6 New Year’s resolutions worth keeping
Making New Year’s resolutions is easy, but keeping them can be hard, so we’ve come up with a list of six resolutions worth sticking to.
1. Move more
Exercise is key to a healthy back, but don’t worry, you don’t need to embark on any extreme fitness regimes to feel the benefit. Adding just a few extra minutes of walking a day can have a huge impact on your posture.
2. Drink more water
The average human body is 50 – 65% water so you need to keep hydrated to help it function properly. Your intervertebral discs, for example, need a lot of water to be able to hold the vertebrae apart and allow movement of the spine. So drink lots of water, and don’t forget that foods with high water contents, such as celery, cucumber and apples, are great sources of water too.
3. Eat your greens
There are many significant health benefits to making sure you get your ‘5 A Day’. Cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, kale and watercress, are rich in calcium which can help to decrease your risk of osteoarthritis. They also have really strong anti-inflammatory benefits, which can be helpful for inflammatory back pain. While spinach, lentils, and beans are high in magnesium, a vitamin which is important for bone health.
4. Laugh more often
Studies show that a good dose of laughter can boost the immune system, relax your muscles, improve respiration and stimulate circulation. And those benefits don’t even include the flurry of endorphins that are released after a good giggle. So try to find more reasons to laugh every day.
5. Get a good night’s sleep
Poor sleep on a regular basis can result in muscle aches and pains and make chronic pain and inflammatory conditions worse. Get a good night’s sleep on the other hand, and the benefits come pouring in. Read our blog, Reasons to get a good night’s sleep to find out more.
6. Give yourself a service
Your body is the greatest instrument you’ll ever own. However, while most see the importance of giving their car a regular service, they don’t always treat their body the same way. Regular chiropractic and osteopathic treatment helps your spine stay in proper alignment for optimal muscle, nerve and joint function. This can help keep you pain free, or prevent minor aches and pains from becoming serious, so it’s worth booking yourself in for a check up every now and then.