Avoiding the Unforced Error
by Casee Yarborough, LAT, ATC
Unforced Errors. In baseball, it’s an outfielder dropping an easy fly ball or an infielder missing a throw, allowing a runner to advance. With your car, it’s not changing the oil for years, leading to bigger problems. In life, it’s not taking care of your body, which leads to injuries or other health conditions.
We’ve heard about lifespan: how long you live. But it might be more important to talk about healthspan. How long will you stay healthy? Healthspan is often defined as the time free from serious disease like heart disease, stroke, COPD, or cancer.
However, let’s extend it a little further and think of health and healthspan from a quality of life perspective. Yes, serious diseases like these mentioned reduce quality of life. But, even non-deadly conditions can hinder quality of life. Not being able to comb your hair without shoulder pain. Not being able to walk more than 100 yards without being out of breath. These aren’t life-threatening, but they still impact how you live day to day. Some conditions might be unavoidable depending on your genetics or health history, but how do we extend our healthspan as long as possible?
Imagine…
You’re 60 years old working a physically demanding job. You’ve been hard on your body for years. You’ve had a joint replacement and deal with aches and pains. Maybe you walk with a limp. Maybe lifting to shoulder height is a challenge.
Quality of life is less when you can’t do the things you once could or still want to do. Travel? That can be a lot of walking, carrying/lifting suitcases, or sitting in uncomfortable positions on an airplane or in a car.
If you’ve reached this point, it’s not too late. Light strength training or cardio can improve function and reduce pain, helping you get more out of the years ahead.
It’s Not Too Late!
If you haven’t reached this point, what can you do now to avoid it? When retirement comes, will you be able to enjoy it? The answer isn’t far-fetched: take care of your body!
- stretch
- strengthen
- do exercise you enjoy
- eat a well-rounded diet
- drink water
- have treats in moderation
- visit a doctor regularly and have bloodwork checked
These habits can help you extend not just your lifespan, but your quality of life.
You’ve worked hard for years. When do you plan to enjoy life? Are you waiting for retirement, or finding ways to enjoy it now? Both are important!
We don’t know how long our lifespan or healthspan will last. Take care of your body now to give yourself the best chance to enjoy both. What small, manageable lifestyle changes can you make today that support your health and avoid the unforced errors that add up over time?
Casee Yarborough, LAT, ATC || Casee is a Certified Athletic Trainer with a degree from Palm Beach Atlantic University. A native Floridian, she worked as an athletic trainer at a high school for two years before switching to the industrial setting. Outside of work she enjoys fitness, sports, and traveling.
Be sure to check out our other blogs for further injury prevention education and tips for the industrial athlete from Work Right!