Busting the Top 3 Health Myths

Our health IS our wealth. 

Unfortunately we only start paying attention to our health when we start losing it, so we miss our chance at longevity

Even more unfortunate are the myths we hold dear about our physical health that keep us from taking positive action before it’s too late.

Quick story:

It was a hot day in Pennsylvania, 2 weeks after my father passed away in 2014. I got a phone call telling me one of my former patients also passed away. He was 70 and had recently retired after 30 years of running his own business.

My own Father passed away from a heart attack (according to the Coroner) while on a 100 mile bicycle Honor Ride through the Endless Mountains in Pennsylvania. He was found 20 minutes after he had fallen off his bike and was already dead.

Both of these men had appeared visibly healthy. They both lived a very FULL life, they both had dreams of ‘what’s next’ after their careers were over.

Yet they never got to experience ‘what’s next’.

The real kicker is this: My Fathers’ doctor told him he was exceptionally healthy. I don’t blame the doctor, as my Dad was quite healthy relative to others. But my father slept very little, took care of everyone else around him first before himself, and had little to no downtime as a Catholic priest. I ached for this to change. I found out later that he had, too.

My friend and former patient who passed had suffered from anxiety and high blood pressure for most of his adult life, especially while running his business. He was hoping it would get better once he retired.

He never got the chance to see if it did.

I share this story to make a couple of key distinctions.

1. Our ‘what’s next’ is RIGHT NOW
2. Our health IS our wealth.  

As a doctor of physical therapy, I cannot predict when someone will pass (truthfully no one can), however I can share with you some deep rooted ways of thinking that are holding you back from living right now and achieving longevity in both your health and your function.

Let’s go…

Myth #1: My ________(insert pain, injury, issue) stops me from doing what I want.

Pain is common but not normal. Injuries or issues that stay with us for a long time are COMMON but not NORMAL.

We are designed to live pain-free. We are designed to live long, run, play, be active and mobile into our 70s and 80s. Pain may be part of our life, but it should not DEFINE our life. Injuries may have happened and completely changed your life, however you are NOT your injury.

What we see, read, ‘know’, and feel can get in the way of us truly taking action to help ourselves heal.

When we focus on longevity (optimizing movement, sleep, nutrition,  and mindset), and improve inflammation, we have the ability to manage and eliminate longstanding aches & pains. How is this possible?

Long story short, the brain sends a pain signal when it perceives a threat. When you move well, give your body what it needs to recover, accept yourself, and build downregulation in your life, your brain no longer perceives your daily actions as a threat, and pain quickly drops.

Myth #2: I USED to be athletic, but not anymore. 

Everyone has an athlete inside them. That athlete may have been hidden for a long, long time. But it’s there.

Once an athlete, always an athlete. Like being a Marine. Once a Marine, always a Marine.

This is a mindset shift for many, and it is a very powerful thing. Physical fitness is attainable at ANY age, it just takes time, and consistency. Give yourself some grace while getting back to being active.

You may need some help progressing your body back to being fit enough to play, but it is possible. Plus it’s totally worth it.

Myth #3: I can’t control that my body is aging.

You have WAY more control than you think. In my world of musculoskeletal health, between 82- 96% of all injuries ARE preventable (depending on what research you read).

Injuries like plantar fasciitis, low back pain, carpal tunnel, tension headaches, mid back stiffness, rotator cuff tears or weakness, patella-femoral pain, sciatica, and even arthritis, are all issues that stem from lifestyle. Poor movement patterns, poor recovery habits, sedentary activity, and asking your body to perform at a certain capacity that you haven’t trained is a recipe for poor function and accelerated aging.

You can control the above by addressing HOW you move, HOW OFTEN you move, HOW you take care of your body, and your MINDSET around what is possible.

Conclusion: 

You CAN be the active adult you want to be, your injury is NOT who you are, and that you have so much power over how you feel EVERY DAY if you just took action to improve your overall wellbeing.

How can you bring this content to your organization?

Book a Call with Dr. T to find ways to optimize your team’s mental and physical performance.

“You can lead a human to health, but cannot make them take action. They gotta want it.”  

Semper Fidelis in Health,

Dr. Theresa Larson DPT CSCS USMC