Just one thing

Some of you will have heard of Dr Michael Mosley and his series called "Just One Thing". If you haven't, it's a look at simple things you can do in your daily life that can have a big difference on your physical and mental well-being.  

I came across it during Covid, when I started walking around my local area. These short walks were only about 30 minutes long and gave me time to switch off from the goings on of the world. 

Each podcast is around 15 minutes long and covers a single topic (the "just one thing" thing 😉) - explaining what the thing was, getting a volunteer to try it out over a period of time, and then catching up with the volunteer to see the results. 

These podcasts and the "just one things" I have adopted have changed my life. They have given me simple activities that I have included in my daily routine and I can see specific and clear benefits - for a start my balance and coordination has become better as has my memory.

I would highly recommend the podcasts to get an idea of what it's about and hopefully add a couple of "just one things" into your life. 

Here's a few of the just one things that I have worked into my life. I don't do them all every day, but I do try and work them in whenever I get a chance.

1. A morning glass of water

When I wake up, the first thing I do is grab a glass and have a drink of good old tap water. In my case it has helped in a couple of ways. I've always known I don't drink enough fluids, so this gives a morning boost to my fluid intake, and (unsurprisingly to those in the know) it has also helped with my arthritis. 

2. Going for a walk 

Who new I was do a "just one thing" without knowing it. It doesn't need to be a long or vigorous walk, but just getting outside for a walk is great for your mental health as well as getting that beneficial exercise. Ideally take your walk in a greenish area, it doesn't have to be up in the hills or out in wilds of the country, any area with a tree or two will do. Whilst out for a walk, engage other senses by touching trees, shrubs, or the grass, and also take in the  smells of nature (ie try going for a walk after it rains)

3. Standing on one leg

As we get older our balance tends to fade as we're not exercising the muscles and grey matter that controls balance. So try and stand on one leg for up to 30 seconds. You can do this alongside a daily activity like brushing your teeth. If you get good at it, try and do it with your eyes closed - this is quite a bit harder, so make sure your in a place where if you stumble you won't end up falling and hurting yourself

4. Walk backwards

This one can be hilarious if your neighbours see you 🤣. When you're out for your walk turn around and walk a few steps backwards. This helps with balance and co-ordination

5. Skip whilst walking

Just like walking backwards, try skipping (the walking version not the skip rope version - although that's good too). Again this helps with balance and co-ordination

6. Jump off a step 

Yes you heard me, jump of a step. I'm only talking one step, but you'd be surprised how scary it is as a sexagenarian to jump off just one step. Once you conquer that fear, try jumping off two or more steps 🫣. If you're feeling really confident and adventurous try jumping backwards up one step

7. Use your less dominant hand to type

We get so used to using our dominant hand to do things, so it can be a bit of a mental challenge to use our less dominant hand for daily tasks. One that I find particularly useful is using my left hand (I'm right handed 😉) to type on my phone or computer keyboard. 

8. Play a computer game

Computer games are great to help with your cognitive ability in so many ways. Some help with visual coordination, spatial awareness and reaction times just to name a few. I use a free set of games from Lumosity that are specifically aimed to train your brain to make it better.

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So that's just a few of my "just one things", I'm still listening to the podcasts so will likely add more as time goes on. What "just one thing" have you adopted?