Gentle January – Change or Consolidate?

Happy New Year to you all! I hope you had a wonderful break and are back to your routines feeling a bit brighter and more bushy-tailed!

There’s a lot going around about changing habits, starting new routines and taking on the world in January. But, unusually for a physio, I am going to challenge that. After all, to start things afresh, we need inspiration, and dull January isn’t exactly brimming with that! We often criticise ourselves too harshly and put pressure on ourselves – sometimes simply because we think we ‘should’ be doing things a certain way. The last thing a lot of us need is to take something more on. Sometimes we need to clear out the space for it first.

In so many cases I see injuries because people have gone too far too fast, without an awareness of their existing weak-spots (and I don’t mean chocolate). It’s not just your abdomen that has a core, but your hips, shoulders and feet all have stabilising muscles that won’t know what’s hit them if you suddenly sign up to an Insanity programme or similar.

Most muscular problems don’t come from a direct trauma, but from overloading
muscles or joints that were already struggling in the background.I get so many clients who have tried something new and enjoyed it, only to be disheartened and give up due to an ‘injury’ that was waiting to happen. The body is so clever in compensating for weaknesses that it usually gets to busting point before raising its head.

So it’s worth it, if not essential, to take a look (or get someone else to look) at your weak-spots, be they at work, play or your mindset. Book that business coach. Book that meeting with your friend. Book that Physio…?

So my goals for this year are all to consolidate. To be honest with myself – What have I ignored too long? What is a priority? Where have I been too soft? Too harsh?

And then to steadily tweak, alter, develop. That way it’s almost impossible to give up, because each step is so small, yet significant. The biggest change will be to ensure I keep focus on this goal ticking away in the background, not letting things build up. And instead of my usual rushing about, it’ll allow me to smell the roses along the way. Keeping it slow and steady… which, for most of the busy people I know, really IS a New Year’s challenge…