Wellness Corner: 10 minutes to wellness—10 time-worthy practices

Let’s face it, we are busier than ever. We have become multitasking masters, keeping 47 mental tabs open in our brain at once just to keep up with the nonstop flooding of our internal inbox. The sacrifice? Our physical, mental, and emotional wellness. Part of the problem is that we have accepted that chronic health problems are a norm.

A study by the American Psychological Association shows that 81% of us report good health, while 66% also report having high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis, anxiety, and depression disorders. The same study shows that money and the economy are the top stressors for ages 45–64.¹

The question begs to be asked: Are we really OK with being less healthy? I say no. I believe that we are just so busy, and the journey to complete health seems so daunting that we have thrown the baby out with the bathwater. When “time is money” and money is the thing we stress about the most,¹ it doesn’t take an economist to do the math on this one: we either don’t feel we have time to be healthy or that the amount of time we can allocate toward our health isn’t worth the investment. While more is better, 10 minutes a day to dedicate to wellness practices can go a long way.

What can we do in 10 minutes to make a real difference?

No. 1: Cardio

Just 10 minutes a day of brisk walking is shown to lower high blood pressure; enhance mood; increase immune system response, lowering illness occurrences; and even increase consistency in regular exercise.^2-4

No. 2: Mobility

Low-impact exercises like Tai Chi that focus on joint articulation (moving a joint in the path of an expected motion with the intention of maintaining a full range or improving to it) efficiently increases performance, reduces injury, improves joint health, and improves posture.^5,6

No. 3: Get up from the floor

The highest injury cause of mortality in older adults is falling.⁷ Too often, we don’t have enough muscle strength or flexibility to stop the progression of a fall or get up from a laying position once on the ground. This lack of combined mobility and strength doesn’t happen overnight, so practicing lying on the ground and getting up to standing can be performed and practiced in a short period of time. Easy peasy? Try not using hands or holding weight in one hand … or time yourself!

No. 4: Grip strength

Maintaining the ability to hold a handpiece or instrument is only the beginning of the importance of having a solid grip strength. We now know that grip strength is highly correlated with life and health span, including prevalence of cardiovascular disease.⁸ Grip strength can be done with a squeeze ball or hand grip device while sitting at a desk, in a meeting, or walking down a hallway.

No. 5: Isometric exercises

Exercises like planking or wall sits can be a great way to improve strength through stabilization benefits, especially for those with limited athletic ability or time. After all, there is no minute like a plank minute!⁹

No. 6: HIIT

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) incorporates multiple exercises (often bodyweight only) and is associated with neuron growth in the brain. The exercises are performed in succession without break periods. Burpees are another exercise that incorporates several different exercises into one movement that is repeated a given number of times. Ten minutes of burpees will humble even the best of us!

No. 7: Strength training

It is widely accepted that strength training is important for longevity, posture, and health. What many don’t know is that it reduces musculoskeletal pain in as little as 20 minutes, three times a week.¹¹ Resistance is required, so grab some weight and focus on one muscle group at a time, doing supersets (no rest periods between exercises) where possible to maximize time.

No. 8: Breathwork

Exercise isn’t the only wellness to focus on. Learning to relax is a major task for many busy dental professionals. Paced breathing is shown to reduce perceived pain, lower heart rates and perceived stress,¹⁰ and can be done just about anywhere at any time … like at the end of the workday.

No. 9: Stretch/yoga

To achieve mobility (moving limbs through space) or strength training (with resistance), the muscles need to be relieved of tension. Stretching independently or through a series of combined movements like in Yoga helps with this, and it feels great!

No. 10: Time out

Last, but not least, is the importance of taking a mental time-out. Dentistry is often mentally intense and requires a few minutes to unwind from to maintain emotional equilibrium and even increase production.¹² Whether by stepping outside during lunch to soak up some vitamin D or closing an office door to breathe offline, take your time.

No matter which 10 minutes investment we make toward our wellness, the benefits can be long-lasting for the improved health span of our lives.¹³

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in Clinical Insights newsletter, a publication of the Endeavor Business Media Dental Group. Read more articles and subscribe.