Self care is so important!
“Prehabilitation”
I believe that we all should practice healthy self care on the road to prevention of illness and injury. Instead of “Rehabilitation” let’s all practice “Prehabilitation”!
Here are some routines that I have worked hard to make part of my life over the last number of years:
I am often asked by friends, family, colleagues and patients, “Why would you jump into a cold plunge or take that cold shower everyday?”. The first answer is that my good friend and coach Ramsey made me do it…… but why do I keep doing it? It’s simple (beyond the huge positive health effects) if I need to purge my brain of negative thoughts or stress I get in the cold water. You can’t think of anything else when you are freezing! 2-3 minutes under cold water and you feel fantastic when you get out. As for the health benefits, there are a lot of publications that I have read through and listened to to fully understand these benefits. Check out https://youtu.be/x3MgDtZovks?si=PeqXCj_FE318P8KU to learn the science about this from Dr. Andrew Huberman and https://youtu.be/7FlmpnsbciQ?si=3fr8B-wXUs4xIPOW to meet Wim Hof! People have been using nature to heal since the dawn of time and I am happy to practice this activity with amazing positive outcomes.
Much like the age-old practice of subjecting oneself to extreme cold, saunas have been an integral part of cultures worldwide for centuries. Whether it’s the Finns, who boast over 3 million saunas (surpassing the number of cars in their country), or indigenous communities relying on sweat lodges, the historical use of saunas is rich and varied. One of the best explanations of the benefits of a sauna’s use is https://youtu.be/RWkv9ad7zvc?si=30RG_40OxSnF_4OR by Dr Rhonda Patrick.
I have loved water from the early years of my life! I swam with a local swim club for 3-4 years practicing and competing in all the swim strokes. I didn’t love the competing, but couldn’t wait for the daily practice sessions in that outdoor pool. I the 90’s I became a certified Hydrotherapist, learning all the advantages of water therapy and to this day, I swim or get in water every chance I get. Recently we purchased and constructed our own therapy pool. Why a therapy pool? Well, it is 7 feet wide and 5 feet deep so you can use the resistance of the water to get deep and rehab or exercise aging muscles, tendons and joints. I was thankful to use this everyday this year rehabilitating a knee injury. I simply put together a 15 minute under water workout and got er’ done! ( first I would cold plunge just to hit that knee inflammation!)
I find maintaining a regular visit to the gym, working outside splitting wood, or creating a rock pile keeps my core strong and these old muscles from wasting with age! Having an exercise schedule keeps me at it. We all have our interruptions and excuses, but get it in 3-5 times per week and you will feel amazing!
