Life is often comprised of routine, whether this be the daily commute to work, the eight or so hours sat at a computer screen in a less than comfortable chair or the simple act of kick starting the day with a steaming brew.
We understand and manage our busy environments as this is our routine. Now I want you to ask yourself a question, how does the body physiologically respond to this daily onslaught and how does this affect your physical and mental performance?
Acutely stressful situations within your daily life will elevate levels of a hormone known as Cortisol. Cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands and circulates within our blood reducing the effectiveness of insulin. When this occurs we retain more of the sugar within our blood stream. Secondly the body mobilises fatty lipids from storage cells into the blood stream this response is known as a FIGHT or FLIGHT response.
Fight or flight response is a reaction to a stressful situation. The reason the body retains sugar and fat within the blood stream is for immediate availability for energy and strength within the muscles.
Constant elevated levels of these substances can increase your risk of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and widespread muscular and joint pain.
So why variety? If we regularly exercise then the harmful bi-products of stress are utilised for the energy requirements of higher intensity activity. Activity also gets you moving around, which in turn decreases the likelihood of muscle and joint pain related to a sedentary office job.
In conjunction with being more active it is prudent to observe variety, so not only going to the gym but having regular health checks increasing your awareness of early disease. Addressing your muscular and joint health will keep you active and pain free for longer; increasing the body’s resistance to poor postural habits at the office, elevating mood, concentration and your ability to be efficient at life.
At West Wickham Chiropractic Health Centre we offer variety, from chiropractic care, remedial or sports massage to Western Herbalism and psychotherapy. Many people benefit from postural screening, ergonomic advice and high quality therapies.
Now have you started to appreciate why “Variety is the Spice of Life”? It’s a collection, of differing therapies but with similar goals in keeping our patients and the public healthy and well informed.
