Lifestyle Factors and Healing
Written by Marin Campbell, PT, DPT, RYT-200, and originally posted on thriveptandmyofascialrelease.com.
Learn How Sleep, Nutrition, and Stress Can Impact Your Healing
How Does Sleep Impact My Healing?
When you sleep, your body repairs and restores itself. Studies have shown that poor or interrupted sleep slows down healing and has a negative effect on body systems.
How can I improve my sleep quality?
Slow down: create a routine for winding down at the end of your day. This might include sipping herbal tea, doing a calming meditation or breathing exercise, stretching gently, or curling up in bed with a book.
Turn off: power down your electronic devices at least an hour before bed. The blue light from your screens can suppress the melatonin secretion that signals to your body that it’s time to sleep.
Create routine: starting your bedtime ritual and going to bed around the same time every night can strengthen your circadian rhythm and improve sleep quality.
Move your body: regular movement can help you sleep better and longer—as little as 10 minutes can make a difference!
How Does Nutrition Impact My Healing?
When your body is recovering from an injury, surgery, or illness, your nutritional needs increase—you require more energy and nutrients to heal your tissue. Certain compounds like vitamins A, C, and D; amino acids arginine, glutamine, and methionine; and micronutrients like zinc can support your body’s healing response.
How can I improve my nutrition?
Eat more plants: brightly colored vegetables and fruits contain antioxidants, which your body uses to protect itself from damage, and phytochemicals, which can decrease the risk of everything from cancer to diabetes to neurological disorders. If eating more plants seems daunting, consider adding just one new fruit or veggie per week. The more deeply colored, the higher in helpful nutrients!
Drink more water: dehydration can make it harder to concentrate and solve problems and may also impair mood. Your body needs to be properly hydrated to perform its regular functions, including tissue repair.
Look for clean proteins & fats: grass-fed beef and free range eggs & poultry pack a healthier punch than their counterparts. Plant-based fats like avocado and olive oil are full of monounsaturated fat which may help reduce inflammation.
How Does Stress Impact My Healing?
Stress has a negative effect on virtually all of your body’s systems. It can slow your healing by disrupting the hormones that coordinate the healing response and can wreak havoc on your digestion, interrupting your ability to absorb nutrients that your body needs to mend itself.
How can I improve my ability to manage stress?
Start meditating: self-compassion (aka metta or lovingkindness) meditation is an effective tool for reducing stress and promoting mindfulness. Even 5 minutes of meditation can be significant, and bonus—you can go for a guided meditation if the thought of silently sitting by yourself makes your heart pound!
Breathe deeply: breath work has become the go-to for cultivating calm if meditation doesn’t appeal to you. Just 1 to 3 minutes can be enough to diminish your fight or flight response by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for slowing heart and breathing rates after a stressful situation.
Move your body: exercise, even a short walk around the block, helps you sleep better, releases endorphins, and helps regulate hormone and neurotransmitter levels.
Want to learn more about how your lifestyle choices are affecting your health? Want to incorporate restful practices like yoga nidra, restorative yoga, breath exercises, and meditation into your day? Schedule a Discovery Call with Marin!