In conclusion to my injury prevention series: a different mindset to consider. We can attempt to prevent injury for fear of it happening, or we can focus on building wellness. Building daily habits of being well means incorporating injury prevention into your life, but without thinking about it. In doing so we also create resilience and wellness to equip us for all of life’s challenges. Thanks for this viewpoint to Richmond Stace (http://www.specialistpainphysio.com) who I heard giving a webinar exploring this.
Key components of wellness include:
Moving: No matter where you’re starting, the more you move, the better your body will function. Healthy movement helps us feel well, physically and emotionally, function productively and think, learn, and remember.
Healthy nutrition and hydration: Your body needs a balanced diet to function at its best: providing energy for all of life’s activities and the macro and micronutrients needed to boost immunity, rebuild muscle and strengthen bones. Hydration is critical to health and mental focus and keeps our bodies performing and recovering at their best.
Sleep: A lack of sleep impacts overall physical health: it may sometimes be elusive but prioritising it is essential.
Breathing: Many of us take for granted the power that breath has over our entire body. When you engage your breath, you are activating your nervous and cardiovascular systems. With each inhale and exhale, your breath helps regulate, recover, and restore your body. Deep, diaphragmatic breathing can help reduce shoulder and back muscle tension, decrease stress and improve calmness and energy levels.
Being connected to what you value: to be disconnected from what we value causes stress, which increases the risk of illness and injury if prolonged. Understanding what we value and connecting with it is a key part of wellbeing