Winter is coming, do you have your car ready?
Think of all the things you do to ensure your car gets you to and from work every day. From oil changes, topping up fluids and changing to winter tires, most of us may be treating our cars better than our bodies.
Just think of how great you could feel if you put as much effort into making sure your body is in tip top shape as you do your car. It doesn’t need to take hours a day, but think about the results you could get if you did some of this car maintenance to your body!
One of the most important things you should be paying more attention to is your body alignment. When your car is out of alignment it will wear your tires – think of joints (knee or hip) as our tires. If we consistently move with improper alignment, then we are adding more wear and tear on our joints. This will cause our joints to be loaded ineffectively and lead to poor shock absorption, uneven weight distribution and pain.
To avoid this, pay attention to the placement of the joints in your legs (hips, knees and ankles) and your feet (toes and heels) each time you walk, climb stairs or sit down. Think of a plumb line from your hip to the floor and keeping all three joints along that line as you move. This will take some practice.
Also with each step, try to place your foot down heel then toe. Try not to waddle or limp when you walk as this will affect your alignment as well. It is more important to slow down and walk properly than to limp – your joints will thank you. Keep in mind, you may need to use a cane to accomplish this.
Thinking of new tires for your car? Have you checked the treads on your footwear? Not only will the underside of your shoes tell you when it needs replacing but it can also tell you if your body is out of alignment. Are you noticing that one side of the tread is showing more wear than the other? Not only should you have good, supportive footwear when being active but they need to be replaced regularly to ensure maximum support, comfort and shock absorption. Shoes may still look okay, but the supportive properties have been compromised. Depending on the amount of exercise, you should replace your shoes more often than you think.
Watch for wear patterns and if you notice soreness in joints (that you didn’t notice before) it could be time to change up your shoes. Wearing shoes for exercise only will prolong their life and “old” shoes can still be worn for other activities.
Do you warm up the engine before taking off? Well, this is also a good idea before we jump right in to activity or exercise.
Whenever you are going to participate in exercise, a good thing to try and do is ease into and out of the exercise. This is just simply doing the same or a similar activity but at a slower pace so the body can adjust, warm up and be prepared for the exercise.
Afterwards, it is a good thing not to just throw on the brakes, but rather slow down your activity gradually for the last three to five minutes to allow your heart rate and blood pressure to return to normal.
Finally, you should include a stretching break following all exercise. This will reward the muscles for the activity you just put them through. Doing this will also alleviate any pain you may feel, later on or the next day, from doing activity that you aren’t used to. It is also an important part of your overall alignment. When muscles are tight, they can affect our ability to maintain good alignment.
What about rust control? Did you know that the best way to avoid seizing in our body is to exercise? By loading and unloading our joints we are nourishing the cartilage. Of course, we need to do this with control and proper alignment. Our bodies were made to move and it is important to build time into your regular routine for cardiovascular, strengthening, balance and flexibility exercises.
Sitting is now considered as bad for the body as smoking! Every time we stand up we are nourishing our joints. Make it a point to move more often throughout the day by limiting the amount of sitting you do at one time. Incorporating brisk walking four or more days a week and some strengthening and balance exercises a couple times a week would be a great maintenance program!
Your local Family Health Team is a great resource for managing chronic conditions.
For more information about any of the free services offered by the Minto-Mapleton Family Health Team, visit www.mmfht.ca or call the Drayton/Palmerston office at 519-638-2110 or the Clifford office at 519-327-4777.
Like the FHT on Facebook (Minto-Mapleton Family Health Team) and follow on Twitter (@MintoMapleton) for healthy living tips and information on upcoming programs and events in the area.
Sandy Turner is a kinesiologist with the Minto-Mapleton Family Health Team