Good Health Doesn’t Need Luck of the Irish
By Sara Butler
At the heart of it, I’ve come to view St. Patrick’s Day as a day of self-care. After all, you wear green to avoid being pinched by people, right? If that’s not self-care, then I don’t know what is!
Still, it’s a great day to remind us that taking care of yourself is important. The aches and pains you experience daily are the result of one thing: your routine. When you walk, bend, stand, and sit the same way each day, you’re setting yourself up for discomfort and pain. St. Patrick’s Day is but one day a year -- but caring for yourself is something you should do every day. So take off the shamrock-shaped sunglasses, wait a few more minutes before unveiling your “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” shirt to the world, and take a few of these lucky self-care tips to heart from your friends at The Joint Chiropractic.
See Your Chiropractor
Seeing your chiropractor at The Joint regularly is one of the most important ways you can take care of yourself. That’s because your chiropractor develops a treatment plan based on your needs, with a schedule you can follow to help get the results you want. Of course, diligence to see the chiropractor regularly is a part of this equation, but when you leave The Joint feeling like a million bucks, returning for another visit won’t be a problem. And lucky for you, you don’t even need an appointment to walk into The Joint.
Sleep Well
Sleep is important to the human experience. So important, in fact, that you’ll spend about one-third of your life doing it. Sleep, too, serves a vital purpose outside of allowing you time to dream of finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Sleep is when your body rests, heals, and restores itself, making good quality sleep essential to your overall health and wellness.
Another important aspect of sleep is how you do it. If you’re a stomach sleeper, you’ll need to kiss the Blarney Stone repeatedly and wish for good spinal health because sleeping on your stomach -- with your neck twisted to the side and your lower back hyperextended for hours on end -- is not exactly a recipe for a lovely morning. In other words, you need to find a way to transition to being a back sleeper or side sleeper if you want to wake up without feeling like you were attacked by leprechauns in your sleep.
Your Habits
Your ability to consume green beer is a discussion saved for a different time, but your daily habits are worth a mention while discussing excellent health and wellness. That’s because the seemingly simple things you do each day, such as sitting, standing, walking, and exercising, have a huge impact on spinal and overall health. When you’re at work, you should be changing your position at least once an hour. Every 30 minutes or so, you should get up from your desk, walk around, and maybe do a few stretches to help get your blood flowing.
You should also pay attention to your posture. I know, this something your Irish grandmother probably harps on repeatedly as she’s making you corned beef and colcannon, but it’s time to admit that she’s right! Slouching or hunching over your computer for hours a day can lead to back, neck, and shoulder pain. Think about how you’re moving your body if you want to be able to dance a jig well into old age.
We hope everyone has a safe and happy St. Patrick’s Day! But remember, this is just one day a year; you have 364 other days to commit to your health and wellness by taking care of yourself. There’s nothing lucky about good health, it’s something you actively participate in. And may the wind be always at your back.
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this page are for informational purposes only. The purpose of this post is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics, including but not limited to the benefits of chiropractic care, exercise and nutrition. It is not intended to provide or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your chiropractor, physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this page.