We’ve got some good and bad news for you. The good news is that we – Homo Sapiens – are living longer than in any other period of history. The bad news? This longevity isn’t always pleasurable.
Old age can be viewed in two very different lights: in one scenario, you have more autonomy over your schedule – working fewer hours or retiring entirely from the workforce. As a result, you fill your time with the things that matter to you and hopefully enjoy a feeling of contentment. The other scenario is far grimmer – your body decays due to a lack of attention, and you find it challenging to complete the mundane tasks that once required no focus at all.
What is the key to a ‘good’ old age?
Forty hours of your week is spent sitting in your office chair. That’s around two thousand hours a year where you’re either supporting your back and posture or harming it. So while a high-quality chair is a financial investment, it’s a small price to pay for improving how your body feels.
So what should you look for? Firstly, make sure your seat’s height is adjustable to allow for maximum adaptability in ensuring your screen is the height of your eye line. It’s also essential to get a chair that is stable and wide enough – this will allow for comfort in your new seating position (see next point!). Other factors, such as the seat material, armrest, and the ability to swivel, will contribute to the comfortability and relaxation that allows for less strain on your lower back.
Get moving and keep moving.
The familiar mantra of ‘move it or lose it’ comes to mind, and it’s true. Here at Awaken Chiropractic, we believe that regular exercise is integral, but it doesn’t have to mean you run five kilometres a day – the key is to cut down the amount of time you’re sedentary. Half an hour of gardening or walking to the coffee shop instead of driving are examples of small ways of maintaining the mobility in your joints and the strength of your muscles.
The idea is to employ exercise in your routine, without it having to be a focus. The reality is that not all of us want to run a marathon or carve out a significant chunk of time in our schedule to exercise. However, we’re all capable of making minor changes to existing elements of our lifestyle that will keep us moving.
And then, with these changes in place, you need to harness an ability to listen to your body and taper your modes of exercise to how they make you feel. This is something we have a special interest in at Awaken Chiropractic.
How important is sleep?
Your body is the same as your phone or car – it’s reliant on an energy source to sustain it. Sleep is a crucial part of that energy source.
For an adult, it’s recommended to get between seven to nine hours of sleep a night. How often do you hit that mark? Too regularly in our busy schedules we steal time away from our sleep cycle, reallocating it to another aspect of our frantic lives.
Sleep deprivation affects us in a multitude of ways, some of these being weakened immunity, high blood pressure, weight gain and increased risk of heart disease. It’s easy to see how these effects will degrade our bodies over time, culminating in poor physical and mental health in later life. If our body is struggling, more often than not, we will struggle mentally.
You become what you think about.
Here at Awaken Chiropractic, we believe in developing a ‘Conscious Philosophy’ – what does that mean? We see it as a framework for dealing with reality. It’s important to constantly re-evaluate how you perceive the world and your place within it. Each of us views and filters life in our own unique way. By regularly reflecting and refining our perception, we can foster a clearer headspace and improve our mental health – something that’s extremely important in our longevity. Your physical health in later life means little if you haven’t got the headspace to utilise it.
We have plenty to say on this matter, so if you’re interested, chat with us at your next chiropractic appointment. While Awaken is a chiropractic clinic, it is also a hub for all things relating to health – we care about helping each patient move through their busy lives in peak health. So that right now or in older age, you’re able to feel energised to accomplish your goals.
We all want to enjoy later life with the passion and engagement we have now. This starts from your health choices in the current moment, so get cracking!