5 Simple Ways to Activate Your Health
Intentional Actions Will Make a Daily Difference
Integratedmedicinecenter.com
savemyknees.net
savemyback.net
Contents
What is the Key to Better Health?
Fundamental Truths to Stand Upon
Taking a Seat, then Leaving it Behind
Raising the Question About Lifting
Major Goals Toward Overall Wellness
Take the Next Steps
2
Title of the book
3
4
5
6
7
8
Lifestyle is the Key
Chronic diseases and conditions—such as heart disease, stroke, cancer,
type 2 diabetes, obesity, and arthritis—are among the most common,
costly, and preventable of all health problems1. This statement comes
directly from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in an
overview published in February of 2016. Not a surprise.
In our practice, we see our fair share of preventable problems people are suffering with and we
spend a lot of time working to correct them and help coach our patients toward a better outcome,
beginning with simple, but effective lifestyle changes. In this publication we will outline intentional steps
you can take today to make a daily difference in your health and wellness.
Lifestyle choices
contribute
influence toward
how healthy we
are overall.2
There are a number of other obvious factors that contribute to this percentage; wearing a seatbelt
every time you ride in the car, wearing a helmet when you rollerblade, bike or skate, hereditary factors that
run in your family, and not taking unnecessary risks that pose a danger to you. But the focus of this ebook
is to help inform about simple activities you can incorporate into your lifestyle that will slowly move you to
action and rapid improvement in your health- and most importantly- how you feel!
1. cdc.gov publications, “Chronic Diseases: The Leading Causes of Death and Disability in the United States. February 23, 2016.
2. Gregory J. Dent, Northwestern Georgia Healthcare Partnership. 2016.
5 Simple Ways to Activate Your Health
3
Movement is fundamental to your health.
The following tips can be incorporated into
your life without requiring an expensive
gym membership.
Standing
What? Standing? I do this at the DMV, the grocery store, the
shower, while doing dishes, etc. Right. But what about the
majority of your day? At your job or at home? There is one
word that describes what we mean by standing – and that isposture.
MOVEMENT
Our bodies are designed to move,
but for most people the thought of
“movement” means rigorous, time
consuming, exercise at a gym.
The idea of regular activity doesn’t
have to be about dragging yourself
out of bed at 5am to hit the spin
class, or doing 50 crunches before
a 3-mile run. It isn’t about gaining
fitness, dropping weight or building
Posture is simply the position you take when you hold your
muscle. While there is nothing
body upright against gravity while you are standing, sitting or
wrong with heavy workouts,
lying down. But there is a correct way to stand and keep your
simple, daily movement should be
posture in check.
our focus to improve overall
health.
•
Keeps bones and joints in correct alignment, prevents strain
•
Decreases stress on ligaments and joints of the spine
•
Decreases wearing of joint surfaces that result in arthritis
•
Prevents fatigue by using muscles more efficiently
•
Contributes to a good appearance while standing
When standing, it is important to make sure that you
keep your chin up and don’t slouch. If you know that you
are going to be standing for a long period of time, make
sure that you wear comfortable shoes.
Good posture involves training yourself to stand in a
position where the least strain is placed on your spine
and the supporting muscles, especially during
movement or any weight bearing activities- such as
lifting objects.
5 Simple Ways to Activate Your Health
4
Sitting
It’s better to spend more time standing and
walking throughout the day, but if you are a
driver or are required to sit at a desk most of
the time, there are things you can do to be
sure your posture is correct so that you can
prevent related health issues.
Make sure you have a chair that is supportive.
Sit with your back against the chair, feet firmly
on the floor. Do not cross your legs. It should
fit you correctly so that your back touches the
chair and your feet are on the floor with knees
at a 90-degree angle.
Try to avoid looking down at your computer
screen. It should be at eye level.
Most importantly, When you are forced to sit
for a long period of time, make sure to get up
Sitting for extended periods of
time increases your risk of
developing type 2 diabetes and
heart disease even for people
who meet the daily physical
activity recommendations of
health professionals and health
organizations.
People who sit
more than six
hours a day
are
and stretch every 20 minutes.
more likely to
develop
cardiovascular
disease.
5 Simple Ways to Activate Your Health
5
Lifting
Lifting objects is one of
the most common ways to
injure yourself. Even if it is
a light object, twisting or
pulling in the wrong
direction when you’re not
stretched out can have a
damaging effect on
muscles and the spine.
•
Make sure you have a firm footing before lifting an object and use a wide stance
•
Picking up an object lower than your waist- keep your back straight and bend your knees
•
As you pick up the object stand completely upright without twisting]
•
Do not jerk the object up to your body but use a steady motion
•
Hold objects close to your body while carrying
•
While lowering the object, reverse the lifting process
Your doctor of chiropractic can assist you with proper posture, including
recommending exercises to strengthen your core postural muscles. He or
she can also assist you with choosing proper postures during your
activities, helping reduce your risk of injury.
5 Simple Ways to Activate Your Health
6
Risk of Premature Death?
Woah, that’s got your attention! But it’s
true. A study from the School of Human
Kinetics, University of British Columbia3
completed just a decade ago, sited that
there have been numerous long-term
prospective follow-up studies since the
1970s (mainly involving men but more
recently women also) that
have assessed the relative risk of death
from any cause and from specific
diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease)
associated with physical inactivity. The
study estimated that lack of activity
doubly increases one’s risk of
premature death by heart disease.
What does that mean? It means your
increasing your risk of death by almost
50% simply by not expending enough
energy each week and getting off the
couch.
The study goes on to say the effect of
the decrease in premature death
appears to be graded, such that even
small improvements in physical fitness
are associated with a significant
reduction in risk. In one
study, participants with the highest
levels of physical fitness at baseline
and who maintained or improved their
physical fitness over a prolonged period
had the lowest risk of premature death.
Overall physical activity is a
major goal in achieving a
comprehensive wellness
outcome.
Get active! It may
save your life!
So as you head out the door, here’s a tip:
If you know that you are going to be working
or playing for a while, make sure that you are
adequately stretched out and warmed up.
Even if it’s something light like gardening or
just pushing your child on a bike, it’s easy to
pull something if you’re not warmed up.
Overall wellness sometimes is as simple as
getting up and getting moving.
3. Darren E.R. Warburton, Crystal Whitney Nicol and Shannon S.D. Bredin. School of Human Kinetics, University of British Columbia
(Warburton, Nicol, Bredin), and the Healthy Heart Program, St. Paul's Hospital (Warburton, Nicol), Vancouver, BC. 2006.
5 Simple Ways to Activate Your Health
7
So what does Integrated Medicine
Center provide to help you on
your way to better fitness and
overall wellness?
Check out a list of our most
common services on our webpage
or feel free to call us anytime for
more information or an
appointment.
Our Philosophy:
The body, once restored to full expression, can perform miracles. We are dedicated to natural
health care which requires an interdisciplinary approach only found in a diversified multicare health center.
Our Dedication:
Our dedicated team creates an environment and attitude of health awareness and
consciousness. We accept most major insurances and offer a complimentary benefits check.
All services are affordable and we offer payment plans.
www.integratedmedicinecenter.com
www.savemyback.net
www.savemyknees.net
423-499-0003
5 Simple Ways to Activate Your Health
8