Playing the Pokies with Nan at the RSL

Season’s Greetings! I thought I’d put out a quick piece on the kinds of things you want to keep an eye on this summer to keep yourselves in good health. Hope you all get some time off with loved ones to catch up and de-stress (studies have shown that time off is needed to reverse the effects of long term stress).

Xmas Hours – If you need to see me about anything I will be working right up until Christmas but then taking the next week off, and returning Monday January 4th.

Nutrition – Research has shown that you really need to watch how much salt you consume. An increase as small as 5 g/day of salt was associated with a 23% increased risk of stroke, and a 17% increase in CVD risk. On the other side, “new research suggests moderate consumption of red wine helps to rinse teeth clean of bacteria during and after meals.” It’s all about finding the balance…

Exercise – As the heat increases remember to stay properly hydrated. If you didn’t quite maintain your exercise regimen over the last few months, be careful when resuming – returning to exercise or starting a new type of exercise is a prime time to get injured. Be sure to warm up properly and gradually increase the amount of exercise you do. I read the other day on the ABC website that cyclists in particular have been experiencing more falls: “there has been a true increase in adult cyclists having injuries“, so be careful out there.

Travel – For those of you lucky enough to be getting away, be careful, there are plenty of ways to hurt yourself and ruin your trip. I often hear about people who after a long flight, when fatigued after sitting for hours, and in a rush to move on, reach around someone to grab their luggage off the conveyor belt and hurt their back. When lifting, try to keep things front on and close to your body. You’ll be sleeping in weird beds and with strange pillows, what can I say, good luck.

For people doing road trips, apart from Stop Revive Survive, get out and stretch whenever you get a chance, and keep an eye on lifting bags out of car boots (and sleeping kids out of backseats). Roll up a towel and put it in the small of your back to reduce compression on your lumbar spine. And when you first get in the car – sit in a nice upright position and set your mirrors. If you notice your mirrors aren’t in the right place after a few hours, your posture is slumping – take a break.

For those of you on foot, no, thongs do not offer good arch support.

Happy Holidays!