THIS ARTICLE REFLECTS THE PRIVATE VIEWS OF THE AUTHOR AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A MEDICAL REFERENCE..
Eat well
This is obvious. Your fibrocytes need nourishment to do their job. But do you honestly get your 5-8 portions of fruit and veg EVERY day?
Manage Stress and Rest Well
We need a certain stress level to keep active, but just as important as sympathetic stimulation (stress, the adrenalin/cortisol rush) is the para-sympathetic response (recovery, rest, meditation/renewal). Watching TV and internet surfing is NOT rest – it stimulates the sympathetic response generally.
A shameless plug: massage stimulates the para-sympathetic response! Make sure you get some genuine rest time to recover from the day – even if it is some gentle stretching before bed.
Exercise Well – both Active and Passive movement!
Movement! Movement! Movement!
Resistance exercises stress the body into building lines of stress, particularly exercises YOU ARE NOT USED TO – guys, how about doing some pilates? Ladies, get in the gym and pump some weights!
Why not do a course in something new like sailing or waterpolo or tai chi? Anything to stimulate your body in new directions to counteract the familiar slump.
That is active movement which you do yourself, but passive movement is also important, where you stay relaxed and someone else moves you. And that means regular MASSAGE.
Get regular massage
– Massage can be designed stimulate tissues by encouraging them to move in directions they are not used to moving in, and break up adhesions in familiar places (how are the outside of your calves, eh? And what about that neck and shoulders?).
– Massage will encourage fluid movement to nourish neglected dessicated areas
– Massage selectively stretches abnormally shortened muscles.
– Massage will resolve those trigger points too, if your therapist is skilled in resolving them.
Yes, massage does stuff that you may not have covered in your exercise programme…..
