The BBC has today posted yet another story confirming that exercise is good for us…yes, really. This follows on from an eariler article a couple of weeks ago stating that patients with limited mobility reduced their need for medication and benefitted greatly from reducing their weight and doing regular, gentle exercise. Is this not just money for old rope? Why do we need to spend money on medical trials to confirm what is basic, common sense and why is the outcome of said trials such a revelation that it makes news headlines? We need to look at our society – one that has become lazy and indulgent. We also need to look at things in the long-term – teaching our youth the necessities of good lifestyle choices over the “live fast-die young” culture that continues to cost our population and our planet so dearly. Little things make such a difference and it is very telling that there was also a story featured by the BBC about why Finland loves saunas so much. ‘Sauna’ is the only Finnish word that has carried into the English language and for the Finns, having a regalar sauna is a way of life for young and old, rich and poor alike. Taking time to sit naked in a hot room to relax and sweat out toxins is seen as necessary part of a healthy lifestyle and everyone there does it. Whilst we can’t all go building saunas in our back gardens here in England, this simple Finnish devotion to a healthy lifestyle is something we should all take note of. Regularly massaging your shoulders or doing a quick “all-over” in the shower might only take 5-10 minutes but it has immense benefits for our bodies and minds. It is proven that being limber (especially as we get older) is much better than being “buff” so we need to keep those muscles stretched and relaxed…AND massage feels great – do we really need another study to tell us that?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24335710 and https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24328773
