Are you a creature of habit?  Do you find yourself doing the same things day in and day out?  Do you despise having to change your plans to do something new?  If you have answered yes to these questions, you need to keep reading.  Variance is one of the most important things you can do for your health.  I will go as far as to say that it is NECESSARY for optimal health.

Let’s explore this theory a little deeper.  As I mentioned, variance can be applied to almost any area of your life, and bring better results.  Obviously there are some limitations to this, but let’s take a deeper look at some of the ways that it can be applied.

Diet

One of the most obvious ways that variance can be applied to your everyday habits, it to put a little in your diet.  If you are only taking in one or two different types of foods throughout the day, then you aren’t going to be getting the nutrition that you need to optimally fuel your body.  Adding different types of foods (not only from different food groups, but also different types of cooking methods) can really help you get past some of your health hang-ups.  Take in some new fruits and vegetables, maybe some that you didn’t like when you were a kid, and just see if it is something that you can benefit from.  The added nutrition alone may be worth it.

I’m not going to say that you should eat something you don’t like, just because it is good for you.  Some of the foods available to us, are worth that though.  After a couple of times, eating them isn’t a chore.  I have even come to like some of the foods that I have forced myself to eat.  I’m seeing a benefit from it too.

As I said, there are limits to this.  Varying only one factor (changing bacon with sausage, prime rib with other fatty cuts of meat, etc…) isn’t going to help you achieve your goals.  You have to make a full-on change to see the true benefits (think eating a nice home-cooked meal versus fast food, or substituting fresh vegetables for mashed potatoes).

Fitness

Making changes to your workout is something that we have talked extensively about in the past.  The same holds true here.  If you don’t make changes, your body is going to adapt to what you are currently doing, it will get more efficient at it, and you will see decreased results because of it.  By adding a little variety to the types of workouts you are doing (doing a Crossfit workout one day, a traditional weight workout the next, a kettlebell workout later in the week, and an anaerobic variety for cardio), you will see incredible changes in a short period of time.

Again, certain types of variance aren’t going to be sufficient.   If you just replace bench press with pushups, you aren’t going to see a big change.  If you run 3.5 miles instead of 3, you are making progress, but you are probably going to have to make some bigger changes to realize your full potential over the long-term. 

Start small and see what happens.  I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how your body responds.

Health Care

Making changes to your health care routine can provide you with some amazing improvements.  If you are used to only going to the doctor when you are sick, try checking out your chiropractor and getting a little maintenance work done.  If you usually fight through some of the ailments that you have, seek treatment right away.  This will eliminate some of the related problems that you would probably have experienced otherwise.  If you have never seen a chiropractor, a massage therapist or acupuncturist; give them a shot.  You really don’t have anything to lose, and there is a lot to gain.  I really think that you will see yourself on the injured reserve less, and performing the tasks that you want to be doing, easier and easier because of it.

This is one area where any type of variance will likely help you out, unless of course, you decide to skip some form of routine care.  Obviously that is not in your best interest and should be avoided at all costs.

Mental Health

I know y’all probably freaked out a little bit when you read this sub-topic.  Mental health is something that a lot of people relate with the word “crazy”.  This is not only an unfair comparison, but something that needs to be changed.  Mental health is as much of a concern as physical health; possibly even more so.  We have discussed the role that stress plays in health.

The reason that I wanted to talk a little bit about this is the fact that variance is great for your mental health.  Just like any other body part, your brain needs a break from the routine.  Studies have shown that learning a new skill, and stimulating your mind in new ways, will decrease your risk of suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.  It does this by increasing some of the neural connections in your brain.  The more connections you have, the more likely you are to avoid future issues.  It’s incredible how easy it is to avoid some of these diseases.  Small changes go a long way.

Again, this is an area that you will need to be careful.  If the change you are making is putting you in a more stressful situation than you would normally be in, it is probably something that you will want to evaluate a little deeper.  Is it something that you want to do, or you feel you must do?  Is it going to cause the rest of your health to diminish?  How often do you plan to do this activity?

Obviously learning any new skill will present a little stress.  Don’t eliminate it because it is going to cause some stress.  Evaluate how much stress is going to be introduced to your life.  If it is something that you can manage, go for it.  If it is going to decrease your health over the long-term, look for something that fits your needs a little better.

Variance is something that has gotten a bad rap.  Everyone likes to have their own little routine.  Although it isn’t always fun, it is something that presents you with an opportunity to grow.  Don’t shy away from those opportunities.  As the saying goes, “If you aren’t growing, you’re dying”.

If you have questions, or would like to discuss this further, please contact me at:

Jeffrey L. Cumro, Doctor of Chiropractic, Certified Personal Trainer
Better Life Chiropractic and Wellness, LLC
          Better Care > Better Health > Better Life
          10700 Sapp Bros Dr, Omaha, NE  68138
402-210-1472
BetterLifeNE@gmail.com
www.BetterLifeNE.com