Do you like receiving gifts? Me too! Instead of one, how about giving ourselves three gifts that will provide benefit for years to come? These “self-gifts” would not only be beneficial to oneself but rewarding as well. Going forward, instead of calling them “self-gifts”, from now on we will refer to them as The 3 Investments. Think of it as Investing in Yourself!
After conversing with and observing people in the physical therapy clinic for the past 25 years, I have concluded a few concepts. The majority of people are reactive and not preventative. People don’t perform enough daily self-care. Individuals, especially in today’s society, really don’t take care of themselves because either they choose not to, don’t want to, don’t know how to, or use the excuse that it is too expensive to do so. The modern medical system, I won’t call it HealthCare because they only care or treat individuals who are sick and/or injured, has enabled us to be reactionary. It is time for us to be self-reliant, put our health as a main priority, invest in ourselves – for the now and the future.
So how did I determine what The 3 Investments should be? Actually, that was the easy part. As a physiotherapist, I study and watch how the human body interacts with the environment. I looked at the 3 main postures/positions we assume everyday. And, this lead me to the thought: “Is there a way the body could be positioned for success in all 3 postures/positions?” Through this though I formulated The 3 Investments and began sharing them with my patients. And guess what? When my clients made these changes, positive changes started to occur.
The 3 common daily postures/positions we assume everyday are: Lying Down; Sitting; Standing. The 3 Investments then would be a proper: Mattress; Chair; and Shoes. And the good news – You already buy these. The 3 Investments are corrective by putting your body in its’ optimal postures/positions. A proper mattress would provide the correct support allowing your body to rest & recover from the days stresses. Since the spine is most compressed when sitting, and we are sitting more than previous generations, a proper chair is essential in today’s modern world. Finally, proper shoes that are supportive, are well-fitting, and protect your feet are essential to our most common mode of daily transportation – walking.
The 3 Investments are preventive as well. By placing your body in the correct position/posture, we are preventing body distortion causing incorrect positional loading, leading to dysfunction, and ultimately resulting in pain. The problem with medicine, physical therapy included, is too often we are fixing a problem and not preventing it. Farshad Asl stated: “Believing and investing in yourself is the best way to shift your thinking from a paradigm of excuses to one of solutions.” So rather than waiting for a problem to arise, let’s create solutions to prevent them!
I challenge you to give The 3 Investments a go. Remember – new isn’t better. Proper is Better. If you need help, seek a qualified professional in each realm to coach and guide you in what’s best for you! An investment in yourself is never squandered unless you choose to…so make the choice to have your investment be fruitful. Until we chat again…
Be & Stay Well!
Sasha
Ps: If you desire to learn more, contact us – we are here for you!
