Setting health goals

This is going to meander a bit, but there is a reason for that. When people think about health, they tend to focus on one issue to the elimination of all others. That is often the most destructive path to any kind of progress.

There are reasons for that as well, but for now what I want to emphasize is that just as it is important to be listening for what you should do and what will help you for other goals, that is true for your health as well. Part of that is listening to your body and knowing that you are an individual with your own needs.

We are going to go along the body from top to bottom, but first I am going to mention something not really health related and higher up: my face. It no longer has that dewy freshness of my youth, now that I am in my 50s. (Age will play a role in a lot of this.)

I have been meaning to do facials more often, like weekly, but I kept forgetting or not getting around to it. Part of that was having to dig out my tube of face mask. I recently moved it next to the stuff I use daily, and that helps me remember. So, if you need to make updates to your routine, little things that make remembering and executing easier are to be seized.

Now for the feet.

Speaking of aging, now that I am older I have to wear supportive shoes. I don't think I actually had plantar fasciitis when I was younger and wearing very cheap shoes, but having worn supportive shoes now I can see that they would have helped me then, when I was working eight hour shifts in retail and fast food.

It is not helpful that these shoes are so much more expensive, but being able to walk without being in terrible pain is very helpful. Depending on the severity, inserts may be enough. Either way, being able to move is huge, and support is one way of taking care of your feet.

That reminds us that one thing to look for is pain. Pain is a signal. It is telling you something. New pain, or increased pain, means something has changed, and should be investigated.

We may also visually notice changes. For example, feet can be prone to fungus. You may feel an itch, but you may also notice discoloration of the toenails. There are remedies for those. 

If you have a tendency to get ingrown toenails, and the best solution seems to be regular pedicures that are also a source of relaxation for you, great! There can be good answers once you start looking. 

Moving up slightly, one amusing story from author Beverly Cleary was that her gym teacher told her she had weak ankles, and assigned her to spend class picking up marbles with her toes. I don't know if that is the best method, but later on Cleary was able to ice skate, which indicates that her ankles got stronger.

Are there areas of your body where you know you are weak? Strengthening is possible. Often it is not even a matter of needing to increase muscle mass but of helping the muscles coordinate together better. This is doable.

Moving on up, pain in your legs could mean many things. If you are increasing activity, you could end up with shin splints; those will hurt. This may again be an issue where you need to change shoes, but healing may also require rest. If the injury comes from increased exercise, that will be frustrating, but remember that there are many types of exercise. Maybe that type will work after some recovery and with improved shoes or methods. 

Giving yourself a chance requires understanding yourself.

What about knee pain? If it's arthritis, I have two pieces of advice for you. Depending on the scope, it may eventually require joint replacement, which is amazing for how it takes the pain away. However, it will not restore flexibility. Holding yourself stiffly to try and avoid the pain may lose something that cannot be restored prior to the resurrection. 

I will also add, though, that strengthening your core may help relieve pressure from your knees, or your shoulders, depending on what other parts of your body you use to help with getting up and down. Strength can be increased, and that can help with many things.

As we move past the lower limbs and into the organs, we must now refer to things that are gross. Maturity and an interest in health must be our guide.

So, are you drinking enough water? It is helpful for your kidneys, and your body operations in general. One guide may be how yellow your urine is. It is darker in the mornings after sleep, but otherwise it should be getting lighter throughout the day as you drink. Then, if it has no yellow at all, you may be drinking too much, which has its own problems.

Drinking water does not come naturally to everyone, so this is an area where little things may help. Would it help if you kept cold water in the fridge? What about adding lemon wedges? Should you get a water filter? It does not have to require buying expensive (wasteful) bottled waters with flavors and tested pH or carbonation, but there may be small things that you can do that will make things easier.

Even grosser now: are you pooping regularly and easily?

If not, you may need to eat a more balanced diet. I don't say "fiber" specifically, because it is generally better to eat a variety of foods than to try and compensate with supplements.

If you should be menstruating, are you? How regular is it? Is it accompanied by a great deal of pain?

Pain again, but one issue for women is that their medical issues are often not taken seriously or researched as much. If one practitioner tells you that the debilitating pain is normal, another might be able to help, or at least try harder to help.

Also, even if you are at the age where slowing down is normal, there may be effects from the hormonal changes that are worth discussing with your doctor, 

Don't be squeamish about your health.

How is your digestion? Increasing heartburn could be a reaction to stress, or a sign to lay off certain foods (at least at night), but it could also be a hiatal hernia. There may also be some connection to low thyroid functions.

For your pancreas, do you know how your blood sugar is doing? That can be measured easily. How is your cholesterol? 

As we move to your lungs, how is your lung capacity. Do you get short of breath? When does it happen? 

This can be a training issue. For example if you can walk for miles on flat space, but a slight incline or flight of stairs leaves you panting, you could look at some interval training to increase your ability with raised elevation. 

You may also notice that there are certain times when emotions seize you that increase your breathing rate, maybe not going into a full blown panic attack or even technically hyperventilation, but that you notice. That is also something that can be addressed.

Do remember that COVID has been causing lung damage, and you will not be able to heal that via will power. For all of the areas where you should consult a doctor before starting a new exercise program, this may be the most important.

We have reached the heart. Probably the first thing to know here is what is your blood pressure and pulse; how is your heart doing? 

As we have gone through internal organs, we have been passing by another set of limbs. 

Obviously arthritis can affect the hands and shoulders as well, but I want to mention two other possibilities.

Watch out for repetitive stress injuries. There was a secretary at my grade school who got tennis elbow from cranking the mimeograph machine. Those don't even exist anymore, but there are plenty of other ways to hurt yourself by repeating an action, perhaps most frequently appearing as carpal tunnel syndrome.

Little things like braces may help, or paying more attention to the positions you hold, but it is worth paying attention, especially when it relates to being able to perform a job that you need.

In addition, if you frequently wake up with numbness or tingling in your hands, or your hands are cold when the rest of you is not, that may indicate Hashimoto's Disease, also connected to the thyroid.

Also near the arms and organs we have the back, frequently susceptible to pain. I once made a huge difference for my life by replacing an old mattress, but this could also be an area where core strengthening exercises will help. There may be adjustments needed. The key is to know that pain is not automatically necessary. You may have to accept it, but first see if there is a remedy.

We move on up to the head.

First off, are you taking care of your teeth? Dental health plays into your susceptibility to infection, your pain, and how others perceive you, which can be important for social and emotional health. Dental plaque may even correlate to arterial plaque. 

I hope it is has been obvious by now that this is not an exhaustive list, because that would not even be possible. This becomes even more true with the head.

If we look at just the physical pain of a headache, that could be eye strain or stress or sinus pressure or dehydration or a migraine or lack of sleep or a tumor. The type of pain and other symptoms can be a clue, but there are a lot of options. This is where being familiar with your body and paying attention to changes in your life and how you feel becomes so important.

If you are normally well-hydrated, but one day you are not, and can realize that, that makes resolving the issue easier.

Then if we look at the mind-body connection, things can become even more confusing. For example, a potassium deficiency can show up as depression or even hallucinations. Because potassium helps run the electrical processes in the body (so how your heart and brain runs), that makes sense. However, it might not be the first thing that you think of.

Therefore, having your body physically healthy is going to make sustaining your mental and emotional health easier, and vice versa, but it may not always be clear what to address first.

I maintain my belief that guidance is available if we will listen. Sometimes getting that answer will require research and doctor visits and "own efforts", but it is possible.

I wish you well.