Spring is here, bringing with it lighter evenings, colourful flowers and birdsong. This feeling of renewal is a good prompt to get on top of your everyday health and wellbeing. To help you ‘spring’ into action, here are a few simple steps you can take to ensure you’re in tip top condition for the months ahead:
Book a dental check-up
It’s easy to lose track of dental check-ups and suddenly you realise you haven’t visited the dentist for quite some time. However, skipping oral health checks can lead to problems, including tooth decay and gum disease, which could be prevented if spotted early1. If you haven’t seen your dentist for a while, book an appointment and then stick to the schedule they recommend – your teeth will thank you for it!
Check your eye health
Regular eye examinations are also an important part of staying healthy. Opticians not only help to make sure your vision is top-notch, and you have the glasses or contact lenses you need, but they can also detect signs of other health problems including diabetes and high blood pressure2. You should have your eyes checked at least every two years3 (or more if your optician recommends it) so make this a regular part of your health spring clean – you could even treat yourself to some new prescription sunglasses ready for summer!
Make time for a massage
Too often, sports-related injuries can creep up on us and what starts as a minor niggle could become a bigger issue. Spring weather often encourages us to get outside for exercise, or head back to the gym after winter hibernation. To make sure you’re in peak condition you could book in a regular sports massage. Not only will this help treat aches, pains, injuries and muscle stiffness, but it can improve relaxation by reducing heart rate and blood pressure.4
Focus on your mental wellbeing
Looking after our mental health is an essential part of overall wellbeing, with stress and anxiety increasingly linked to physical illness5. One way to manage these conditions is through complementary health therapies such as reflexology, which induces deep relaxation and stress reduction, boosting overall health and resilience. Reflexology is based on the theory that points on the feet, lower leg, hands, face or ears correspond with different areas or organs of the body. By working these points, practitioners aim to clear congestion and relieve tension to bring the body back into balance and help it work as well as it can.
Try to tackle bad habits
Spring is a great time to try and kick bad habits, such as smoking and heavy drinking, that can have a harmful effect on our health. When willpower alone isn’t doing the trick, acupuncture can be a good option. Acupuncture is thought to regulate the nervous system and release dopamine, creating a more peaceful feeling and potentially limiting desire for unhealthy food, cigarettes or alcohol6. Derived from ancient Chinese medicine, acupuncture sees fine needles inserted at certain sites in the body for therapeutic or preventative purposes, and can also help to alleviate pain, stress and sleep issues7.
Having a health care cash plan, such as Sovereign Health Care’s Good All Round, can help with the cost of these regular check-ups and treatment. To find out more, visit https://www.sovereignhealthcare.co.uk/personal/what-is-a-cash-plan/
1 https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-teeth-and-gums/take-care-of-your-teeth-and-gums/
4 https://www.sportstherapyuk.com/images/docs/journal1-801.pdf
5 https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/features/10-fixable-stress-related-health-problems