Wellness Essentials

A support for your low back is essential to have in the chairs in which you will spend most of your time.

Most furniture companies do not manufacture chairs that are actually healthy for you. Often they are hard rather than offering a cushioned seat, and the position of your spine is often very poor and sometimes even damaging. Think of having a lumbar support for your office chair, your car seat and your favorite reading chair at home. Another great idea is to have one that you can take with you when you travel on airlines. One day I hope to see airlines provide lumbar supports for people the way they do blankets and pillows. Why not ask the flight attendants next time you are on a flight? Tell them your chiropractor said it would make the flight much more enjoyable and less damaging to your health. If enough of us ask for it, perhaps one day they will get the hint. I recently discovered a terrific product called the Travel Back. It is a lumbar support that can fold flat and be carried in a briefcase or purse to be brought onto an airplane. It was brilliantly designed by my good friend Dr. Scott Donkin an author, chiropractor and ergonomic expert. It not only makes travel more comfortable, but much healthier as well. Dr. Donkin is an expert at ergonomic products. He consults for major corporations who pay him to make sure that their products are spine friendly and ergonomically correct. Another product Dr. Donkin supports is the Back Max. It’s a product that supports you sitting in various positions on the floor so you can read, do homework, relax, meditate and more. There are many different ways to set it up so that you can change your positions often and still feel comfortable and supported on the floor. Another tool to help keep healthy alignment includes a special shaped support pillow that rests between your legs while you’re lying on your side. Core Products manufactures the Leg Spacer designed to align your lower extremities in order to relieve pressure on your low back, hips and knees. It is very comfortable to sleep with and once again helps not only reduce pressure on your low back, it helps you get a better night sleep. Another product I like very much is the Back Vitalizer. It is a rectangular air filled low back pillow that you can use either behind your low back or you can sit on it. The product helps enhance the hydration of spinal discs, improves muscle blood circulation and helps to reduce pain while your sitting. It also simulates the effect of sitting on an exercise ball in that it activates your core muscles in order to stabilize your pelvis on the air pocket. Because of its simple design you can use it at work, at home, take it to sporting events, use it in your car and bring it on an airplane. The Back Vitalizer is extremely helpful for people who sit a lot and it feels remarkably comfortable.

The basics of a healthy ergonomic workstation include a bio-mechanically correct chair to sit in. It is best if it isadjustable to support your unique height and curves. Human Scale offers a variety of seating options designed to keep you healthy and well while you are working. Choose from a variety of models including the Freedom or Liberty. Not only are they healthy because they support your spine and are adjustable to offer a perfect fit for your body to work in, they are also beautiful award winning designs. You will notice them on the sets of many of today’s most popular television shows. These products are an investment in your health if you sit at your desk often.

A great new cost effective desk chair is an exercise ball that sits on a stand. These are terrific and very affordable. These chairs actually help you strengthen your core muscles while sitting on them. It’s like a workout while you’re working.

If you talk on the phone regularly and for long periods of time, a headset is a great tool to prevent headaches, stiff necks and sore shoulders. If you really want a new and healthy experience, invest in a cordless headset. Being able to stand up, walk around and use your hands while talking on the phone is not only healthier, it helps you be even more productive. One of the most popular brands is Plantronics and we personally enjoy using them.

Your feet are the base that your body stands on.

If your feet are weak or have structural problems, this can lead to problems in your knees, hips and low back, and can even cause headaches. Many people wear orthotics because they are good for their feet, but orthotics are even more important for those who experience pain after extended walking or standing. The most popular brand of orthotics is Foot Levelers. Foot Levelers, Inc. has been in business for over 50 years. When ordering orthotics, a cast or mold will be made of each of your soles. Some doctors have started to use high tech digital scanners. At least 16 different measurements of your feet are taken to ensure that your feet, and therefore your foundation, are more firmly supported. Please note that the orthotics and insoles that you buy at your drug store are not the same as the high quality orthotics that you can have custom made, even though they look similar. Insoles may effectively reduce pressure by increasing the padding under your feet, but orthotics are customized and provide a foot-bed that is molded specifically for each of your feet based on their unique shape and size. Customized orthotics are also a worthy investment. Ask us whether we think you need orthotics or not.

Protect your feet with shoes that fit well, and consider that your feet will grow before you buy a new pair.

Most people spend close to two-thirds of their life in shoes, so wearing shoes that fit well is very important. Our feet endure tremendous pressures daily. For example, an average day of walking brings a force equal to several hundred tons on your feet. Feet are subject to more injury than any other part of the body, underscoring the need to protect them with proper shoes. Here is a quick guide to selecting the right shoes for your feet.

• Always have your feet measured while standing

• Always try on both shoes, and walk around the store in them

• Always buy for the larger foot; feet are seldom precisely the same size

• Don’t buy shoes that need a ‘break-in’ period; shoes should be comfortable immediately

• Don’t rely on the size of your last pair of shoes as your feet may grow

• Shop for shoes later in the day, as feet tend to swell during the day

• Select a shoe with a leather upper, stiff heel counter, good cushioning, and flexibility at the ball of the foot

• Try on shoes while you’re wearing the same type of socks or stockings you expect to wear with the shoes

• If you wear prescription orthotics, you should take them along to shoe fittings

A great way to both work on strengthening the core muscles that wrap around your waist and support your spine and improve your balance and coordination is with a new workout tool called a BOSU which stands for “both sides up.” On one side it is a half of a balance ball on the other side it is a flat surface.

This is a great tool that allows you to complete a variety of different workouts. Inflatable discs or foam pads are another type of workout tool to exercise your nervous system and improve your balance and coordination. This is a great way to reduce your risk of injury as you age. Many age-related injuries are due to falls because of poor balance and coordination.

The Core Trainer is an innovative, effective piece of exercise equipment from Panasonic that allows you to site down and perform low impact exercises that help lead to high impact results. This is made possible by innovative Counter-Balance exercise technology, which constantly moves you off your center of balance, forcing you to use your thighs, back, stomach and other core muscles to re-gain your balance. This reaction efficiently and effectively maximizes the building of core body strength while minimizing body and joint stress, as well as impact and aerobic demand.

These days an exercise ball is a great tool to have and use at home. You can do a thorough workout on it, you can stretch on it and you can use it as a desk chair. Make sure to get the correct size. There are great videos that you can use to learn basic exercise routines.

A foam roll is exactly what it sounds like a long roll made of foam which can be used to help with balance and coordination exercise, to help you stretch your muscles and to “roll out” the stress and tension in your muscles in order to release the lactic acid that builds up in muscles and causes pain.

The Power Plate’s Advanced Vibration Technology is the most innovative health and fitness tool in the industry today. Backed by over 40 years of scientific research, vibration training enables you to achieve a higher level of fitness faster than traditional methods. The Power Plate produces a vibration that is transferred to the body. This mechanical stimulus produces a stretch reflex eliciting involuntary muscle contractions. The Power Plate has been used extensively by top athletes and is now widely accepted all over the world by medical, rehabilitation and health & fitness professionals.

One component of nutrition that deserves significant attention is essential fatty acids (EFAs). EFAs cannot be produced by the body and therefore must come from the food we eat. They are the main structural components of our cell membranes, and keep our cell walls healthy by allowing nutrients to flow in and toxins to flow out. The three main essential fatty acids are Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9. Most people consume enough Omega 6 and 9 fatty acids in the form of vegetable oils. However, we are often deficit in Omega fatty acids that come from foods such as flax seed, fish and borage oil. Omega 3 fatty acids are known to help with cardiovascular, joint and skin health, and to improve mood. Supplementing daily with an EFA capsule or liquid oil is essential to properly nourish your body.

Unless you live on an organic farm, most experts agree that we should take a daily supplement in order to ensure that our bodies are receiving the nutrients necessary to promote our optimum health. Multi-vitamin supplements help your body stay nourished to keep healthy and strong. One of my favorite products is the NutriWell Pack formulated by Biotics Research. Besides being a high quality blend of basic wellness nutrients formulated by scientists they are conveniently packaged in individual daypacks eliminating the need for multiple bottles and pill counting. Also they are easy to take with you on the go or on a trip.

Dietary essentials for wellness include getting the five to ten servings of vegetables and fruits per day that will provide you with antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals necessary for optimum functioning at the cellular level. To help you achieve this goal, we suggest a whole food phytonutrient blend, often called “green powder.” Of course, please remember its best for you to eat real fruits and vegetables.