Motion Forword - Words of a Therapist - No16
Welcome to Motion Forword - Words of a Therapist! Number 16!
Motion Forword is about discussing the combined benefits of movement with a positive mental attitude. Using my personal/professional experiences, evidence-based research and some of your own experiences.
Bringing some hope, positivity, happiness and maybe usefulness to those, perhaps like yourself, that needs a pick me up.
Something about me - Dance Dance Dance
Over the last month or so I think I have done the most dancing I have ever done in my life!
Here’s a breakdown:
Usual Salsa lessons on a Wednesday
Started Bachata and Salsa classes on Thursdays
Jive lessons on a Monday
2 Caliente’s with Kizomba lessons and Salsa all night
2 fusion nights
A charity event in West Quay for an hour
Jumping around like a lunatic at a Pendulum DJ gig
AND finally a good friend’s wedding which of course only means more dancing!
West Quay with my Salsa buddies. Can you spot me?!
So I’ve been hitting the dance floor at least 3 nights a week, sometimes 4 and last week I had danced 6 nights of the 7! Kind of shows you how much I enjoy this stuff!
I guess like learning a language, once you’ve learnt one, picking up the next dance is that little bit easier and perhaps more fun?!
I have really enjoyed dancing. It combines a physical activity whilst also using my brain which I find more engaging. And when exercise is fun, it doesn’t feel like exercise!
This is what I encourage in all my patients, to find that thing they love that keeps them active, happy and socially connected.
Something for you - The Antidote Is Often the Poison: A Paradox of Life
In our quest for balance and well-being, we often find ourselves confronted by a perplexing truth: the antidote is frequently the poison. However the difference that makes the poison an antidote is often the dosage…
Here are a few examples:
Vaccines - Take a piece of a pathogen that is dead or deactivated. Put it in your body and you get a stronger, more prepared immune response to the real pathogen if exposed to it in the future.
Botox Injections - You know that stuff you inject into your face? It is Botulinum toxin from a bacteria that causes botulism (a rare but deadly form of food poisoning). But it has therapeutic value in small doses in patients with migraines, spasmodic torticollis/dystonia or cosmetic applications.
Phobias - To overcome a phobia, e.g. open water, we often have to dip our toe in to desensitise ourselves to them. Gradually exposing ourselves to more and more, this slowly conditions us to be less scared and more tolerable of the phobia.
Emotional Trauma - People go through difficult and dark times. But often, when we come out the other side, people describe like they have grown, developed and become wiser.
Fatty Foods - Fat was once labeled as a bad macronutrient and a cause of chronic disease. But we need fat in our diet for energy, synthesising hormones, making cell and nerve membranes and and for absorbing fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K. It is not a poison per se, but the idea is that at the right amount (dosage) fat is an essential part of a healthy diet.
Chemotherapy - A precise concoction of drugs to combat cancers. These have revolutionised cancer care and recovery rates. They are themselves a poison but can ultimately cure someone's cancer.
Exercise! - Here is where it is relevant in my realm of expertise! ‘’Too much, too soon after too little for too long’’ is a phrase I find myself saying when people have tried nobally to regain their fitness and health and hurt themselves in the process. Exercise is good for us, but can cause problems if the dosage is too high for what our body can cope with at that time.
This is especially true after/during an injury.
Building up the exercise in a controlled/sensible manner allows you to return to your sport/activity/normal life as your body is able to adapt to these gradual increases in demand.
The antidote-poison paradox serves as a reminder that growth and healing are rarely straightforward. By acknowledging the duality inherent in our choices, we can approach challenges with greater wisdom and resilience. Life's complexities may be daunting, but they also offer rich opportunities for learning and transformation. Embrace the journey, and remember: sometimes, the very thing that challenges us is the key to our greatest growth.
A Story - Why you shouldn’t change your mattress
We’ve all heard that you should change your mattress every 8 years or so.
Is this a marketing ploy or is there something in it?
I’m always dubious about such things but let’s talk about why not to change your mattress.
Here is a classic story…
‘I have been having neck/back pain for a few weeks. Nothing happened but I woke up with it. I think it must have something to do with my mattress because I am really uncomfortable in the mornings and I struggle to sleep’
Have you ever thought something along these lines?
You may then jump to the conclusion that a brand new mattress will cure your pain. You may be right. But you may also be paying out for something you don’t need.
How to know?
We have to know what the cause is. If the mattress caused the pain, then yes, replacing the crummy, sad mattress may be helpful (plus, you know, treat yourself!) but if it is not the cause... You’re a few £££ lighter and still have pain.
A bad night's sleep may have pushed you over the edge into some serious pain but that doesn’t mean it was the main culprit. It was the straw that broke the camels back.
This is because, I believe, that often the mattress isn’t the cause. It is something that I call a ‘maintaining factor’. It may be adding to or ‘maintaining’ the problem rather than causing it. So replacing the mattress is akin to getting yourself new running shoes when you already have a blister.
Consider other factors that may have built up prior to the bad night’s sleep. For example… A stressful week at work, a difficult time with children or family, a lot of repetitive work or deadline pressures meaning you’re working more/harder with less sleep, a new exercise regime, a different instructor at your weekly pilates class, etc etc etc.
These factors are usually easy to figure out and straightforward to address.
So before you dive into Dreams or bag a bed at Bensons, consider simpler and more cost effective alternatives.
Thanks for reading.
Until next month…
Motion Forword ⏩⏩
Nathan