Have you ever walked up the stairs and heard your knees creaking? Mine did it for years before I listened to my body. It was nearly too late. I’d come back from holidays where I’d been enjoying the Mediterranean villages hiking up stair after stair unit one day my knee collapsed on me.
I was so shocked that my body had failed me. I straight away thought about my beloved Grandmother who’s untimely started with immobility. Her body was riddled with arthritis. The pain she experienced was unbearable and she only found comfort in stillness. But of course that proved counterproductive because her body continued to deteriorate. Her muscles wasted area and were unable to support her spine any longer.
Maintaining mobility is one of the key pillars for longevity. Without strong muscles you cannot support your spine and this can lead to bone deterioration.
Not caring for your body, your muscles and your bones can have long-term devastating consequences and I was keen not to deteriorate in the same way.
When I returned to Australia I focused on healing my body and ridding it of the inflammation.
Here’s what I did:
- Hit the gym and started lifting heavier weights. Seems counterproductive? Quite the opposite, building muscle acts as the scaffold to hold your body up.
- Ramped up my greens – being on holidays often means indulging in foods that aren’t great for your health – like alcohol. I completed a six week detox to cleanse my body and reduce inflammation.
- Increased my water intake – this helped flush out any toxins.
- Supplemented my diet with turmeric to help reduce inflammation.
My knees are better than ever, and the creak is gone! This really is a great simple example to how you can biohack your body to reduce or reverse the impact of ageing.
Live well xx