 Our brain is incredible. It orchestrates our every movement, thought and deed, and through the spinal cord reaches every part of our body. So what can we do to look after our brain and keep it performing at its peak?
Why look after our brain? Our brain is central to everything we do, it is the master controller of our bodies. There is also the issue of cognitive decline as we age, with diagnoses of dementia, like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, very common in our aging population. While the jury is still out on what causes these syndromes, it makes sense to do as much as you can to look after your brain from a young age. When our brain is functioning well, it is easy for us to work, and play, at our best. Brain Training One of the most hyped ways to stave off cognitive decline is brain training apps. These puzzle apps are designed to keep your problem solving skills in use, and, in theory, keep your brain more active than it would otherwise be. However, studies into these apps have found no specific increase in brain power with these apps, in fact, smartphone use is being linked with increased inattention and shorter attention spans. So while these apps may be fun, don’t expect any big results from playing the puzzles regularly. Variety is the spice of your brain Whatever you do regularly is what you will be good at. If you do crosswords all the time you will find them easy but would be very challenged by a Sudoku. To keep your brain functioning at it’s best, you can challenge it in different ways. There are lots of different kinds of puzzles that can help your mental gymnastics, for some inspiration, have a look at our Facebook page this month (June 2019). But there are lots of other ways to challenge your brain. Trying a new game or sport or a new exercise. Challenging your balance or fine motor skills. Meeting new people or reading a new book. Change is the key. There will be some activities you enjoy more than others, but you never know, you could find your new passion while trying something new and different! Nourish your brain Like everything in your body, your brain relies on what you put in your mouth to eat. Making the effort to eat nourishing wholefoods will pay big dividends where brain health is concerned. You wouldn’t put hot chips in a car engine and expect it to run efficiently would you? Your brain and body are no different. Healthy fats like avocado, fish and nuts are beneficial for your body to make hormones that help your brain function. Sleep it off Sleep is also vital for brain function. We all know how hard it is to focus and concentrate after a poor nights sleep. When we sleep, our brain has a change to ‘clean’ itself and flush out any waste after our big day of thinking. It is crucial to get a good nights sleep, and you can optimise your sleep by have good ‘sleep hygiene’. A few examples of this are: Going to bed at a regular time, minimising light and screen exposure in your bedroom, allowing yourself to wind down before bed. Get socialising One surprising thing that kept coming up was the importance of social connection for brain health. When we get out and socialise, it stimulates our brain like almost nothing else. Having other people to talk to and feeling part of a community were big predictors of cognitive function into older age. So get out and meet your friends for coffee, or go for a walk together, your brain needs you to! Active life Physical activity and exercise are crucial to brain health and preventing cognitive decline. The more active you are, the more input your brain receives, dusting out those cobwebs and keeping everything functioning at it’s best. Keep learning! Learning new things is one of the best ways to ‘train your brain’! Make it challenging, change it up, and keep it fun! It doesn’t matter if it is a mental or physical skill, just keep learning. So, the best way to train your brain? Exercise, sleep, good food and social connection. And learning new things- have a look at our Facebook page for puzzles every day this month!
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 At the end of May it is spinal health week. A week to bring attention to the importance of spinal health care, especially preventative or wellness care, and the role chiropractors play in this.
Why spinal health care matters Musculoskeletal conditions (like low back pain and neck pain) and headaches and migraine are among the top 5 most debilitating conditions worldwide, both in terms of loss of quality of life and financial impact. Back pain and headaches account for a massive amount of time taken off work, causing lower productivity and costing businesses millions of dollars each year. As well as the loss of quality of life- that is, not being able to do the activities or tasks you want to do because your pain is limiting you. Imagine not being able to work, exercise or play with your children because of the amount of pain you are experiencing, every day. And once you have had one episode of back or neck pain, even if it resolves, your chance of it recurring within a year is very high. But all is not hopeless. There are so many gentle, non-invasive ways to help back pain that can relieve acute symptoms, prevent recurrence and maybe even prevent it occurring in the first place. Spinal health care could help. Acute, chronic, preventative? Most people who see a chiropractor first come in with an injury or pain of some kind. Sometimes it is a sudden, very painful incident, other times it has been building for months and not getting any better. But what about getting treated before there is a problem? I know, weird concept right? Except that dentists have been talking to us about preventative dental care for decades. Much better to brush your teeth and floss than end up needing fillings. The same can be said for musculoskeletal conditions. A bit of preventative conditioning, movement and postural advice could prevent a whole lot of pain further down the track. While this doesn’t necessarily mean you should visit the chiropractor, it could be a good place to start to get advice about the health of your spine and where you could make improvements. What do chiropractors do? Chiropractors are excellent at assessing the function of your body and nervous system. We are trained to look for ineffective postural patterns, compensations for weaknesses and assess the body holistically- that is, where you feel ‘pain’ may not be the cause of the issue. We also focus on your physical, chemical and emotional health- are you eating, moving and thinking in a way that benefits your body? Be ready for your daily marathon No, not an actual marathon every day. But every day, we have an enormous expectation on our body. It needs to function well, allow us to think clearly and have enough stamina to get us through the day. To do this, we need to make sure that we have done our preparation and training. Have we given our body the correct fuel it needs through our food? Have we done the mental preparations to be able to get through our day when it gets tough? Have we done the training so our body can easily do what we expect it to do without injury or strain? Do you have a good sleep routine? All these, and more, are areas of your wellbeing that need to be consistently looked after to make sure you are ready for anything life throws at you. Spinal Health Care Much like brushing your teeth, spinal health care is best done consistently. There are many different aspects, but here are some of the basics: Physical
For more help getting ready for life, have a look here: https://chiropractors.asn.au/straighten-up-app |
This is us.At Ballarat and District Chiropractic we know you want to be empowered when it comes your health so we want to help you by sharing all our knowledge about Chiropractic. Archive
February 2021
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