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One of the first things I advise patients when travelling is “take your own pillow if you can”. You may not be able to control the bed or the couch at your destination, but you can control your pillow. Eventually I recommend everybody moves to a support pillow of some kind. I’m a side sleeper, so I need a higher pillow. The good thing about pillows is they aren’t too heavy and will squish into a suitcase. On this most recent visit, I bought a new pillow for the guest room and left it there. Neck sorted!

Now we move to the bed. A frequent request from patients is “Can you recommend a good bed?”. This can be really tricky. First of all, it is difficult to comparison shop. It seems that every retailer has their own “exclusive” range of beds from the manufacturers. It can seem like you’re comparing apples with oranges. I suggest you pick a store ( hopefully they’re having a sale) and stay there until you’re satisfied you’ve found the right bed. Know your budget and get the best bed you can for your dollar. I recommend changing beds every 10 years, so average the price over that 10 year period. For my bed at home, I spent about three hours in a store trying to decide between three models. The bed I chose was at the top of the mid-range models. At the lower end it can feel like you’re sleeping on springs covered with thin fabric, and some of the add-ons at the upper end are just ridiculous.

The bed in my parent’s guest room was VERY firm. We all know that  a soft mattress doesn’t support us, but a rock hard mattress can give us just as many problems. As I said earlier, I’m a side sleeper. Our bodies aren’t flat like a slab of concrete - we all have curves and bumps. When I sleep on my side, there needs to be some give in the mattress to accommodate my shoulder and my hip. If the mattress is too hard, then I need to rotate my shoulder forward and roll my pelvis to “support” my spine. I can tell you, trying to sleep 8 hours in this position isn’t easy. By the second morning I was awakened by sciatic pain in my left leg.

So, what’s the solution? Ideally, a new bed. Interestingly, I’ve found most people will retire their old beds to their holiday homes. Probably not the best recipe for a happy holiday! If a new bed is out of the question right now, then maybe an underlay of some description to cushion the body.

Remember, one size DOES NOT fit all when it comes to pillows. Tall, broad-shouldered side sleepers will need a bigger pillow than a petite back sleeper. And as far as beds are concerned, it’s the Goldilocks solution. Not to hard, not too soft but just right for you.

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Bosu stands for “BOth Sides Up” or “BOth Sides Used”. It looks like half a fitball. They usually have a blue, rubbery top and a black, hard plastic base. As the name suggests, either side could function as the base. Most people stand on them to perform exercises.

“What’s the point of standing on a Bosu?” you may ask. Well, performing exercises on an unstable base promotes the use of those all-important core muscles. 

Often core stability exercises appear to focus on abdominal exercises. While abdominal muscles do from a crucial part in core stability, doing lots of sit-ups won’t give you core stability. So, you don’t need rippling abs to have stability.

I like to think of core stability as awakening deep muscles in the abdominal and adjacent regions. Once we get these muscles “firing” regularly, they provide support for other exercises ( e.g. weights), and IMPROVE OUR ABILITY TO REACT TO SURPRISE EVENTS. 

Don’t be frightened of the Bosu. If you’re in a gym get a staff member to help you. That’s why they’re there. To begin with practice standing on the blue surface with both feet. Some people find it helpful to perform these exercises in front of a mirror. Try and keep your head still to maintain balance. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you perfect this skill.

Once you’re comfortable standing on the Bosu, start playing around with it. Try performing a squat. Try standing on one leg. Stand on the Bosu while performing bicep curls. ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PLENTY OF ROOM AROUND YOU SO YOU DON’T HIT YOUR HEAD ON SOMETHING IF YOU HAPPEN TO FALL OFF!

Now that you’ve mastered standing on the blue, rubbery surface turn it over and try all of these exercises standing on the hard, black surface.

Consider this. Your weight is determined by 2 things - the amount of food you put in your mouth and the amount of energy you burn. It’s a bit like a savings account. If you put more money in than you take out, then the account will GROW. The same holds for your weight. If you eat more than you burn off, then your weight will go up. If you burn off more than you eat, then your weight will go down.

So, there are two things you can influence. The amount and type of food you eat, and the amount and type of exercise you perform. If you don’t want to eat any less than you already are, then you’ll have to exercise more. If you don’t want to exercise any more, then you’ll have to eat less.

Try going for a brisk 30-45 minute walk three times a week. We do it for our dogs so why not treat yourself too!

Restrict alcohol intake. Try and have 2 alcohol-free days a week.

Be honest with your calorie counting. Include the cheese and dressing in your calculations when you write down that you had a “green salad”!

This is interesting. How many meals do you know how to make? 5? 10? If you look at the meals you’ve been having for the last six months you’ll probably discover you keep cooking the same dishes over and over again. The same 10 meals for the rest of your life! Depressing, isn’t it? Remember, these same 10 meals have contributed to your current weight. Why not pull out the healthy cookbook you bought and learn how to prepare 2 new, healthy meals. Now you have 12 choices and 2 of them might help you achieve your goal!

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