How do we attain vibrant health?
Being healthy often times requires a commitment to your health, happiness, and paying attention to your body. We’ve recently read a great book on aging, called, “Aging Well: Surprising Guideposts to a Happier Life from the Landmark Harvard Study of Adult Development” by George E. Vaillant. In his book, the author details the results of a study by Harvard Medical School where 824 subject’s lives were documented from their teens to old age. He used these studies to illustrate the factors involved in reaching a happy, healthy old age via the subjects’ individual histories. From what he concluded, your outlook, your ability to forgive and maintain healthy relationships, as well as gratitude, greatly affect your quality of life.
We couldn’t agree more with Mr. Vaillant, but we believe what we eat and what we do with our bodies the rest of the time are necessary adjuncts and all make a huge impact on how healthy we feel. And although we believe there is no quick fix, WBV has been the best fix we’ve found for the body, and subsequently, the mind! We describe the rest of these contenders that make up what we call our ‘roadmap to health’, below!
Nourish your body
While the author emphasized that healthy older subjects made choices that resulted in aging well, despite hardships or poverty, there are several other variables we have control over that are key to having energy and feeling better. More often than not, we are in control of what we put into our bodies. It’s as simple as eating nourishing whole foods and drinking clean water. Less sugar, less processed foods, more fiber and healthy fats, not only prevent high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, and more- if you already have a condition, often diet alone can reverse it. If you aren’t sure where to begin, there are ample free resources online, but you can also look up local nutritionists and health coaches that can help you create meal plans and guide you toward the right supplements to assist your body- from digestion to better sleep, to increased energy. Additionally, many of these practitioners and resources will emphasize ways to better your mental and emotional health. We really like the nutrition advice of a well-respected wellness author and blogger, Wellness Mama. Some of our favorite local alternative practitioners are Lesley Valentine of Artful Life Acupuncture and chiropractor, Dr. Boothby, of Third Way Chiropractic.
Rest & De-stress
If you’ve had long-standing or chronic health issues or chronic stress, those often need to be addressed first before feeling better and considering a fitness routine. Often times, it’s a matter of finding consistent, daily ways to incorporate time to relax in your busy day. When we make time, we often find that we have more of it. We have found that spending time outdoors, going for a walk around the block, using WBV machines for 20 minutes, yoga, or even taking 10 deep belly breaths are a great means of lowering stress. By getting your body out of fight or flight (sympathetic nervous system response), back to rest and digest (parasympathetic), your body can use its energy to heal. When you’re constantly under stress, your body produces cortisol, a stress hormone, that over the long term consistently produces glucose, leading to health challenges such as hyperglycemia, suppressed immunity, decreased muscle and bone mass, insulin resistance, and increased inflammation, which might look like weight gain and/or belly fat. Life Extension Magazine has a great article on reducing the risks of high cortisol, with natural remedies to help your body adapt to stress gracefully.
Exercise!
The right kind of exercise can additionally help manage stress and provides a host of health benefits. Moving your body not only increases circulation and oxygenates tissue, it’s necessary for healthy bones, staying mentally sharp, and being able to continue moving vs. being stiff or too weak. Part of why we got into Whole Body Vibration was because we found it helped our client’s bodies wake up if they hadn’t been active (due to an injury, surgery, or age) and got them strong enough to want to be more physically active again. Maintaining a strong, healthy body and mind is a lifestyle choice. Doing activities you love, surrounding yourself with healthy, positive people, keeping it fun, and playful, also help the emotions and the body.
In Summary
There are many ways to feel healthy and happy. At Bodyquirks we have some great tools to assist the body feel healthier and happier, specifically:
Whole Body Vibration: may help lower stress hormones like cortisol and release endorphins, while mobilizing joints and engaging 97% of muscles in the body.
PEMF Mat: may help bring the nervous system back to rest and digest mode, acts like a battery charger for your cells so the body can eliminate harmful toxins and increase absorption of nutrients. We even offer a free first session!
Far Infrared Sauna: may help ground the body, reduce tension, inflammation, and often results in a better night sleep via detoxing through the skin!
Massage Therapy: may help relieve anxiety and stress in the body, release muscle pain, speed up healing of injuries and strains, improve posture, improve mental and physical performance, and more! Who doesn’t feel happier after a massage? Plus, they are relaxing as heck!
If you think you or someone you know could benefit from one of our services, book today at (503) 233-9030.
