Do you have back pain or a knee injury that limits your movement?
How about an autoimmune disorder that affects multiple joints at once?
Pain and lack of mobility involved with injury or illness can be overwhelming, intimidating, and frustrating. Our natural tendency is to go to bed and wait for our body to heal. Unfortunately, less physical activity just leads to more disability, more pain, and weight gain that just adds to our list of problems.
Healing is not a passive process. With the right combination of nutrition, movements, and mindset we can accelerate our bodies ability to heal.
A complete mind and body approach, as our brain has a large influence on our ability to recover.
Your thoughts, emotions, and feelings all contribute to your experience of being “well” or being “sick”
Scientific studies show you can make a big impact on your healing process by following a few simple guidelines.
1. Drink Water
And plenty of it! Our bodies are made up of 70% water. It is the basic component of healthy tissue.
It’s difficult for your body to heal without it.
2. Eat Nutritiously
When your body is trying to heal, it is all the more important to eat nutritiously. Our bodies require the right building blocks for healthy tissue to form and food is your foundation.
Eliminate toxic food and empty calories. Replace the junk with good whole foods, and magical healing occurs.
3. Get Plenty of Rest
Many of our bodies healing processes take place when we sleep. This is the time when growth hormone is produced at it’s highest, and it is critical to the formation of new tissues.
Deep breathing or yoga poses can calm the body, relax muscles, and rest the nervous system for a restorative night of sleep.
4. Maintain a healthy activity level
Unless you have been told otherwise by a trusted healthcare provider, stay active. Our bodies were made for movement, not to remain static.
This is when all your body’s system function at their best. You may believe that any type of movement is unattainable because of your injury or illness, but it’s exactly what you need for a restart.
5. Stretch
Slowly moving and stretching our tissues guide your body as it heals. This allows new tissues to be laid down properly. It keeps your body moving in the way it was designed avoiding scar tissue being laid down in stiff or shortened positions.
6. Maintain a positive attitude
If you feel like you can accomplish something, then you probably can. A good, positive attitude is shown to significantly effect outcomes of recovery from illness and injury.
7. Share love and laughter
People who share quality time and laughter with those they love on a regular basis are not only happier, but healthier as well. A positive support system encourages us when we have a bad day and celebrates even our smallest successes.
Most of all believe you can!
Your mind can have a powerful effect on your healing, for better or for worse. Most people don’t realize that their negative thoughts and self talk may be keeping them in a cycle of illness and pain that is preventing a full recovery.
Your body is resilient and has a remarkable ability to heal. However, it needs your help!
Head over to Facebook and let us know which of these areas you think is hardest to conquer in the process of healing.
