LIFESTYLE TWEAKS
There are so many different aspects to balance and posture, and the two are closely linked. With many of us still working from home, it’s crucial that people maintain a literal balance between their work and home life.
You can do this by creating a space that is just reserved for work, and sticking to a set of hours, so that your job doesn’t filter into your personal life.
I always say to my clients who are working from home that they should avoid working in their bedroom because it’s a designated area for sleeping and intimacy, not work. We need a space where our brain can separate work and relaxation.
Over lockdown, many of us will have been hunched over laptops and phones. A lot of my clients have recently had problems with their necks and shoulders for seemingly no reason. But when we look at their postural alignment, we realise it’s always related to poor posture. When Luke and I sit at our desks, we use Swiss balls, which are a great way of maintaining good posture; if you don’t sit correctly, you fall off. A standing desk is also a brilliant option if you’ve got a high enough table for it. When you’re working, I would recommend getting up for a walk every half an hour or so, and checking your posture. Your head should be in a neutral position, your shoulders hugged back and your core muscles tucked in.
Balance exercises are great for improving your posture, and we do a lot with our mature clients. A little exercise you can practise yourself is standing on one leg and balancing, while breathing deeply and holding in your core. Try to do it for a little bit longer each time. You can also try building up to balancing on a Bosu ball, when you feel confident enough.
These simple exercises can help to improve your memory too. They push oxygen and blood to the area of the brain that controls memory, focus and balance.
We have a couple of clients with early signs of dementia and Alzheimer’s, who have found that doing balance work has helped to improve their memory. Last week, I mentioned a 92-year-old man who has now sadly passed away; he was able to stand on the Bosu ball using no hands, and his mind was very sharp. And for younger people, it’s important to remember that these exercises can be preventive too. We try to put balance into all of the workouts that we do.
It’s also important to maintain a balance with food. Our program is 80:20, which means 80 per cent of the time you’re eating healthily and keeping hydrated, and 20 per cent of the time you can indulge in a glass of wine, or beer. It’s impossible to be on a diet 24/7.