Tips on pushing back against decline

Ever since we opened the doors to the studio in 2001, we have tried to help people recover what they had lost, be that mobility, strength or confidence in their bodies. Over the years our training methods have evolved and with the introduction of our chiropractic clinic in 2007, we have been able to help more clients preserve what they have pain free! For many of us, maintaining health and fitness can be an uphill struggle and the slope only gets steeper with age. But from our experience we still have a great deal of control over its trajectory.
We are still capable of building muscle mass, increasing strength, improving coordination, agility, and enhancing balance, but we are at just as much risk of injury from overdoing it as we are to not exercising at all!

Here are four things that we suggest you focus on over the coming year to help maintain your potential and push back against decline.

1. Low-Intensity, High-Volume Movement
Exercise sessions do not always require intense effort, but every day should include deliberate, low-intensity movement—such as walking, cycling or swimming. This is not just about burning calories, it is more about staying metabolically flexible and biologically “youthful”, as this forms the foundation for mitochondrial health, glucose control, and recovery. Nearly every longevity study highlights significant benefits from walking just 7,000 steps a day that becomes your baseline, and for some it’s their ceiling, but whatever it is, it’s a non-negotiable! 

​2. Training for Real-Life Skills: Strength, Power, Balance, and Agility
We don’t fall because we trip; we fall because we couldn’t recover quick enough. The subtlety is important to recognise, as training as we age is not just about building muscle—it’s about preserving the skills that keep us upright, able, and independent:
Strength to lift.
Power to react.
Balance to recover.
Agility to adapt.

These should not be viewed as “add-on’s”, they are essential quality of life enhancing skills. Too often a fall, a misstep, a moment of uncertainty can lead to a decline in mobility and so on. Therefore, it is vital to train for those moments now, rather than when the horse has bolted!

3. Sleep Discipline
Being consistent with your sleep habits and creating healthy routines as well as a calming sleep environment can help play a significant role in reaching your daily sleep needs.
Sleep is at the cornerstone of good health and considered vital in helping your immune system perform at its optimum level, yet two-thirds of adults in the developed world fail to obtain the recommended 8 hours sleep. In fact, sleep is so essential to every component of our wellbeing that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had now declared a sleep loss epidemic throughout industrialised nations. Scientist have started lobbying doctors to start “prescribing sleep” – but do not mistake this for a plea for prescribing sleeping pills.

​So, what can YOU do to improve your health and sleep cycle?

• Set yourself a sleep schedule and stick to it
• Avoid caffeine, bright screens (especially up close such as iPad, phones and Kindles) and alcohol in the lead up to bedtime. 
• Engage in a relaxing activity for 20 minutes to an hour before bed, such as reading, a warm bath or meditation.
• Pay attention to temperature and the sleep area, too. A cool bed environment is best for finding sleep. 
  

• Soft, clean, cosy bedding also has a role to play in sleep quality.
• A comfortable mattress and supportive pillows also play a part in helping keep you relaxed, refreshed and healthy.
• Any lighting, even the red LED signal on your dormant TV is registered by your brain – turn it off!
• Use ear plugs to block out noises – my wife insists this has saved our marriage
• Soft, clean, cosy bedding also has a role to play in sleep quality.
• A comfortable mattress and supportive pillows also play a part in helping keep you relaxed, refreshed and healthy.
• Any lighting, even the red LED signal on your dormant TV is registered by your brain – turn it off!
• Use ear plugs to block out noises – my wife insists this has saved our marriage

4. Proper Nutrition
By consuming plenty of protein, lots of fruit and vegetables and a healthy amount of carbohydrates and good fats you give your body the best chance to thrive. Put simply, your nutrition supports muscle, movement, and metabolic health, protecting lean body mass by consuming protein aids muscle maintenance, allowing you to continue with physical activities. That means eating well most of the time… and still enjoying the occasional glass of wine, slice of cake or dirty burger without feeling guilty.