If you own a car, you know the importance of regular maintenance. Without oil changes, tire rotations, timing belt replacements, etc., your car’s lifespan would be greatly reduced.
Some people take better care of their cars than they do their bodies! So why don’t more people pay attention to regular body maintenance? It doesn’t matter if you’re an avid athlete or you live a mostly sedentary lifestyle, body maintenance can improve your health and help you live a longer and, most important, a healthier life.
What Does It Mean to Take Care of Yourself?
Taking care of yourself is the practice of giving your body everything it needs to function properly. You already know that a well-maintained car gets better gas mileage, breaks down less frequently, and lasts longer. Likewise, when maintaining your health you will feel more energized, your immune system gets a boost, and you’ll suffer from less injuries. So why not take the time to maintain your body and give it what it needs to operate efficiently?
Daily Body Maintenance
- Eat clean: Don’t expect your body to perform at its peak unless you give it the right fuel. Eating healthily isn’t a fad. Replace junk food with fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Take a couple of days a week to eat a plant based diet. Taking a closer look at what you eat will give you more benefits. Inflammatory foods, such as sugar and highly processed foods can put you at risk for certain diseases like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease to start.
- Stay hydrated: The National Academy of Medicine suggests an adequate intake of daily fluids is about 9 cups for healthy men and women, with 1 cup equaling 8 ounces. Higher amounts may be needed for those who are physically active or exposed to very warm climates. Lower amounts may be needed for those with smaller body sizes. However, each person’s exact fluid needs vary, even day-to-day.
- Get enough sleep: Aim for 7 to 9 hours of shuteye every night. Remove electronic devices from the bedroom and turn off the TV.
- Stretch: Include stretches in your morning routine, at regular intervals throughout the day, and right before bed.
Professional Body Maintenance
Like taking your car to a mechanic for a thorough tune-up, you should count on a trusted medical provider for routine body maintenance. Here’s what this entails:
- Regular check-ups, aka your yearly Well Woman Visits. Your care provider can spot symptoms and serious illnesses early and take a holistic approach to your health. This means not just treating the symptoms but treating the whole you, body, mind and spirit. Don’t think you’re too old or too young, women of all ages and stages of life, from teens to postmenopausal are encouraged to come in for professional care.
Other Services at The Birth Center Holistic Women’s Health Care Available to Support Body Maintenance
- Chiropractic care: Of course chiropractors treat existing ailments, but they can also help prevent injuries and pain by improving your range of motion, reducing inflammation, maximizing lung function, increasing blood circulation, and boosting your immune system.
- Massage therapy: Massage is an excellent form of body maintenance. Different forms of massage are available to reduce stress, promote relaxation, decrease muscle tension, help you sleep better and much more.
- Acupuncture: When combined with other wellness treatments, acupuncture can improve your health by resolving recurring pain, improving digestion, and preventing respiratory illnesses.
- Physical therapy: If you’re hoping to build strength, relieve pain, and increase your flexibility, physical therapy could be right for you, especially if you have pain from a chronic condition or acute injury. If you are being challenged with pelvic floor issues, discuss with your care provider. We can give you a script and a list of qualified pelvic floor physical therapists.
Take an Active Role in Your Health
At The Birth Center Holistic Women’s Health Care, our ultimate goal is to empower you to take an active role in your own health care and to help you improve your quality of life.
If you have not had your annual well woman visit, make an appointment today. We are taking new patients and accept most insurances. Call 302-658-2229.