10 Ways To Get Your Mind & Body Into Alignment

Maintaining good health and being able to get your body to align – in both body and mind – is key to a longer and happier life.

However, concerning new research from Bupa UK has revealed that men are struggling to maintain full body alignment through good health and wellbeing habits. Despite 89% of the UK classing their health and wellbeing as a priority, the aftermath of lockdowns still appears to loom, as a third of men report they’re ‘more worried about their health than ever’.

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Getting your body to align doesn’t just mean you need to go to a chiropractor, or to do lots of stretching. It also means being able to fully align your body and mind so they’re balanced. The more balanced your body is with your mind, the better the equilibrium. To achieve full body alignment, you need to be across your food, exercise and mental health.

International Men’s Health Week is the perfect time to find ways to shake up our routines for the better – this includes you too ladies!

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Take a look at the 10 steps below to see how you can achieve full body alignment.

Move Your Body

It’s time to think about the way you move, and how often you do it. Our wellbeing index shows that lots of people aren’t feeling confident in their physical abilities, with 22% rating their physical health as ‘poor’, and a further 27% reporting they ‘feel unfit’.

Start your full body alignment by getting into an exercise routine. It doesn’t mean you must throw yourself into the weight section at the gym six times a week – instead, start small and find 20 minutes a day to gently move in a way that feels right for you. Before you know it, movement will be part of your routine and you’ll be hitting your recommended two and a half hours of exercise a week.

You might even be able to incorporate exercise into your day without overhauling your routine – try a brisk walk to your local shop, or getting off the bus a stop early to get your steps in.

Find Joy In Movement

Exercising releases feel-good chemicals into your body, called endorphins. Maximise your hit of them by finding an exercise you enjoy. Building sustainable habits takes time, so doing something you like helps to remove any concerns about maintaining your new routine – as you’re much more likely to want to stick to it.

Remember, the gym isn’t the only place to get your aerobic and strength-training workouts in. If you’ve never felt an affinity with exercise, now is a great excuse to try something new, like home workouts, tennis, wrestling or hiking.

Take A Fresh Look At Food

Food became a huge source of comfort for us throughout the pandemic – especially with all those viral Tiktok videos! If your diet has become full of carbohydrates or fats, it’s time to address it. We all need a variety of nutrients from various food types, so our bodies can function properly and increase our energy.

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Reinvigorate your diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables to get your five-a-day – fill half of your plate with these. Remember that only a quarter of your plate should be carbs – the other quarter should be a protein source, like meat, eggs, beans or grains.

Don’t Neglect Hydration

We all know that we should be drinking lots of water, but it’s often a thing many of us neglect to do. When was the last time you drank your recommended ten glasses a day?

Water is a simple but incredibly effective way to improve your health, Helping to keep your body operating well, suppressing hunger, and boosting your energy levels.

10 Ways To Get Your Mind & Body Into Alignment - pinterest image

Be Mindful About Alcohol

Another great source of comfort for many during the pandemic, alcohol, can often be something consumed without thinking about it too much. However, drinking over your recommend intake per week – which is six pints of average strength beer – can wreak havoc on your liver, sleeping, weight and mood.

Join the 23% of men and 43% of women who are cutting down on their alcohol intake by swapping out boozy beverages to soft drinks or alcohol-free alternatives this summer, whether it’s at post-work drinks or at a barbecue.

Address Your Mood

Mental health is often overlooked, especially with men when it comes to getting your body to align. If you’re feeling out of sorts, it can be easy to put it down to a bad day. However, if you’ve been eating, hydrating, sleeping and exercising well, but haven’t been feeling like yourself, it could be a sign that you need some help with your mental health.

Mental health problems are incredibly common – with one in four people in the UK suffering every year – so whatever you’re feeling, you’re not alone. Sharing how you feel for the first time can feel intimidating, but it’s an essential first step towards getting the support you need to feel better.

Make Checks Part Of Your Routine

It’s important to check your testicles and breasts at least once a month so you can get to know what’s normal for you. This also makes it easier to spot any lumps or swelling that could be a sign of conditions like cancer. If you find a lump or swelling, contact your GP as soon as possible to get yourself checked.

Follow this guide to make sure you’re checking yourself effectively:

Stand in front of a mirror and check if you can see anything unusual, like any swelling on the skin.
Feel the size and weight of each testicle/breast. You may notice that one is larger than the other. This is completely normal.
Get to know the feel of them by using your fingertips. They should feel smooth, without any lumps or swellings.
Compare them with each other – get to know any differences between them.

Get To Know Your Pee

Changes to the way you pass urine could signify that you have an underlying health issue. These possible health issues could be a sign of bladder problems, or cancer. Although prostate disease most commonly affects men over the age of 50, it’s important for all men to report any peeing changes to their GP, as well as anything from the following list:

Needing to pee more frequently, often during the night
Straining or difficulty starting urinating
A weak flow of urine
Difficulty to stop when peeing or dribbling urine
Feeling like you’re not able to fully empty your bladder
Blood in urine

This goes for you too ladies – any changes in your pee, or the frequency, get it checked out!

Speak To Your GP

Make sure you’re taking the time to see your GP if you spot anything amiss in your body. While it’s unlikely to be anything serious, it doesn’t matter how small your concern is – it’s always best to get checked over by a healthcare professional as soon as possible, just in case.

If you’d like to find out whether your body is ticking over nicely, did you know that you can book a health assessment? This check acts as a full-body MOT for your health and wellbeing, allowing you to raise any concerns or worries you have at the same time.

Set Yourself Goals

Your last step in getting your body to align is to set some achievable goals. There’s a knack to setting a successful goal – keep things simple to make them sustainable. Having lots of goals and trying to achieve them at the same time puts a lot of pressure on you and increases the chance of you not being able to achieve them.

Think about ways you can start to introduce your goals gradually into your life – for example, you could place a glass of water next to your bed so you’re encouraged to drink it first thing in the morning, or you could go for a jog after you log off from work.

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As you slowly see your habits form, you can widen the goalposts to expose your wider goals. In manageable steps, you’ll be impressed at your progress in a year’s time.

How would you achieve full body alignment? Get your body to align with your mind to create the perfect balance.

Guest Post – Dr Luke Powles, Clinical Director for Bupa Health Clinics