An Cosantóir

25 WALKING INTO A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE Turning - Walk forward 20 meters, stop and turn around and walk back, alternate each side. Twisting - Twisting your body side to side from the waist. Rotating - Truck rotation, arm and hip rotation. Bending - Pivoting at the waist, leaning your body forward and standing upright. Stretching - Start from head to toe, so your stretching is in order. Breathing Exercises After spending time in hospital your body is naturally going to lose its strength and fitness and we need to build it back up. Shortness of breath can occur easily and when this takes place you naturally get worried and this can make matters worse, remaining calm and learning how to control your breathing will help. Taking time to understand how to inhale and exhale properly and learning the different techniques (as shown below) will benefit you and will improve your physical fitness performance. 4-7-8 The 4-7-8 breathing technique, also known as 'relaxing breath', involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds. Let's take a closer look at this pattern: followers have claimed it helps them fall asleep but the most important part is its aim to reduce a build-up of anxiety. The 4-7-8 breathing pattern requires you to focus on taking a long deep breath in and out. This breathing pattern can help reduce anxiety, help with poor sleep habits and reduce anger responses. How to do it Before starting the breathing pattern, adopt a comfortable sitting position and place the tip of the tongue on the tissue right behind the top front teeth. To use the 4-7-8 technique, focus on the following breathing pattern: 1.Empty the lungs of air 2.Breathe in quietly through the nose for 4 seconds 3.Hold the breath for a count of 7 seconds 4.Exhale forcefully through the mouth, pursing the lips and making a "whoosh" sound, for 8 seconds 5.Repeat the cycle up to 4 times Dr Weil recommends using the technique at least twice a day to start seeing the benefits sooner. He also suggests that people avoid doing more than four breath cycles in a row until they have more practice with the technique. Search Dr Weil 4-7-8 pattern on the link below. www.drweil.com Nutrition Nutrition is a key fundamental on your path to recovery. It is important to eat and drink a well-balanced diet; this will boost your immune system and help you to regain your strength. When eating you may notice your breathing is becoming difficult, when you eat you hold your breath when you swallow, this might have an impact on how much you eat. So you need to train your mind when eating, breathing and swallowing. Some easy tips to follow during mealtimes 1. Aim for 3 smaller meals and follow that with 3 snacks every day. 2. Always give yourself time and don't rush your meals, you might find yourself eating more slowly than before. 3. When eating make sure you are sitting in an upright position and that you're comfortable. 4. Get professional advice on nutrition and eat nourishing foods that you enjoy. 5. Make sure you haven't been doing any heavy labour beforehand, sit down and unwind before meals are ready. 6. If you cough or choke, or your breathing becomes difficult when you eat and drink, take a break to recover. Why eating healthy food is important Eating well is a fundamental to good health and well-being. Healthy eating helps us to maintain a healthy weight and reduces our risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and some cancers. www.foodincare.org.uk › eating-well Focusing Exercises Research has proven that people that have been affected with COVID, especially patients who had a breathing tube in hospital, might experience difficulty focusing, remembering stuff and thinking clearly. If you experience these difficulties, these strategies may help: Physical Fitness: easy walks/ runs are a great way to discharge pressure on the brain, even if your body is finding it hard with shortness of breath, feeling weak and fatigue. Just a short 5-10 minutes out in the fresh air will help. If you can get outdoors, the exercises that we worked on are perfect, give them a go. Practice mindfulness throughout the day: This exercise is simple, focusing completely your physical and emotional sensations at that time. Brian exercises: puzzles, crosswords, number games, memory games, reading... the list goes on. Always make sure you challenge your brain - this will keep you motivated. Wellness "Breath is the power behind all things…. I breathe in and know that good things will happen." —Tao Porchon-Lynch The impact surrounding COVID is undoubtedly stressful. After spending weeks upon weeks lying in a hospital bed, praying to make a fast recovery and get home to love ones is a dream changer for a person. But with that come stress, anxiety, worry, fear, depression and sadness. With all this building up inside it's extremely hard to fight it and can lead to worse things. So we need a mechanism to manage stress and feelings of anxiety and depression. Therefore this plays an important part in your overall recovery. Wellness Journal A wellness journal is a journal dedicated to keeping track of your wellbeing. Rather than just writing out events of the day or your response to an emotional experience, wellness journals are designed to track a goal or an intention. Composing your thoughts and emotions onto a wellness journal truly finishes off your day in a positive manner. Having somewhere dedicated to your self-care, gratitude and development can work wonders for a clear and happy mind and knowing you can reflect on your journal at any time. I'd advise you to record your progress from start to finish on your path to recovery. Wellness is particularly significant as we age, since regular exercise and proper nutrition can help prevent a variety of ailments; including cardiovascular disease, obesity, and fall risk behaviours. Furthermore, the requirement for vitamins and minerals increments after age 50, so it's imperative to have a key eating regimen. Whether you are in your early 20s or late 80s, implementing wellness into your daily lifestyle is so important. You need to remain active for yourself and most importantly for your family, so you can enjoy every day with them. Assess your personal wellness goals and get started today, it's never too late!

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