I probably am.

There’s a somewhat silly quote in medicine that 50% of what they teach at medical school is incorrect. The problem is we don’t know which bits.

The same probably stands for most other areas. It’s only by constant reflection, learning and communication can we start to edit out the blatantly incorrect and work on the rest.

I know that I’ve evolved in my own practices, both as an athlete and practitioner. The advice I have given to patients has changed over time as well, as I’ve worked on my skills. My training has changed as I find new sources, techniques and experts. That which worked, stayed. That which proved risky or without a solid evidence base went.

The basics remain the basics though. The human machine evolved to move frequently, eat a broad diet and occasionally do bouts of intense physical activity proportional to age and health.

Without stress, we wouldn’t be here. Stress is an evolutionary force that has shaped us.

These days, we tend to use stress as a bad thing, often saying “I’m so stressed at work” or “This situation is stressing me out”. Which, other than being an appalling abuse of the English language, is a misunderstanding of the role of stress in our lives.

That sort of external, uncontrolled stress is bad for us. It generates negative changes in the body, leading to an increased risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes, as well as a host of other related health dysfunctions.

Some of this is unavoidable. We cannot always choose our line manager, the person ahead of us in the ticket queue or the unthinking person who has parked across 2 bays when you are already running late.

But we can choose to temper our responses to it and we can train to mitigate the effects.

The body does not differentiate between stressful stimuli. It only knows the basic responses available, so by putting ourselves in stressful situations in controlled conditions and then learning to adapt to them, the body learns an increased resilience to all forms of stress.

Controlled stress can be intense workouts, cold showers, intermittent fasting, learning new or challenging skills. Essentially anything that allows you to develop and grow.

And as you grow in one area, it will cross over to all the others as well.

A professor in gerontology recently told me his theory of ageing. As it is inevitable, he said there are 2 ways to age, a slow decline towards increasing immobility and the end or a steady state followed by rapid decline and a quick finish. He was very clear that he would much prefer the latter.

In my experience, we generally die of a main organ failure, which has knock on effects on the whole system. For example heart failure leading to breathing and kidney problems, lung problems leading to heart failure, kidney failure leading to blood pressure and organ problems. And so forth.

The other huge life change that older people suffer from is dementia, in all its varied horror. Although there is some genetic predisposition, there is thought among many researchers that lifestyle factors also play a significant role.

We therefore need to promote longevity. Not the sort desired by the stranger elements of Silicon Valley, but practical things that we can all do to optimise our epigenetic expression (how our lives effects our genes) and maximise our lifespans, whilst accepting that an endpoint will be there.

What so we know from the get go?

1. Don’t smoke
2. Limit alcohol
3. Limit refined sugar
4. Mange your weight for a healthy BMI
5. Optimise muscle mass
6. Stay flexible
7. Maintain bone mass
8. Eat a broad balanced diet of mostly vegetables and protein, with some carbohydrates
9. Avoid diabetes. Reverse it if possible, manage it very carefully if not
10. Take part in your GP health screening program when offered
11. Make plans – a will, a digital plan, talk to your loved ones about organ donation
12. Reduce your planetary impact burden – travel mindfully, reduce clutter, minimise debt
13. Make your peace with yourself. There is a diffuse but definite link between life satisfaction and longevity
14. Keep learning, creating, exploring

This may seem like an inordinately long list, but it is simplified into three main categories

1. Eat sensibly
2. Move frequently, lift heavy things
3. Be mindful

As humans, we like rules. They reduce cognitive load, and give us something to fall back on when making decisions. For me, I have developed 3 to reflect on and work with.

The first is from Kurt Vonnegut, who, in God Bless you, Mr Rosewood, wrote:

“Hello babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. On the outside, babies, you’ve got a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies-“God damn it, you’ve got to be kind”

The second comes from Col. Chris Hatfield, astronaut and all round good Canadian.

“In any new situation, whether it involves an elevator or a rocket ship, you will almost certainly be viewed in one of three ways. As a minus one: actively harmful, someone who creates problems. Or as a zero: your impact is neutral and doesn’t tip the balance one way or the other. Or you’ll be seen as a plus one: someone who actively adds value. Everyone wants to be a plus one, of course. But proclaiming your plus-oneness at the outset almost guarantees you’ll be perceived as a minus one, regardless of the skills you bring to the table or how you actually perform.

I’ve translated that to be “Be useful”

If the most useful thing you can do it sweep the floor, do it. Don’t think the job is beneath you, but don’t end up being the one who always does it. Look at the team around you and see what they need doing.

The third came from a delightful polymath I had the pleasure of meeting. A physicist, screenwriter and doctor, he had one tip for surviving without burning out in a career. He said:

“Within in each of us, no matter how old, there remains an 8 year old child. Insatiably curious, always wanting to learn, to grow. Always find something to be curious about, to keep that inner person happy and delighted”

With those three guides to reflect on, I often feel I have a decent path forwards.

• Be kind
• Be useful
• Be curious

Want to live longer, feel healthier and move better?

Don’t drink alcohol. Cutting down works for some people but most still have too much. Save it for a celebration only.

Don’t smoke.

Walk, do mobility and breath work every day.

Do high intensity, short duration weight training 3 days a week.

Reduce personal inflammatory triggers as much as possible (personal inflammatory triggers can often be dietary, and figuring them out takes a little bit of perseverance and time).

Do everything you can to avoid diabetes. The knock on effects are global (pick an organ and its effected), the medications have side effects and you will die earlier.

So simple to say, a life long process to do.

We’ve all seen the adverts and articles designed to hook you in and get you reading, exploiting the human trait of wanting to know and hating the idea of missing out.

Perhaps you even read that as 3 supplements that your doctor doesn’t want you to know about.

In this case, they really do want you to know. These can save your life if you need them, and all it takes is a blood test.

Vitamin D

This is a pre-hormone, one of a group of chemicals called secosteroids that has a huge range of effects on the body. In general, the best form is that made by the skin due to sun exposure but from October to March in the U.K., the UV in sunlight is inadequate and we therefore do not produce enough. Add in cultural and personal modes of dress, indoor work and poor diet and there is a risk of deficiency. If you suffer from increased fatigue in the winter (SAD), a family history of bone problems or darker skin, then a quick blood test at the GP can check for vitamin D levels. Current target levels are between 50ng/L and 75ng/L depending on your local health authorities.

Vitamin B12 / Folic acid

Again, these serve multiple purposes in the body, from the formation of neural tubes in a foetus and nerve conductions generally, to the creation of red blood cells. If you’re feeling under the weather and have a low nutrient dense diet, then, again, a quick blood test can help have a look at this potentially silent sign. If you are low, then they can be brought into line quickly with injections, or high dose supplements, especially B12.

All other supplements are for personal preference. I like adding magnesium and probiotics but these are for researched and otherwise investigated conditions, with medical approval.

As with all things, always seek medical advice before changing or starting a plan.

The beginning is noise. For most, a bright shining explosion into the universe teeming with possibilites.

The end is silence. Hands folded, eyes closed, the machine winding down, no longer animated, to become memories, stories and faded photographs.

Birth is the opening of a book, death is the pen put down at the end of the last paragraph.

Whatever the path underfoot, there is only one way. Forwards.

Sieze that chance, and burn with the brightness of a star.

We know not when the tap will come,  the cover closed, the sand run out.

So prepare to die, mentally and physically. Have your house in order as much as you can, have words said or written that need to be.

And then live the heck out of that gift. Far too many were taken early, some sacrificed on another’s altar, some by their own choice, yet more by cold fate. You are still alive to read this, you still have that opportunity.

Look after the body you were given. Take every opportunity to be stronger, faster, to learn, to share, to be more human.

And be kind.

As the seasons change and we look to the turning of the days, we can feel the pulse of the planet below us.

It is with this pulse and change that I am fantastically pleased to welcome Viv to the clinic as our lead osteopath.

She comes with years of experience and a great set of skills to help sort out any problems that might present themselves, from acute sports injuries to longer term aches and pains.

Come and experience the benefits that excellent osteopathy can offer and book in to make sure you don’t miss out.

Call us today on 01420 544408 and we look forward to seeing you soon!