There are many factors that contribute to how our bodies feel day-to-day, including our physical activity levels, nutrition, stress levels, the quality of our sleep, and our water intake. Unfortunately, pain is also part of our lived experience, and it can sometimes be tricky to determine the root cause because it can be impacted by all these other factors.
We often hear people talking about a “healthy lifestyle” and that by living a healthy lifestyle we can reduce the number of things that contribute to our experience of pain, or at least make it easier to understand what may be impacting us specifically. Let’s take a closer look at some of the variables.
Movement.
Many of us have a difficult time incorporating focused movement and exercise into our daily routine, but it is SO important. It is recommended that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week, which means you should feel your heart rate increase and be close to breathless! Examine what you are currently doing and see if there is space to add more movement into your day. If you can’t find time to exercise, make sure you change your position frequently throughout the day because staying in a prolonged posture can increase aches and pains.
Nutrition.
There is so much information circulating the internet on which diet is best, but we want you to reframe that thought. Instead of trying to follow a specific diet think about reducing the amount of processed food on your plate and increasing the amount of nutrient dense foods like fruit and vegetables. Processed foods have the potential to cause inflammation in our bodies and contribute to our pain experience, which is why shifting our diet can be so impactful.
Managing Stress.
Studies have shown that stress leads to increased pain perception. Meaning the aches and pains are going to feel worse when our stress levels increase. For this reason, it is important to have go to strategies to help reduce stress and manage pain. Increasing mindfulness practices can be a great way to manage stress if you do not know where to start.
Sleep.
There is no better tool for recovery than sleep. Our quality of sleep matters, and studies have shown that sleep is an essential piece of pain management. Sleep helps to repair our bodies, regulate hormones, and improve our overall mood. Without enough sleep, there are issues both long and short term – from poor concentration and irritability to increased pain levels. If you do not get enough sleep, or the quality of sleep is poor, then your pain will feel more intense. If you are struggling with this it is essential to improve your sleep experience.
Water.
Most of us do not drink enough water, period. If the body’s water volume drops as little as 2%, it can cause fatigue. A drop of 10% can cause digestive problems, cardiovascular problems, immune and musculoskeletal problems. If you are having pain, or you are trying to improve your healthy lifestyle, it is important to evaluate how much water you are drinking.
In Summary
- Move and stay active, incorporate exercise into your daily routine
- Practice healthy eating by sticking to a nutrient dense diet rather than processed foods
- Manage stress by staying mindful of your mental well-being
- Get at least seven to nine hours of sleep every night
- Drink enough fluids to stay hydrated – at least half your body weight in ounces (and more if you drink diuretic drinks like coffee and juice)
Keys to Success
- Identify areas where you need to change
- Set realistic goals for your pain relief
- Create a plan to change unhealthy habits
- Make small changes at first
- Develop a routine that works for you so that you can stick with it
- Work with a Dario Coach to stay on track!
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Resources
Modulation of pain sensation by stress-related testosterone and cortisol – PubMed (nih.gov)