Health Center

Stay on the road to health by maintaining adherence to some basic principles

HELP YOURSELF

It is easy to let your doctor "fix" you up at each visit, but it will only be long term if you contribute to your health! Stretching is an easy place to start. Chronic stiffness and tension is usually caused by muscles not beingused to their full potential. Ask you doctor for some stretches to do on a daily basis. Most of them are simple and easy to do at work or at home. Increasing muscle length through stretches provides you with more motion and reduced pain. Be committed to your health! If you could improve yourself with 5 minutes a day, why wouldn't you?

TAKE BACK YOUR WORKSTATION

Just because you have to work, does not mean you have to overwork your body. Sitting down can be just as hard on your body because of the pressure on your spine and repetitive movements. Ask your doctor for ergonomics for your desk! Placing your chair at the proper height and distance from your screen can reduce neck pain, headaches, back pain and wrist pain. It changes the curves of your spine so your weight is distributed more equally. Don't forget to take breaks! You should be moving around at least every hour, even if it is only for 5 minutes. A great excuse is to get yourself a drink of water. Then you are increasing your water intake and getting out of the chair for a while.

MAKE REALISTIC GOALS

We all have goals for healthy eating, but sometimes life makes it hard. The most important part of making a goal a reality is to focus on achievable goals. For instance, you could start by cutting out one trip to the coffee shop a week. The sugar in iced coffee drinks are shown to increase appetite and cause cravings. You would knock out the empty calories in the beverage and be less inclined to eat more during a meal. If that's not enough motivation, eliminating one grande cappuccino a week will save you about $250 a year! Some people have become dependent on caffiene and experience withdrawl. If this is a problem for you, try switching to tea first, then water to reduce the side effects. Tea may still have the caffiene, but it does not have the sugar. Remember to start where you know you can succeed and expand from there.