Next month is one of the Big Apple’s most exciting yearly events; the NYC Marathon. Last year this amazing event was cancelled last minute due to the unfortunate events in Boston, but this year we are on track to see it happen again in our beautiful city. Nearly 50,000 runners will pound the pavement across 5 boroughs, just to say they were a participant. If you are one of those people, you are already in training and getting body and mind ready for this challenging event so you will be at your best on the big day. However, even the spectators and those not in the race can get into the spirit of good health, but that works best with a gameplan.
Set a few simple daily goals for healthy living, and whether you are running or not these will help keep you on track. Here are some easy examples of what you can do:
Walk smart: Continue walking, but avoid the flip flops!
Living or working in the city, we already get plenty of walking exercise into our daily regime. Of course that’s a good thing, but this time of year we see a lot of patients who complain of foot, knee, ankle, hip, and back pain. A major culprit is wearing flip flops as walking shoes. They offer no arch support and allow every city germ to gleefully attach to your feet. Please, save your flip flops for your beach vacation!
Ladies, high heels are NOT walking shoes; they are for short stints only. We love them too, but they are not healthy for you and cause short and long term issues!
Eat smart: several light, small meals are better than big, heavy ones.
Eat a few small meals a day and you will move better and have more sustained energy throughout the day.
Sleep smart: Most human beings need 8-9 hours a day, and we rarely get it!
All body functions are affected if you don’t get enough sleep, so try a goal of earlier bedtime to increase your daily energy, concentration, and well-being.
Body smart: It’s easier to do your best when your body is pain-free.
Pain distracts you from your top performance, whether that’s working at the office, or running the marathon. Acupuncture helps many people to reduce or remove their pain, and also can restore internal balance and reduce stress. Shameless acupuncture plug? Perhaps, but if you feel good you perform at your best!
