Hello 2019! We hope you had a wonderful festive period and are having a fantastic start to 2019! The start of a new year is a wonderful time to re-evaluate our health and identify areas we can improve and prioritise for the year ahead. We have put together the OGOSH team’s health tips that they live by. Give them a go this year and make 2019 your healthiest and happiest year yet!

Tip #1 : Have a good laugh – Mark

Laughing is not only fun but has many benefits for our bodies, it reduces our stress hormones, helps to boost our immunity, releases endorphins and can help relax tight muscles and reduces anxiety and stress levels.

Tip #2 : Do something every day that makes you happy – Catherine

This could involve doing anything you enjoy – for me, it usually involves going for a run, going to the gym, having coffee with a friend or singing along to some of my favourite music. It is important for us to have some ‘me time’ to avoid fatigue and burnout.

Tip #3 : Set Realistic Health Goals – Mark and Brooke

One of the biggest things that stop us from achieving our large goals in life is that sometimes they seem too far away from where we are at this moment in time. If you have a long term goal of say running a marathon and you are not a runner, then you need to set realistic goals that you can tick off along the way. The first one might be to just walk for 30 minutes 3 times a week, this can then become to run/jog for this period and so on. Making sure you give yourself the best chance of “winning” at you smaller goals sets you on the right path to achieve your larger ones. Writing it down and keeping track of your progress is a great way to keep yourself accountable to achieve your goals.

Tip #4 : When it comes to exercise, DO what you enjoy – Mark

Too many people despise going to the gym but go because “they have too” or partake in other forced activities because “they should”. This is usually a one way ticket toward a loss of motivation and minimal results. Find something you enjoy and adapt it to work for you. If you like to walk, then walk. You can easily make a walk more challenging by doing some basic interval training (fast/slow) or as we live near the beach there are many sets of stairs you can detour up and down whilst you walk along our wonderful coastline to increase your heart rate.

Tip #5 : You are what you eat – Mark

If you are looking to lose some weight this year, the biggest key is to live by the motto You Are What You Eat! If you are exercising 5 times a week but still eating regular fast food, processed foods and lots of sugar the odds are you won’t see the optimal gains you are after. There are a million eating approaches/diets that you can follow, but I feel the best method is to keep it as simple as possible, try to know what you are eating: make a sauce rather than using a bought one (they are surprisingly easy), try to home cook as many meals as possible, include as many different vegetables as you can, the more colourful your plate is generally the better for you it is. And cut down on your portion sizes, often we have conditioned our bodies to eat large quantities of food that we just don’t need. This can be overwhelming at times so seeing a Naturopath or dietitian can help you get an approach that works for you.

Tip #6 : Drink plenty of water – Joel and James R

Staying hydrated helps to maintain good blood circulation, deliver nutrients to muscles, lessen pain and remove toxins. Over the summer months it is easy to forget about water as we have too much fun in the sun. Early signs of dehydration may include a headache, dizziness, tiredness, decreased urine output and nausea. Dehydration can also stop the production of melatonin, an important hormone required for a good night’s sleep. Make sure you drink plenty of water during the day and on those hot days, an electrolyte replacement such as hydrolyte can really help restore the balance of important minerals as we sweat them out through the day!

Tip #7 : Get enough sleep – Catherine

Research shows that most adults need 7-8 hours sleep a night to function optimally. Sleep is our ‘recovery and rebuild’ time – if we do not have adequate sleep this can negatively affect our hormone levels (such as human growth hormone) which has numerous functions including muscle growth and repair. Lack of sleep can also leave you more likely to experience depression and anxiety. So make sure you get more sleep for a happier and healthier you!

Tip #8 : Practice meditation – Britt

Meditation has so many health and well being benefits! Research has shown that meditation can help us gain a fresh perspective, manage stress and anxiety, improve our sleep and memory and lengthen our attention span! Meditation can also benefit our physical health and can aid in lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation, relieving asthma and many more! Give meditation a go this year and enjoy the benefits! Meditation is quick, easy and anyone can do it, why not give it a go?! There are plenty of apps and YouTube videos to help get you started, check them out today!

Tip #9 : Work on your balance – Mark

It is a very easy way to reduce your risk of injury and help with improving your overall health. A lot of injuries we see (especially lower limb injuries) either are a result of poor stability/balance or result in it. Balance is not just about being “steady on your feet”, for your body to balance on one foot it must fire a wide range of muscles through your legs, core and upper body to co-ordinate the process. A simple balance exercise you can start with is to stand on one foot whilst brushing your teeth, aim for 30 seconds on each foot, to increase the challenge do it with your eyes shut. For an added cognitive benefit brush your teeth with your opposite hand.

Tip #10 : Learn what works for your body – Brooke

When it comes to exercise, nutrition and self-care practices, everyone is different. Get to know how YOUR body works and focus on the things that work for you and make you happy.

Tip #11 : Pay attention to your posture – James R

Posture is so important! Poor posture may cause a range of problems including, back pain, spinal problems, poor circulation and joint degeneration. Being away from work at this time of year is a nice time to see how sitting at a desk or computer screen can impact your health and contribute to your pain. Don’t fall into bad habits on returning to work! Consider a sit to stand desk? You may wish to speak to your Osteopath about posture advice and some exercises to help prevent falling back into bad habits… and pain!

Tip #12 : Head outside and enjoy the sunshine – Britt

Spending time outdoors in nature has been shown to have positive effects on mental and physical health! Have you ever noticed how good you feel after a day exploring a national park or enjoying the sunshine at the beach? Getting some sun is a great way to up your vitamin D intake. Vitamin D is important for our bone health, immune system and help us successfully fight illness and disease. Sunlight can also help lower cholesterol and blood pressure! Research has also shown that sunlight boosts serotonin levels in the brain, helping to relieve stress and improve our mood. So head outside today and enjoy some sunshine!

Tip #13 : Aim to live a balanced life – Judi

A combination of looking after your Mind, Body and Soul. Do anything you like to obtain this balance and find what suits your style.

Tip #14 : Come try Pilates – Brooke

Come along and give Pilates a go on Monday or Wednesday nights at 7.30pm! Pilates is amazing for strengthening the body, targeting the core and can help reduce back pain and weaknesses.

Tip #15 : Reflect on your day – James L

Reflecting on your day is a great way to help you start to identify what makes you happy as well as areas of your life which could be improved! Each evening, spend five minutes reflecting on the events of the day. Write down or take note of what made you feel happy and content throughout the day. Also write down a way you could improve on something that happened during the day. Reflection is a fantastic tool to assist with self-awareness, perspective and helps us learn from our mistakes.

Tip #16 : Write a list – James L

Having a busy mind with several things on the go is unavoidable in the modern day. A simple tasks such as writing a list at the start or end of each day helps us to plan and switch off at the end of the day. Give it a go today and notice the difference!

Tip #17 : Keep moving – Joel

It is important to keep the body moving even when you are sore to maintain healthy, hydrated muscles and joints (unless advised otherwise by a healthcare professional). This doesn’t mean strenuous weight training or gym workouts; it can simply be going for a walk or performing a nice stretch. Rest is important, but being too passive may cause further pain and stiffness.

Tip #18 : Kindness – Judi

“Always be kinder than you need to be” – Samantha Wills. Be kind to others and be kind to yourself!

Tip #19 : Book an appointment at OGOSH

Listen to your body and make an appointment with our team if you’re in need of a tune up! We are so excited to help you achieve your health goals in 2019!

Book online at www.ogosh.com.au or call 5255 5040 (OG) 4202 0446 (L) to talk to our friendly team today.