Rangan Chatterjee's Blog, page 45

Desk Jockey Workout 3/4: Arm Spirals

Movement 3 – Arm Spirals

The Desk Jockey Workout is one of the many 5 minute workouts from my book. Feel Better in 5. It is particularly good if you spend most of your day sitting down, perhaps looking at screens. It can be incredibly helpful for back pain, neck pain, shoulder discomfort and general stiffness. Each of the 4 movements should be done in sequence. Quality is much more important than quantity. For detailed written instructions on how to do each movement, please see pages 169-177 of my book, Feel Better in 5.

This video demonstrates the third out of four movements in the ‘Desk Jockey Workout’ – it is called ‘Arm Spirals’. Our arms and shoulder blades are chronically underused, especially in people who are stuck in chairs all day with their arms relatively immobile. This can lead to pain in our necks and shoulders and, sometimes, contribute to headaches. Arm spirals are a brilliant way to wake up your arms and shoulder blades and get them moving. This is one of my favourite movements to do after a long day at work. Give it a go and let me know what you think.

The Desk Jockey Workout Series:



Wall CogsFrontal CogsArm SpiralsThe Crucifix

para

DISCLAIMER: The
content in this blog is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for
professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of
your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may
have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice
or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog or on this
website.

The post Desk Jockey Workout 3/4: Arm Spirals appeared first on Dr Rangan Chatterjee.

Desk Jockey Workout 2/4: Frontal Cogs

Movement 2 – Frontal Cogs

The Desk Jockey Workout is one of the many 5 minute workouts from my book. Feel Better in 5. It is particularly good if you spend most of your day sitting down, perhaps looking at screens. It can be incredibly helpful for back pain, neck pain, shoulder discomfort and general stiffness. Each of the 4 movements should be done in sequence. Quality is much more important than quantity. For detailed written instructions on how to do each movement, please see pages 169-177 of my book, Feel Better in 5.

This video demonstrates the second out of four movements in the ‘Desk Jockey Workout’ – it is called ‘Frontal Cogs’. Frontal cogs are similar to the previous movement, wall cogs, but work your body in a different plane. In this movement, you will use your back and chest muscles as well as your ribs. Once you get the hang of this one, it is a really enjoyable movement to do. Give it a go and let me know what you think.

The Desk Jockey Workout Series:



Wall CogsFrontal CogsArm SpiralsThe Crucifix

para

DISCLAIMER: The
content in this blog is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for
professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of
your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may
have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice
or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog or on this
website.

The post Desk Jockey Workout 2/4: Frontal Cogs appeared first on Dr Rangan Chatterjee.

Desk Jockey Workout 1/4: Wall Cogs

Movement 1 – Wall Cogs

The Desk Jockey Workout is one of the many 5 minute workouts from my book. Feel Better in 5. It is particularly good if you spend most of your day sitting down, perhaps looking at screens. It can be incredibly helpful for back pain, neck pain, shoulder discomfort and general stiffness. Each of the 4 movements should be done in sequence. Quality is much more important than quantity. For detailed written instructions on how to do each movement, please see pages 169-177 of my book, Feel Better in 5.

This video demonstrates the first out of four movements in the Desk Jockey Workout’ – it is called ‘Wall Cogs’. This exercise will open up and mobilise your shoulder blades, spine, pelvis and ribcage. It can take a little while to get the hang of this movement but it really is worth persevering. Let me know below how you get on.

The Desk Jockey Workout Series:



Wall CogsFrontal CogsArm SpiralsThe Crucifix

para

DISCLAIMER: The
content in this blog is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for
professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of
your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may
have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice
or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog or on this
website.

The post Desk Jockey Workout 1/4: Wall Cogs appeared first on Dr Rangan Chatterjee.

The Clock Workout 3/3: Core Clocks

Movement 3 – Core Clocks

The Clock Workout is one of the many 5 minute workouts from my book Feel Better in 5. Much of our lives are spent moving our bodies in only one direction. Whether we’re sitting on a chair, flexing our neck up and down to look at screens or moving between floors by going up and down stairs, we’re drastically limited in our range of motions. Our bodies were designed to move in 3 dimensions, yet modern life forces us to largely move in only one. The Clock Workout is a series of 3 movements that can help with general body mobility, shoulder problems, elbow pain, hip stiffness and back discomfort. They are also brilliant for those of us who like to be active but spend a lot of time during the day sitting down. For detailed written instructions on how to do each movement, please see pages 179-185 of my book, Feel Better in 5.

This video demonstrates the first out of three movements in ‘The Clock Workout’ – it is called Core Clock. This exercise will get your glutes working in every possible direction. It can help if you have pain or stiffness, but will also improve strength. This movement prioritises functionality over looks, but the simple fact is that when your bottom muscles are firing more efficiently, their shape will almost always improve. This is a really fun and enjoyable movement to do. Give it a go and let me know how you get on.

The Clock Workout Series:



Lunge Clocks Shoulder ClocksCore Clocks

para

DISCLAIMER: The
content in this blog is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for
professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of
your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may
have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice
or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog or on this
website.

The post The Clock Workout 3/3: Core Clocks appeared first on Dr Rangan Chatterjee.

The Clock Workout 2/3: Shoulder Clocks

Movement 2 – Shoulder Clocks

The Clock Workout is one of the many 5 minute workouts from my book Feel Better in 5. Much of our lives are spent moving our bodies in only one direction. Whether we’re sitting on a chair, flexing our neck up and down to look at screens or moving between floors by going up and down stairs, we’re drastically limited in our range of motions. Our bodies were designed to move in 3 dimensions, yet modern life forces us to largely move in only one. The Clock Workout is a series of 3 movements that can help with general body mobility, shoulder problems, elbow pain, hip stiffness and back discomfort. They are also brilliant for those of us who like to be active but spend a lot of time during the day sitting down. For detailed written instructions on how to do each movement, please see pages 179-185 of my book, Feel Better in 5.

This video demonstrates the first out of three movements in ‘The Clock Workout’ – it is called Shoulder Clock. This exercise will get your glutes working in every possible direction. It can help if you have pain or stiffness, but will also improve strength. This movement prioritises functionality over looks, but the simple fact is that when your bottom muscles are firing more efficiently, their shape will almost always improve. This is a really fun and enjoyable movement to do. Give it a go and let me know how you get on.

The Clock Workout Series:



Lunge Clocks Shoulder ClocksCore Clocks

para

DISCLAIMER: The
content in this blog is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for
professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of
your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may
have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice
or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog or on this
website.

The post The Clock Workout 2/3: Shoulder Clocks appeared first on Dr Rangan Chatterjee.

The Clock Workout 1/3: Lunge Clocks

Movement 1 – Lunge Clocks

The Clock Workout is one of the many 5 minute workouts from my book Feel Better in 5. Much of our lives are spent moving our bodies in only one direction. Whether we’re sitting on a chair, flexing our neck up and down to look at screens or moving between floors by going up and down stairs, we’re drastically limited in our range of motions. Our bodies were designed to move in 3 dimensions, yet modern life forces us to largely move in only one. The Clock Workout is a series of 3 movements that can help with general body mobility, shoulder problems, elbow pain, hip stiffness and back discomfort. They are also brilliant for those of us who like to be active but spend a lot of time during the day sitting down. For detailed written instructions on how to do each movement, please see pages 179-185 of my book, Feel Better in 5.

This video demonstrates the first out of three movements in ‘The Clock Workout’ – it is called Lunge Clock. This exercise will get your glutes working in every possible direction. It can help if you have pain or stiffness, but will also improve strength. This movement prioritises functionality over looks, but the simple fact is that when your bottom muscles are firing more efficiently, their shape will almost always improve. This is a really fun and enjoyable movement to do. Give it a go and let me know how you get on.

The Clock Workout Series:



Lunge Clocks Shoulder ClocksCore Clocks

para

DISCLAIMER: The
content in this blog is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for
professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of
your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may
have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice
or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog or on this
website.

The post The Clock Workout 1/3: Lunge Clocks appeared first on Dr Rangan Chatterjee.

Why Connection Is The Most Important Aspect Of Health: Best Of 2019

CAUTION ADVISED: this podcast contains swearing.

Over the past 2 years, I have had the privilege of talking with some of the most influential and insightful voices in the health and wellbeing space. To celebrate, I have decided to release 3 very special compilation episodes at the end of the year, which also happens to be the end of the decade! In my new book, Feel Better in 5, I split up health into 3 main areas: Mind, Body and Heart. The ‘Heart’ section is all about nurturing your essential human connections. This is such a crucial, but undervalued, component of health. People who are lonely are 50% more likely to die earlier and 30% more likely to suffer from a heart attack or stroke. The feeling of social isolation is through to be as harmful for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day.

In today’s show, I
share some of the best clips from my podcast about the importance and power of
meaningful human connection. You will hear from Dhru Purohit on why we need
deep meaningful friendships to thrive, and not just survive, the
hypnotherapist, Chloe Brotheridge, on why being kind to yourself is so
important and why life feels perfect once we accept the way that things are,
the outspoken Nagoski Sisters, who discuss how to complete the stress response
cycle, no matter what the stressor is in your life is and why a 20 second hug
can be so beneficial. You will then hear from Peter Crone – without question,
my conversation with Peter has proven to be one of the most popular and
impactful episodes I have ever released on my show – I share a clip where Peter
talks about how you cannot create the life of someone else you don’t believe
yourself to be and how true happiness is the absence of the search for
happiness. We then hear from the physician, Gabor Mate, who talks about social
isolation and how addiction is a behaviour that we use to soothe our pain, and
then finish off with the wonderful Johann Hari on the primal importance of
human connection and why he defines home as being the place where somebody
notices when you are not there. 

I really enjoyed
putting this episode together and I hope you enjoy listening, as much!

There are plenty of 5 minute tips on
how to nurture those essential human connections in my brand new book, Feel
Better in 5. You can order your very own copy now – Feel
better in 5; Your Daily Plan to Feel Better for Life.

Disclaimer: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.*

Click here for more information on our sponsor athleticgreens.com/livemore

Click here for more information on our sponsor vivobarefoot.com/livemore

Links to full
podcast episodes:



Podcast episode 80 – Why
Spending Time With Your Friends Is More Important Than You Think with Dhru
PurohitPodcast episode 65 – Developing
Confidence and Learning to Say No with Chloe BrotheridgePodcast episode 60 – The
Secret to Solving the Stress Cycle with Drs Emily and Amelia NagoskiPodcast episode 82 – How
to Create the Life You Were Born to Live with Peter CronePodcast episode 37 – How
Our Childhood Shapes Every Aspect of Our Health with Dr. Gabor MatéPodcast episode 52 – Uncovering
the Real Causes of Depression with Johann Hari PART 2All episodes: drchatterjee.com/podcast



Dr Chatterjee’s resources:



Find
Dr Chatterjee’s 4 Pillar of Health in The 4 Pillar PlanAvailable
in the US & Canada with the title How to Make Disease DisappearOrder
Dr Chatterjee’s book The Stress Solution.Dr
Chatterjee’s NEW book Feel Better in 5 is out now.

para

*DISCLAIMER: Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

The post Why Connection Is The Most Important Aspect Of Health: Best Of 2019 appeared first on Dr Rangan Chatterjee.

Chart your Success

A fantastic tip for allowing yourself to experience a little hit of pleasure every time you complete a health snack is to make it visual. One of my patients uses a wall chart and stickers to track his workouts. Seeing all the days he’s managed to get in some exercise provides him with all the motivation he needs to keep going. He has a visual record of his success and doesn’t want to see his streak being broken.

I’ve created a wall chart for you to use here – downloadable Wall Chart. Once you have ticked off your health snacks for a few days in a row, you will start to build momentum and you won’t want to stop. In my experience, celebrating every single little success is just so important. We start to crave those small moments of victory. We feel bad if we miss them. When this happens to you, you’ll know the programme is working!

Download and print the Wall Chart and place on your fridge.

This chart is taken from my new book Feel Better in 5, available now.

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DISCLAIMER: The
content in this blog is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for
professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of
your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may
have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice
or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog or on this
website.

The post Chart your Success appeared first on Dr Rangan Chatterjee.

The Very Best Tips to Look After Your Mental Health: Best of 2019

Over the past 2 years, I have had the privilege of talking with some of the most interesting and insightful voices in health. To celebrate, I am releasing 3 very special episodes at the end of the year which also happens to be the end of the decade!  In my new book ‘Feel Better in 5’ I split up health into 3 broad categories: Mind, Body and Heart. The first section ‘Mind’ is all about doing little things each day that will look after your mental health, something that has never been more important than it is today. Our minds are simply not designed for the modern world. The incredible pace of human civilisation has far exceeded our brain’s ability to cope. This is one of the reasons that many of us struggle with anxiety, depression, fatigue and a lack of purpose. In today’s show, I share with you some of the very best clips from previous episodes relating to the topic of our minds. I hope that it will serve as a ‘greatest hits’ of practical tips that you can use each day to look after your minds to feel happier and calmer – simple things that we can all do in our busy lives.

You will hear clips from Natasha Devon on what ‘mental fitness’ is and how to ring fence time for it each day,  the neurosurgeon, Rahul Jandial, about the effect meditative breathing has on changing your brain waves, the neuroscientist and medical doctor, Tara Swart, on the power of your thoughts and how effective journaling can be, Professor Felice Jacka on the very latest research on how our diet can impact our mood and alleviate some cases of depression and we finish off with the inspirational Matt Haig who shares his amazing and insightful wisdom.  If you are a fan of my podcast, I really think you are going to love this very special episode. Sit back, strap yourself in…and enjoy!

There
are plenty more 5 minute tips for your Mind in my brand new book, Feel Better
in 5, which is available to order now – Feel
better in 5; Your Daily Plan to Feel Better for Life.

Disclaimer: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.*

Click here for more information on our sponsor athleticgreens.com/livemore

Click here for more information on our sponsor vivobarefoot.com/livemore

Links to full
podcast episodes:



Podcast episode 57 – Mental
Fitness and Body Image with Natasha Devon MBEPodcast episode 76 – How
to Optimise Your Brain Health with Dr Rahul JandialPodcast episode 58 – How
to Open Your Mind and Change Your Life with Dr Tara SwartPodcast episode 74 – How
Diet Can Save Your Mental Health with Professor Felice JackaPodcast episode 61 – Talking
Mental Health with Matt HaigAll
episodes: drchatterjee.com/podcast



Dr Chatterjee’s
resources:



Find
Dr Chatterjee’s 4 Pillar of Health in The 4 Pillar PlanAvailable
in the US & Canada with the title How to Make Disease DisappearOrder
Dr Chatterjee’s book The Stress Solution.Pre-order
Dr Chatterjee’s NEW book Feel Better in 5

para

*DISCLAIMER: Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

The post The Very Best Tips to Look After Your Mental Health: Best of 2019 appeared first on Dr Rangan Chatterjee.

Feeling stressed and anxious? Here are 6 reasons why nature should be your cure

According to the Mental Health Foundation, 74 per cent of us have felt so stressed at some point over the past year that we’ve felt overwhelmed and unable to cope.[1] Taking steps to reduce stress – linked to anxiety, depression, insomnia, heart disease, poor immunity and digestive problems – is, for me, one of the most important things we can do for our health.

My latest book, Feel Better In 5, takes the approach that your life can be
medicine. That it’s the little choices you make, day in day out, that add up to
a healthier you. And one of the very best medicines for stress, I believe, is
nature. We are hardwired to thrive in
nature, surrounded by greenery, bathed in sky and breathing in the healing
smells of plants and trees. Choosing to spend time outdoors, somewhere
green, is my prescription for stressed out bodies and minds.

Urban
life is exciting – but there’s no doubt it’s also draining. The typical modern high
street absolutely bristles with stress. Traffic, signs, adverts, shops,
commuters, smells, honking horns and wailing sirens – they’re all signals our
brain must work hard to process as it tries to keep us alert and safe. Research
has found that the more urban our environment, the worse our health becomes,
while time spent in green spaces has been proven to improve our mental and
physical health. Here’s how:

It lowers stress levels, reducing levels of the stress hormone
cortisol. Studies
have shown that being in nature can reduce
symptoms of depression. Spending
time in nature can help increase
attention span and focus. It boosts your immune system. Yes, really: trees emit certain chemicals
that have been shown to have a positive effect on immunity. It increases energy levels and reduces
fatigue. If we exercise in
nature, rather than in a gym, we tend to exercise for longer. One study found
that people who exercise in the outdoors on a regular basis have higher levels
of a hormone called serotonin, which reduces tiredness and helps keep us in a
happier mood. It lowers disease risk. Data from over 290 million people across 20
countries found that spending time in nature, or living near to it, can help
reduce type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure, as well
as improve sleep.

So
how can you harness these incredible benefits? It’s easy. Simply spend five
minutes each day enjoying nature, whether through sight, sound or smell. The
wonderful thing about nature is that it’s not only free, it’s also readily
accessible to many of us. Try any of the following ‘health snacks’ to get your
green fix:

Go outside for five minutes. Stare at the trees, listen to the birds, watch the branches move in the wind. Really focus on your surroundings and luxuriate in the experience. If you have a garden or balcony it’s fantastic to do this first thing in the morning –natural daylight exposure at this time is great for your body clock, helping you feel more awake and, hours later, sleep better. Multitask in nature. This could mean having your morning cup of tea in the garden. Or sitting by an open window, listening to the birds singing or meditating on the branches blowing in the wind. If you need to make a phone call, do it outside. Read a book, sketch, write your diary, take some photos. Look for opportunities to get back to nature, whatever the task at hand.Get green fingered. If you have a garden, go outside to water and check in on your plants each day, taking the time to really notice how they have changed since the day before. No garden? Build a collection of houseplants and learn to care for them.Exercise outdoors. The mental health benefits of both exercise and being somewhere green are well proven, so guess what happens when you combine them? Research confirms all-round health, fitness, mood and self-esteem are improved while mental fatigue and stress are reduced.[2]Listen up. If you can’t get outside, the sounds of nature can be of benefit. A quick search of YouTube, Spotify or any meditation app will find recordings of waves crashing or birds singing, so tune in to some aural therapy. Gaze on something green. Research has shown that even just looking at images of the natural world (compared to urban environments) is calming.[3] Select a beautiful photo of the outdoors for your screensaver, and place a few botanical pictures around your desk at work.



For more on how nature could be the cure to your stress, read my brand new book Feel Better In 5: Your Daily Plan To Feel Great For Life – you can order your own copy right now for only £8.49 from Amazon or Waterstones







https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/news/stressed-nation-74-uk-overwhelmed-or-unable-cope-some-point-past-yearhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3710158https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4690962

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DISCLAIMER: The
content in this blog is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for
professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of
your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may
have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice
or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog or on this
website.

The post Feeling stressed and anxious? Here are 6 reasons why nature should be your cure appeared first on Dr Rangan Chatterjee.