recovery Archives - The Health Sessions

How Foam Rolling Can Help with Chronic Illness

This article is written by Aimee Harrington.

You might have often seen a foam roller used by athletes to help ease muscle soreness after exercise. However, a foam roller uses a technique called self-myofascial release, which treats muscle pain and immobility through applied pressure to the ‘fascia’. The fascia is the tissue that connects everything in our body. When pressure is applied in this way, it can help to increase blood flow to the muscle, which in turn eases soreness and inflammation, as well as improving flexibility and mobility.

Little do people know, but foam rollers can also be extremely beneficial in helping ease a number of chronic illnesses linked to muscle problems. However, at The Health Sessions, we always recommend getting the go-ahead by your doctor before use!

Ten 30-Day Challenges to Reboot Your Health in One Month

Do you need a reset after the holidays? Whether it’s the new year, back-to-school season or the beginning of a new month, there’s something that makes those times feel like the fresh start you need to reboot your health and go after your dreams.

It’s no wonder 30-day challenges have become so popular to build healthy habits and make progress with your goals. We all know that changing your behavior takes time. But when you consistently practice a daily habit for one month, you can make real improvements in a relatively short amount of time. And yet, there’s always an end in sight when you feel like giving up. This also makes 30-day challenges the perfect opportunity to experiment with different routines to see if you like it.

You’ve probably seen trendy month-long challenges like the plank challenge and Dry January on your social media feeds. But as always, I like to feature ideas that are manageable for all kinds of energy levels. Because even if you’re chronically ill – or maybe especially! – making small lifestyle changes can add up to big results over time.

So check out these ten 30-day challenges and see which ones you’d like to try next month!

Hydrotherapy: 5 Ways to Use the Healing Power of Water at Home

Hydrotherapy: How to Experience the Healing Power of Water at Home

What’s more relaxing than soaking in a warm bath after a tiring day?

All throughout history and around the world, people have immersed themselves in water to feel better. And modern science proves them right. Depending on the temperature and use of water, hydrotherapy can improve several physiological functions of your body. For example, being in cold water speeds up your metabolism and improves immunity markers, while warm water decreases muscle soreness and eases pain. Steam rooms, on the other hand, support your natural detoxification and blood circulation.

The good news is: you don’t necessarily have to book a fancy spa treatment to get these benefits. With a little effort, you can turn your daily tub time into a health-boosting ritual too.

Take a look at these 5 ways to practice hydrotherapy at home.

How to Boost Your Energy - Spoonie-Style | The Health Sessions

10 Subtle Ways to Boost Your Energy (Spoonie-Style)

This blog post contains some affiliate links to resources you may find useful, at no extra costs to you. All opinions are my own.

Money may make the world go round, but energy is the true currency of life.

This becomes all too clear when you’re no longer able to do the everyday things you used to do on autopilot. Getting dressed, eating breakfast or having a conversation, it all requires energy. And people with chronic illness only have a limited supply of energy, as the spoon theory famously explains.

Now obviously, treating the underlying cause of your fatigue should be the first step you take. Also, the combination of restorative sleep, good nutrition and regular exercise is a proven recipe to boost your energy levels. The problem is, that when you suffer from health problems, those fundamental habits aren’t always easy to attain. Pain keeps you up at night, which means you have even less energy to make healthy meals or go for a walk. Not to mention that pushing through the fatigue often only worsens your symptoms.

So if you suffer from all-consuming tiredness from chronic illness, is there anything you can do to feel more alert and productive? Have a look at these 10 spoonie-proof ways to boost your energy.

Does Having a Chronic Illness Mean You Can Never Recover?

Being diagnosed with a chronic illness can feel like a life sentence. After all, the word ‘chronic’ by definition refers to a continuing event; something that occurs again and again for a long time; or something that’s always present.

The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention defines chronic illness as a health condition that lasts one year or more, requires ongoing medical attention and/or limits your daily functioning. Generally, people with chronic illnesses like arthritis, COPD, epilepsy and kidney disease cannot be cured by medication, only manage their daily symptoms.

Does that imply that having a chronic illness means you can never recover again?