Travel, the World Series & the importance of sleep
October was just an amazing month, possibly one of the craziest but most fun & memorable months I’ve ever had. Lots of things happened, as the month started and ended with two great things…..
On Oct. 2nd I flew to Phoenix for a two-day trail race in Utah. We drove up to Kanab, Utah and did a 13+ mile trail race in Bryce Canyon, and the following day did a 12+ mile trail race in Zion National Park. Two beautiful national parks in two days!! I have never stopped so much in a race (to take photos) and to walk over some of the more challenging terrain, but for me it was all about the experience. For once I didn’t care about my race time or finish. I wanted to take it all in & fully enjoy what I was seeing. After each race I did some additional hiking with my family, so needless to say I was pretty wiped out and sore after all that exercise. On the way back to Phoenix we stopped at Horseshoe Bend of the Grand Canyon, and that was quite the amazing sight. If you want to see photos of this trip, I posted some on our office Facebook & Instagram pages (you don’t need an account to see the photos, but if you have an account, please make sure you “like” us! ).
October also started with the major league baseball playoffs, and for those of you who know me well, know that I’m a huge Red Sox fan. So this month was fun for that reason! I loved watching the Sox this past season and especially this past month. And last week when they advanced to the World Series, my sister & I had the opportunity to go to a game, so I quickly make plans & flew up to Boston. We watched game 2 and it was so exciting being there in Boston, being at a World Series game. When I was 10-yrs old I went to my first Red Sox game with her, and we went to many games together when I was growing up, so it was extra special that we were there together. And then they won the World Series on Sunday night!
At the beginning of the month I joked that I tend to get sick every October, and it’s typically because I get less sleep and don’t eat as well. So this month I tried to pay extra attention to getting enough sleep. Anytime I was feeling tired or on the verge of getting sick, I made sure I went to bed early. Yes there were some baseball games that I missed, because staying up was just not worth it to me (even though I really wanted to!). And it has made me realize how important sleep is. We are supposed to be getting 7-9 hours of sleep every night; that is when our bodies heal, repair & grow. If we don’t allow our bodies that time of repair & recovery, then healing is impaired and sickness can ensue. And with kids, it’s even more important (have you ever seen a toddler misbehave because they are tired? – yes the same is true with school age kids, teenagers and even adults.
So please, in between all the fun (or work) in your life, make time for quality sleep. Yes there are days you may end up with a bad night sleep, but do your best to make that up the following night and you’ll be amazed at how well you feel. Add in regular chiropractic adjustments, whole food nutrition and some exercise and your health can & should improve.
