safe and effective as possible get back to the basics. Think about what is preventing you doing more or progressing the exercise. Work on your weaknesses and the areas you need to improve.

So how good is your press-up? Press-ups are also harder than most people think if you really focus on using proper form on every single rep. For example, instead of resting on your hands and slouching your hips forward, make sure you own the plank position, squeezing your glutes and core as if you were training only your abs.

The press up is probably the first strength training move most people learn. And it does not matter if you cannot do one or you can do sixty, you can make this superb exercise easier (regression) or harder (progression) to suit your own strength goals. As you get stronger, you can always change your routine by simply using some of the following: Work through these progressions, focusing on your form. •Hands elevated press-up – putting your hands on a box or a bench can make it easier (notice no mention of press-ups on your knees) •Tempo press-up – slow down the lowering phase and/or add a pause at the bottom of your press up •Standard press-up •Feet elevated press-up – putting your feet on a box or bench can make it harder •Handstand press-up – with your feet against a wall

One of our favourite ways to progress press-ups for clients of all levels is to use a suspension trainer. Check out the photo of Kate, who only started to use a suspension trainer last month.

As a result, the benefits and variety of the allegedly humble press-up means we can all use it to become stronger right from our core to our upper body. There are also so many ways to include it in your workout that you should also never get bored. Give it a go this week, and see if by next month you can progress to the next variant.

spfit-sherborne.co.uk

ALL EARS

Nicola Girling, Girlings Hearing Services

There is a stigma associated with hearing loss and that’s something we work really hard to address at Girlings. Hearing is one of our vital physical senses; most of us cannot imagine being without it. I often wonder, why is it that we are so open about problems with our sight or our dental needs – with designer glasses and perfectly white veneers now so fashionable (and so costly). In fact, we often choose to draw attention to these very areas of ourselves that need improvement or correction. Yet many of us are a long way from applying the same attitude to hearing loss, or being open to the ultimate accessory that will address the issue – hearing aids. I’ve seen first-hand how the cutting-edge technology of modern hearing aids, which can adjust to every environment and seamlessly link with smart devices, can improve a person’s quality of life; and yet there is a reluctance to talk about it.

I believe that, in order to change society’s views toward hearing loss, we really need to open up the conversation. Most people lose their hearing gradually and might not even realise it. So often it is family and friends who notice the symptoms first, which is why many of our hearing aid clients are brought along for their first appointment by a son or daughter.

Although we are reluctant to discuss the problem, it remains that there are 11 million people across the UK with a hearing loss – the partial or total inability to hear in one or both ears. There are a number of different reasons why someone might lose their hearing, including age, prolonged exposure to loud noise, or genetics. Ear infections, autoimmune diseases and traumatic injuries all play a part too, and we see a very wide range of clients – across all age groups - in our clinics.

Hearing loss is also a major contributor to loneliness and isolation, and nothing ages a person more than continually having to ask people to repeat themselves, but this need not be the case. If you are worried about your hearing, or are concerned about the hearing of a family member or friend, then I encourage you (or them) to contact your GP, or a hearing professional you trust, to seek advice in order to improve your hearing and restore your quality of life. Sometimes, this could merely involve removing excess ear wax to unblock your hearing potential! If you would like to find out more about the symptoms of hearing loss you will find useful information on our new website, details below.

When I first became a trainee hearing aid dispenser in 1984, I certainly did not imagine how hearing technology would develop, nor that my future family business would lead in the field of clinical ear treatments. I qualified in 1986 and, being a West Country girl, my husband Ian and I decided to return to Dorset with our young family and set up our own independent hearing practice. We chose Sherborne’s Swan Yard as our base and opened there in 2001, by which time Ian was also qualified as a registered hearing aid dispenser

(RHAD). In 2014 we took the opportunity to move to the ‘sunny side of the street’, opening our current Swan Yard premises at Number 4, conveniently situated next to the Old Market Yard Car Park.

In between times, we also launched a second clinic in Fordingbridge in 2011, enabling us to care for clients in Hampshire, while reaching out to those with a hearing loss in the Wiltshire and Salisbury areas too.

This year is very special for us. 37 years after I first started in my hearing career, Girlings celebrates a double anniversary, with 20 years in Sherborne and 10 years in Fordingbridge. Not only that but we are growing the company. Ian and I were delighted to welcome our son Dan to the business in 2019, as a fully trained hearing dispenser, enabling us to secure the future of our independent hearing healthcare service. As a family, and now a business run by two generations, we feel thankful and privileged to have been able to serve so many long-standing clients during the past twenty years in Sherborne and look forward to doing so for decades to come.

To mark this special anniversary year, we have also expanded into a specialist area with the launch of The Microsuction Company, which offers clinical ear treatments, including ear wax management, and is based near our home in Maiden Newton - further extending the reach of our hearing businesses to Dorchester, Weymouth, Lyme Regis and beyond. While expanding, we remain firmly rooted in our family-run business ethos, supporting our local communities and providing the friendly, impartial advice and innovation in hearing technology upon which our reputation has been built.

Ian, Nicola and Dan Girling

girlinghearingaids.co.uk themicrosuctioncompany.co.uk