Use-it-or-lose-it, Avoid Falls by Working on Balance, and Searching for Purpose
Hi Folks! Connor and Nick here from Healthy Living With Nick and Connor. Thanks again for being on our email list, it means a lot, and we are excited to share our weekly email with you. We hope you enjoy it! Here is what we hope you take away from this one:
What is a skill you have lost that you would love to get back? Start building it back up again.
Falls are a leading cause of injury, but they don’t have to be. Start working on your balance to avoid being a part of that statistic.
Doing things you enjoy and bring you meaning will carry you through the tough times.
Starter Mindset Tip: Use-it-or-lose-it
What did your mind go to when you read the title of this starter mindset tip? Whatever it was, you have probably found something that you should work on in your life. Life is busy, there are a lot of things that we used to do and be good at that we simply cannot do anymore, or at least cannot do nearly as well. That is just what happens as we age… Or is it. Change your mindset on this. Sure there are some things that we cannot do as we get older, or things that we should not try to do anymore, but there are a lot of things that we should be able to do if we just keep practicing. If you stop doing reps on something, you cannot expect to still be able to do it as well as you used to. But if you can keep repping out the things you enjoy, you will stop these activities from falling victim to the use-it-or-lose-it saying. Here are some examples, in no particular order, of things that often fall victim to use-it-or-lose-it that we want you to think about and improve upon if you think you have to: nasal breathing, jumping, sprinting, thinking, learning something new, a sport you used to enjoy, reading, stretching, questions about your life, squatting, etc. The list can go on and on, and it will be different for everyone. Our homework for you is to think about things that you used to be able to do, and get out there and start doing them again. Happy thinking everyone.
Health Recipe: Avoid Falls, Focus on Balance
Timing: No extra time needed
Level of Difficulty: Easy to fit in, hard to balance if you are out of practice
Serving Size: Small bits throughout your day
Spiciness: Can be spicy if you haven’t worked on it in a while!
INGREDIENTS
Yourself and some balance training
REASONING AND BENEFITS
What is one thing everybody hears when they get older? They hear about the dangers of falling and hurting themselves. What if there was a way to stop these falls from happening in the first place? We are here to tell you there is. If you are younger than 60, do not stop reading, balance is important for you too, so everybody can come along for the journey. Every year older adults in the U.S have around 36 million falls. This is the leading cause of injury and injury related death in older adults. Falls were also the third leading cause of injuries for people 18 to 35. (Starrett, p. 208) Like many things, balance is a use-it-or-lose-it proposition, so a lot of these falls, and falls around the globe, could have been avoided if these people worked on improving their balance. Studies have shown that people who do balance and functional exercises are 24% less likely to fall, and people who exercise for 3 hours per week on top of that reduce their chances by 42%. Also, when they do fall, they have a smaller chance of getting injured. (Starrett, p. 219) The great thing about improving balance is that you don’t have to carve out even more valuable time in your day to focus on it, you can practice and improve your balance while you are just carrying on with your normal day. Washing dishes? Stand on one foot. Putting on your shoes? Stand up and do it. Waiting for your water to boil? Rock a little tree pose. Walking to work? Walk on something skinny. The possibilities are endless. Try to do this barefoot or without shoes as often as you can to increase the messages from your feet to your brain. Break up your normal routine and start working on your balance throughout your day to protect yourself from injuries down the line.
INSTRUCTIONS
Ask yourself if you fit any balance practice into your life, and be honest. Remember to do balance work without shoes on as often as you can.
If you do fit some balance practice in, ask yourself if you are happy with your level of balance, or if you have room for improvement. If you do, rock out some more balance.
If you do not practice any balance, then heck ya, let’s get after it. Start incorporating balance practice throughout your day. Some examples for you: stand on one leg, put your shoes and socks on standing up, do tree pose, stand on one leg with your eyes closed, do pistol squats, walk on something skinny, play sports, jump.
Pair this balance work with building your strength to really protect yourself from injuries from falls. Do some squats, lunges, wall sits, anything at all to start protecting your joints and improving your balance.
PRO TIP: Jumping is a great way to optimize your balance game, so how about you incorporate some jump rope at the start of your workouts. Jump with both feet, and one foot at a time to elevate your balance skills.
* Try standing on one leg with your eyes closed and see how long you can last. Be honest with yourself, if you think you can make improvements here, work it into your everyday routine!
** There is a large area in your brain dedicated to receiving information from your feet, so take off your shoes, practice balancing barefoot, and walk around to keep those signals firing.
*** Jumping isn’t just good for balance, it can also improve bone density! In premenopausal women, 16 weeks of high impact jump training—jumping 10-20 times, twice daily, with 30 seconds of rest between each jump—improves hip bone density. (Starrett, p. 221)
Dessert Quote:
“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” - Viktor Frankl, “Man’s Search For Meaning,” p. IX
Now we want to hear from YOU! Please let us know what you think of today’s newsletter, and send us an example of how you applied the health recipe to your life! We would love to share how you introduced this week’s recipe into your life’s unique menu. Thanks and have a great Sunday!
Sources:
Learn more about the importance of balance and exercise in general:
Starrett, K., & Starrett, J. (2023). Built to move: The Ten Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live Fully. National Geographic Books.
Learn more about leading a purposeful life:
Frankl, V. E. (2014). Man’s Search for Meaning, Gift Edition. Beacon Press.
