In these current times of uncertainty we can find ourselves becoming worried or anxious about the unknown. This is a totally normal response, however staying positive is vitally important on a number of levels. It can prevent chronic stress which can lead to spikes in cortisol levels which can make you more susceptible to illness. Also, keeping a positive frame of mind can help influence others in a positive way, which in turn keeps people motivated, allowing us to work
together as a community to help keep each other happy and healthy.
Here are some of Thorpes’ top tips for keeping yourself safe and healthy over this period:
1) Good hygiene practice – Wash your hands thoroughly for a minimum of 20 seconds at a time using hot water and soap or high strength anti-bacterial and alcohol gel.
2) Regular communication with friends, family and colleagues
If you are self-isolating or socially distancing yourself at this time it is important that you do not cut yourself off completely from those who care about you. Using virtual communication including telephone, texts, email or voice calls e.g. skype, whatsapp, facetime can be vitally important in boosting your mood and keeping your spirits up. Please consider those who are more vulnerable in society, for example a phone call to a neighbour who is elderly and may live alone can really
help to make their day or offering to obtain groceries or medicine for those who are at too high a risk to leave their home.
3) Eating a balanced diet – Try to eat a well-balanced diet consisting of natural foods. Avoid processed foods or excessive alcohol and maintain good hydration drinking plain water regularly throughout the day.
4) Sleep – Ensuring that your body is sufficiently replenished can have a myriad of benefits. It can help our minds to stay focused throughout the day, it allows the body to self-regulate and can prevent an array of health conditions. Regular and sufficient quality sleep also plays a vital role in keeping our immune system functioning optimally.
5) Exercise – It is extremely important to keep exercising regularly – even more so if you are self-isolating, as exercise can help with your mental state and keep your body functioning more effectively. Many of us will have had our regular sporting events and gym classes cancelled, however this does not mean that we need to stop exercising all together. On the contrary, there
are some fantastic free home workout sources available on websites such as youtube. As of next week, we will be running live virtual Pilates led by our Pilates instructor Marianne. We also aim to set-up and re-establish our ‘Better Back’ class, Arthritic Knee class and dynamic leg class in virtual live formats so that patients can continue these in the comfort of their own home.
6) Avoid excessive use of social media – Social media can be an excellent tool for communicating with family and friends. However excessive usage for other means may negatively impact our mental well-being. Many ‘fake news’ stories and inaccurate sources of information have been circulating about Covid 19 which not only leads to increased risk to people’s health, but can also promote hysteria or unnecessary panic among the population. Try and stick to reading factual information from scientific experts including resources from the NHS, World Health Organisation (WHO) or the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) for regular updates from the scientific community.
If you are unable to see a physiotherapist face-to-face at this this time, Thorpes are offering both telephone and face-to-face virtual consultation using the ‘Zoom’ software app (which is easy to set up and use). For many clinical conditions we can effectively assess you using this video software and provide you with professional advice and exercises to be performing at home. If you are suffering with pain or restricted mobility and wish to either speak to or see a physiotherapist via a video consultation, please contact our reception team on 01276 37670 or use the button below to book an online consultation.
Stay healthy and look out for one another!
Thanks for reading,
Ashley Fowler – Senior Physiotherapist
Thorpes Physiotherapy