The
premise of the 'structural support' element of the ten day challenge
is that you should look to reward your body - as making so many
physical, mental and dietary changes can feel restrictive. You
should always reward yourself for every little success. The
five rules of structural support are as follows:
- Give Yourself Rest!
Your body needs rest just as much as it needs movement and
exercise. You should aim to make the most of the opportunities
that you have to rest your body. Take time out to think
about all of the things that are good in your life and plan
all of your future successes. Take an extra long bath
and ask yourself some power
questions to put yourself into a positive and
relaxed state.
- Give Yourself Sunshine!
Not always easy in the UK and Northern Europe, granted, however,
daylight is just as important. One of the primary causes
of depression is a lack of bright
light. Although the lack
of sunlight
during the winter months is a major contributor, this can
also be exacerbated by our lifestyles, as many Europeans
now work up to 10 hours per day in artificially lit offices
and rarely see daylight before or after work during these
months.
To put the importance of sunlight into context -
the sun emits up to 100,000 lux (the Metric measurement of
light quantity), whereas artificial lights emit just 300-500
lux. If this is our only source of light each day, it is
easy to see how problems can occur. Make sure you spend
plenty of time outdoors, breathing full breaths of fresh
air!
- Indulge in muscular relaxation or massage!
As mentioned - you should reward your efforts! Whether
this means a massage, a day spa or just a long hot bath - set
time for yourself and reward your good efforts.
- Have an assessment for spinal alignment!
When the body is correctly aligned the head is positioned over
the shoulders, the shoulders align with the hips, the hips
sit directly over the knees and the ankles are straight with
feet pointing forward. The human body relies upon correct
alignment and joint position to function properly. Incorrect
alignment can arise through a variety of reasons, with a lack
of motion (exercise) being one of the most common. Tony
Robbins extols the virtues of The Egoscue Method which is a
postural program involving a series of gentle stretches and
exercises to properly align the body.
- Give Your Body Any Other Support it Needs...
Whatever this may be - listen to what your body is telling
you...
Resources:
Egoscue Method
Massage Therapy UK - lists practitioners
Spa Seekers - day spa finder
EasyJet - for those sunless months...!
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