The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) runs a Healthy Eating Week each year, to encourage UK organisations to promote healthy living. Between 10th – 14th June 2019, BNF wants to encourage healthy diets and physical activity with the following challenges:
- Have breakfast
- Drink plenty
- Become more active
- Have your 5 a day
- Sleep well
Healthy eating can have a big impact on your muscle health. Osteopathy focuses on the massaging and manipulation of your body’s muscles to bring it back into alignment. This follows the principle that once realigned, your body functions a lot more efficiently.
Therefore, to keep your muscles fit and health, find out how a good diet can help:
Balanced Diet
Eating the right foods can help your muscles improve their ability to strengthen and repair themselves. Carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, protein, and healthy fats are important to develop healthy functioning muscles.
- Protein is important for replenishing what you lose during exercise. Healthy portions of meats, poultry, milk products, eggs and seafood are great for muscle growth.
- Carbohydrates fuel you with energy to help during exercise. The insulin released helps to grow new tissue, so remember to eat your fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
- Healthy fats, including walnuts, olive oil, fish oils, flaxseed and peanut oil help with muscle repair.
- Vitamins and Minerals can provide your body with essential nutrients.
Stretching
Making sure to stretch before and after exercise will reduce muscle strain during and following work outs. These warm-up and cool down activities for 10-20 minutes can reduce the muscle strain you feel during the following days.
During your stretches, hold each stretch for 20 seconds to encourage flexibility in your muscles. As well as reducing your risk of muscle tear, it can increase your muscles potential when in motion.
Exercising
The daily recommendation for adult exercise is 30 minutes. Those who do participate in regular physical activity have stronger muscles than others within their age group. When paired with sufficient protein intake, exercise is great for strengthening your bones and muscles. You can also tailor your workout routines to achieve different fitness goals, including toning and weight loss.
Hydration
Keeping hydrated with water is important for your overall health. In specific, hydration benefits your blood flow, digestive functions and kidney functions. Drinking the recommended 2 litres of water per day provides essential electrolytes to help with muscle control and strength.
How Osteopathy Can Help
With the physical manipulation, massaging and stretching of your body, osteopathy aims to improve the functions of your bones, muscles, ligaments and connective tissues. You should book an osteopathy appointment if you are experiencing pains, or are having problems with the mobility of your joints. Osteopaths may also be able to help relieve muscle tension and enhance the blood supply to your tissues.
For more information on how we can help with osteopathy, acupuncture and counselling, call our Halesowen practice on 0121 585 8555 or our Wombourne practice on 01902 894 894.
