Steer Clear Of Health Disasters

If we are going to maximise the use of your energy the other side we need to look at is your ‘income’.

You may think that you only have a fixed amount of this but that is far from the truth. If you are willing to take charge of your life  you can boost your energy levels considerably.

A key part boosting your energy levels is wise use of exercise. You should be looking to get at least 30min of moderate exercise at least three times a week whether that is running, cycling or training at the gym. But as you get fitter you may be not only able, but also inclined, to do far more than this. Exercise is just one good way of boosting your health, fitness and energy levels.

Key to feeling at your best and being able to cope with the demands of day-to-day life is getting enough rest. You should get eight to nine hours sleep each night. To get this sleep you are better off getting early nights than lying in, and try to get this amount each night rather than having to ‘catch up’ on sleep.

Sleep can often be the first thing to suffer when life gets busy. The quality of your sleep can also be affected by factors such as stress or when you eat and drink. Drinking caffeine or alcohol, or eating a meal shortly before going to bed can disrupt your sleep patterns so try to get into good habits that safeguard the quality of your sleep. Reading or listening to music before going to bed can also help you ‘switch off’ and sleep more soundly.

A common waste of energy and distraction from proper rest is late evening channel hopping or watching rubbish television. Be decisive. Decide if you really want to watch TV. If not go to bed, or make more use of the video so you can watch the programme another time and get the rest!

Good diet will help your body stay fit and healthy. Aim to drink two-and-a-half  litres of water a day so you are hydrated. If you exercise drink more than this. Being properly hydrated (which most people are not) will help your body with digesting food, with the clearing of toxins from the body, keeping your skin in good condition and also with the prevention of headaches. Having a water bottle for use at the gym is a good idea but there is little point in having this if you are dehydrated before you start or for the rest of the day. Aim to drink a little and often throughout the day.

Eating five to nine portions of fruit and vegetables every day will make sure that you get enough nutrients. Ensuring you take on the Recommend Daily Allowances (RDAs) will make it unlikely that you suffer from illnesses and conditions linked to deficiencies but taking higher levels of some nutrients may have wider health benefits. If you are unsure of whether you are getting enough nutrients it may be worth considering supplements.

There are other therapies that can help you stay healthy and deal with minor problems before they even become noticeable. After exercising you might want a soak in a hot bath or shower. But the World Cup winning England Rugby team used ‘hot and cold’ ‘treatment’ to improve their recovery. They took five one minute hot showers with one minute under a cold shower in between. This may sound mad but it improves circulation, prevents the build up of waste products in the muscles and, in short, improves your recovery from your exertions. Alternatively the Australian Institute of Sport would recommend three cycles of a one to two minute hot shower followed by 10 to 30 seconds under a cold shower.

Visiting a physiotherapist may sound the type of thing you would only do after a road accident or suffering a serious sporting injury. But many athletes will visit physiotherapists to stop them getting injured. The physio can often pick up and deal with any problems before they affect their day-to-day routine. You may not be planning to break world records but keeping on top of any aches and pains with a visit to a physiotherapist every month or two will help keep you healthy – you will be able to get more out of yourself.

Unfortunately there are times when illness or injury do strike. Remember that by ‘injury’ we do not necessarily mean completely debilitating problems. We mean niggles, back pains and so on that stop us exercising as we would like, make us uncomfortable doing certain activities or play up when we do simple things that tax vulnerable parts of our body.

When injuries do occur the key thing is to get rid of them. It sounds obvious but far too many people try to carry on regardless or go into denial. You need to see your doctor, or perhaps a physiotherapist if it is an ‘injury’, and then take on board what they say. Someone at work or the gym may have found this or that to have worked but they are not a qualified healthcare professional with extensive training behind them. Don’t just go with what a friend recommends. Your problem may be different in nature or severity, or your situation may warrant a different course of action. That said make sure you when you see the doctor or physio that you understand exactly what you are being told to do and why. Be sure they have a full handle on your symptoms and circumstances. Difficulty sleeping, increased irritability or increased sensitivity to changes in temperature may seem irrelevant to you but be of significance to them. So mention everything. Ask about when you will be able to do certain things again rather than guessing. Don’t try to battle through, do all that is needed to solve the problem.

After an illness or injury you should aim to take as long building back up to full activity as you have been out of action – so if it’s a month step things up over a month. If you have an adverse reaction again speak to whoever has been treating you. Find out whether it is just an ache that is to be expected or is it an indication the problem is still there.

Recovery from illness or injury is not just passive. You should see it as an activity. Actively go to bed earlier, drink more fluid, eat healthier food (consider nutritional supplements if this may help) and avoid activities that could aggravate your problem.

By acting wisely you achieve higher energy levels.

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