Doctor Giles Gyer is a British trained specialist musculoskeletal Osteopath who has worked within health and fitness for over 12 years; he combines a variety of articulation and manipulation techniques alongside a variety of rehabilitation exercises within his treatments, and works with patients from office workers to professional strength and international sports athletes at his central London clinic.
Giles is a senior lecturer at www.omttraining.co.uk and teaches grade 5 / HVT Spinal Manipulation, Osteopathic Articulation and Manual Therapy techniques throughout UK and internationally to professional therapists from all over Europe, he has lectured at national conferences and has lecturered and run MasterClass training events for groups such as the NHS, MK Dons FC and Liverpool Football Club physiotherapy department.
Giles has authored two books within manual therapy, first a specialist book on dry needling and secondly on spinal articulation techniques.
Doctor Giles Gyer
Eight tips for looking after your body.
We are now in an age
where more people are desk bound for most of the week, working long hours,
glued to their iphones, laptops with a blur of thumbs as they swipe left and
right and tap away, and with all this inactivity, increased postural problems,
fast paced lifestyle, it can have an impact on health and well being.
Staying fit and
healthy is everyone's top priority. But, because of our busy work schedules and
poor lifestyle choices, we often make it the biggest challenge of our lives. If
you're here to overcome this barrier, the first thing you have to understand
that the path to being healthy and fit is an ongoing process and includes many
elements. However, it's not something that is impossible to achieve. With a
little focus on nutrition, being a bit health-conscious and doing a few
exercises each day, you can easily win this challenge.
Here is how you can do
this.
1. Adopt
a Healthy Eating Style
The key to a healthy
lifestyle is adopting a well-balanced diet that has all the nutrients for the
optimal functioning of your body. According to NHS, a balanced diet means
eating a wide range of foods in the right proportions, so that you
can maintain a healthy body weight. However, it is also important that you are
making realistic changes to your diet; otherwise, you won't be able to stick
with it. Use these tips to make the right changes:
· Get as many low calorie, nutrient dense, and
antioxidant rich foods into your diet as possible. These include whole grains,
fresh fruits and vegetables, fibre, milk, nuts, and lean proteins such as
chicken, turkey, fish, egg, tofu and beans.
· Drink plenty of water, as it keeps your body
hydrated.
· Cut back on unhealthy foods and replace them
with healthier alternatives.
· Eat less or avoid foods that are highly
processed and contain unhealthy ingredients, such as saturated fats, hidden
sugars, salts and artificial sweeteners.
· Try avoiding red meat or eat it only once in a
week.
· Skip milk if you're lactose intolerant.
· Try cooking meals at your home.
· Do not overeat and enjoy balanced meals at
regular intervals.
· Do not skip breakfast, as it helps maintain a
stable blood sugar level.
2.
Take
Nutritional Supplements
Nutritional
supplements are not essential for everyone. If you are already following a
balanced diet, you do not need them. You can get all the nutrients you need
from you diet. However, some people may need to take supplements.
According UK Food
Standards Agency (FSA), supplements are advised to the following groups of
people:
·
Women
who are pregnant or breastfeeding. If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, you are suggested to eat
folate rich foods and a daily supplement containing 400 micrograms (mcg) of
folic acid. This recommendation is applicable until the week 12 of pregnancy.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women are also advised to take 10mcg of vitamin D
per day.
·
Older
adults. With age, our bodies
become less effective in absorbing certain nutrients from our daily diets.
These include calcium, potassium, folic acid, omega-3, vitamin B12 and vitamin
D. Therefore, if you are over age 50, you are advised to take a supplement
containing these nutrients.
·
Children
below the age of 5. If your
child is not a good eater, the FSA suggests that he/she may need to take a
supplement containing vitamins A, D and C. However, this advice is not applicable
for those who eat a wide range of foods and have a good appetite.
·
People
who are vegetarian or eat no meat or fish. People in this group often lack nutrients, such
as vitamin B12, iron, calcium and omega-3 fatty acids, from animal sources. If you are in this category,
you are advised to take a supplement containing these elements.
·
People
who do not receive sufficient sunlight. Insufficient exposure to sunlight causes vitamin D deficiency. If you
rarely get outdoors or spend most of your time indoors, you may need to take an
additional 10mcg of vitamin D per day.
3.
Exercise Regularly
I really do believe “Movement is medicine” and consistent regular
exercise is essential for being healthy and fit, as it prevents fat gain,
improves muscle strength and tone, helps with the cardiovascular system, and
more importantly helps to improve mood and boosts energy. It also helps combat
against a number of diseases and conditions that can be caused through
inactivity or dietary issues, the NHS states that a lack of exercise can
contribute significantly to issues such as,
·
Coronary heart
disease
·
High blood pressure
·
Stroke
·
Metabolic syndrome
(including obesity and abnormal blood cholesterol levels)
· Type 2 diabetes
Therefore, you should
get rid of all the excuses for not exercising regularly and try making it a
daily habit. No matter you have only 20 minutes form your hectic daily
schedules, you should do it.
However, if you are
really unable to manage time for an actual workout, you can use these simple
tips to keep yourself physically active:
· Practice light yoga or stretching moves while
watching TV or talking on the phone.
· Take regular breaks from your work and go for a
short walk.
· Make fidgeting a habit while you work.
· Use the stairs instead of the lift.
· Walk or run to the nearby shops instead of
driving.
· Take your kids or dog for a walk.
· Get off one bus or tube stop early and walk to
your destination.
· Go out for a 10-minute walk before breakfast
and after dinner.
4.
Get
Your Health Checkups
Regular health
checkups are required, even if you are healthy and fit, because these tests
help you find risk factors and problems before they start. Ultimately, this
helps you to get better treatment, and in the end “prevention is better than
cure”, when you are diagnosed early with a disease. So visit your doctor for
routine health exams and tests to make sure you are not susceptible to any
diseases and everything is fine and normal.
Depending on your age,
ethnicity, lifestyle choices, physical activity, family medical history and
smoking status, your doctor will suggest which exams and screenings you need.
Although these advices vary from person to person, there are some common exams
and tests that are often performed during a routine health checkup. These
include:
· Total blood count (TBC) and urine tests
· Hearing and vision tests
·
Tests for cholesterol level
and blood pressure
·
Measurement of body mass index
(BMI)
·
Risk assessment for diabetes
(if high blood pressure or high cholesterol is already present)
·
Screening
for colorectal cancer (if there is a family history or
age is over 50)
·
Tests for sexually transmitted
diseases (STDs)
· Screening for breast and cervical cancer
·
Screening
for prostate cancer
·
Checking of immunisation schedules
5.
Monitor Your Weight
It's always a good practice to track your
progress regularly, because this will help you to keep yourself motivated about
your goals. However, do not check your weight excessively, as this may cause
the opposite. So try checking your weight only once in a day.
In addition, there are many weight loss
apps are now available on both Android and iOS. Check the reviews
of these apps, and download the most suitable one according to your needs, so
that you can track your food, connect with like-minded people and stay focused
on your goals.
6.
Get Enough Sleep
Getting a good night's sleep has a profound
effect on your life. It benefits your health both physically and mentally. Studies
suggest that getting enough sleep can strengthen memories, improve mood,
enhance cognitive functions, boost sex drive and improve overall quality of
life. In fact, adequate sleep allows your body the time it needs to repair and
rejuvenate.
On the other hand, insufficient sleep is
linked to a number of health problems, including lower testosterone levels, diabetes,
cardiovascular diseases, heart attacks, poor cognitive functions, chronic pain
and obesity. So if you are not getting the recommended seven to eight hours of
sleep a night, this can adversely affect your health, mood, motor skills,
weight and even sex life.
7.
Do Not Ignore Pain
Pain is a common condition that needs no
further description. We all know what it is and how it affects our overall
quality of life. What you need to know that pain is usually caused by an
underlying disease or injury. In fact, it is you body's red alert, a mechanism
of telling you that something is wrong. So even if your pain is mild, do not
ignore or get used to it.
Pain is not inevitable; it is actually a
condition that can be treated. However, if you do not want to go for the
conventional treatments, you can also manage it without taking any painkillers
or NSAIDs. There are a number of drug-free alternative treatments, such as
osteopathy, available today that can effectively help manage your pain, injury
or other issues and get you back fighting fit.
 |
| Doctor Giles Gyer on a resent trip to China -Shanghai with leading personal trainer friend and client Denise Couprie www.osteon.co.uk |
8.
Visit an Osteopath
Osteopathy is a whole body approach to help
your nervous, circulatory and immune systems. Although it is still considered
as an alternative medicine, it is by far one of the most effective ways of
identifying, treating and preventing health problems related to musculoskeletal
issues. Also, osteopathy is a more natural approach than conventional medicine,
because it doesn't use drugs or surgical procedures.
Osteopaths focus on restoring the normal
function and stability of the musculoskeletal framework, so that the body
can heal by itself. In doing so, they use a variety of drug-free, non-invasive
techniques to relieve muscle tension, increase joint mobility and encourage
blood flow to tissues. These techniques include:
·
Spinal manipulation / High-velocity thrusts
·
Medical Acupuncture / Dry
Needling
·
Message techniques
·
Stretching
·
Joint Articulation
·
Exercise Rehabilitation
Therefore, if you are struggling with
persistent pain due to an injury or other issue, you should visit a registered
osteopath. An osteopath can not only help detect and treat your problem but
also give you advice on self-help, posture, stretching and other activities, in
order to aid your recovery.
Giles Gyer Bsc (Hons) Osteopathy
Registered Osteopath
Author and Lecturer in Manual Therapy
Clinics in Soho & Earls Court
Tel - 0207-043-6025
