Do you have an early warning system?
In modern cars we have so many lights and alarms we know before something becomes a major problem.
Engine lights, temperature and oil pressure warnings. They all alert us before we have a car that is sitting on the side of the road waiting for a tow.
But what about you?
Does your check engine light come on?
And if it does, do you recognise what is amiss?
Today I want to share with you some ways to trouble shoot what may be missing, and which part of the MESH system to jump onto first to help get that check engine light to be switched off!
So you notice your knees are sore, stiff maybe. Or maybe it is the elbows or that old shoulder that just never seems to cooperate. Or the back that won’t do what it once did and randomly gets odd pains. You rest it thinking it will get better. It doesn’t, it gets worse.
It could be mobility. The joints just aren’t mobile, so maybe stretching will help. Or it might be a lack of strength surrounding the joint. Both things that some movement might actually help. Some stretches, a foam roll, a walk, jog, bike ride or a barbell could be called for.
Oh then there is still soreness. After some work the muscles seem to ache for days, surely this isn’t normal? It may not be, and it may not be the movement that is causing it.
If your food intake is inadequate for your daily activities and goals it will take longer to recover than normal. The body needs food to help replenish and repair, so put foods in that do’t meet your goals, and/or not enough and recovery can take a lot longer.
Haha Jim! I do eat and track well! My exercise is on point! I stretch, I have days I don’t go to the gym but my recovery is still slow! What do you say to that?
How well are you sleeping? Like really? Are you getting a good seven to nine hours each night? Is it quality sleep, or is it broken? Do you stop stimulating activity like social media and TV well before sleep time? Are you able to read and have some quiet time before bed? Able to be intimate before sleep?
All of those things that I asked about can assist in getting to the bottom of that, because sleep and rest is absolutely necessary and vital for you to perform at your best.
Yes, I sleep. Yes it is good. But I am still so sluggish and just brain foggy some days!
Then what have you done lately to take a break?
Have you read any books for enjoyment? Gone to the movies? Done some colouring in? Built a Lego set? Picked up the old musical instrument gathering dust? Dusted off the CD collection and just listened to old music? Had your lunch in a park and just watched the ducks for your lunch break? Gone for a walk without your phone? Journaled? Mediated? Gotten a massage?
Yes the body needs rest, but so too does the brain. So you need to take some care of it, and that will look different for everyone.
I know myself I can get a bit lost with what is going on, I have been sore for days, then worked out that I was not getting enough sleep. Days this week for example, I have struggled to write, and so I took a walk, went to another room and stopped for a few minutes to clear the brain. Sometimes when I am tired I have actually noticed it is hunger as I haven’t eaten in ages!
So this week, I would love you to pause when something happens and ask yourself, what is really going on? How do I switch the check engine light off.
And if you are having a bit of difficulty pinpointing it, shoot me a message or call me and we can sit down and workout where it is coming from.