In my job as an osteopath, in the last ten years I have had the pleasure of treating people from all walks of life. I have treated professional athletes and some of the fittest people in the country, and then those who are far less healthy.
I have come to realise that there is no difference between the very healthy and the very unhealthy. The only thing that separates them is their habits.
When we want to change something about ourselves, it’s very easy to look at people that do what you want to do and think, ‘if only I had the discipline they do’, but that’s a myth.
It is far better to create the habits of health. Habits are not finite, they are a subconscious part of our day (when was the last time you moaned about having to brush your teeth at night, for example?).
Another little myth around habits is that they take 21 days to make. I even used this number in the first few years of my career. Science has shown it to be wrong though; on average it takes 66 days to create a habit. So if you aim for a good three months you should make the habit stick.
The reason I am writing about this now is that I have observed a shift in peoples’ behaviour in the last few months, a good shift. With all the good weather we have had I have noticed people have been cycling more, walking more, getting out in the garden more and just generally moving more.
As I sit here writing, looking out into my garden, the Virginia Creeper has turned a deep, luscious red and it is being bombarded with a heavy autumnal rain. A few days ago, I finalised the plans for Christmas with my family. Autumn and winter are coming!
We are at a cross-road where it’s possible to let the good habits of summer slip. When the days get shorter and the weather worsens, it’s so easy to take the car instead of the bike, or sit watching sport on the telly instead of dig up the garden.
Obviously, through the seasons our habits change, but be conscious that you swap a movement-based habit for another movement-based one. If you’ve loved cycling this summer, why not get a turbo-trainer at home or join a spinning class? If you’ve felt proud of your efforts in the garden this summer, rather than hibernate during the winter, why not get your teeth into a DIY project?
You see, movement is strongly correlated to how much pain we feel. Those that move more have lower incidence of pain and they recover more quickly when they have it.
Be conscious and figure out a way to continue moving all through the winter months. Get creative and have fun with it! This is an opportunity to carry good health forwards to next year.
In the clinic we see all sorts of injuries, and people often think it is doing things that caused the problem, but injuries are made more likely by not doing things like moving regularly and exercising.
As always, if pain or injury is preventing you from living the mobile life you want, we are here to help. Get in touch at [email protected] or 01245 522360. We also give regular exercise videos on our Facebook and YouTube channel.
