Dr Rangan Chatterjee has done it again! In Feel Better in 5, he has produced another beautifully laid out book that takes complex scientific and medical research, mixes in a dose of common sense and explains the problems in terms that can be understood by anyone. Crucially, he provides simple solutions that are easy for most people to fit into their everyday lives.
The concept of the book is based upon the fact that if we all work on improving three key areas of our life we will - as his podcast is titled - feel better and live more. The three elements he focuses on are our minds, bodies and hearts. He encourages the readers to spend just 5 minutes a day working on each of these areas, a total of 15 minutes, in order to reap the benefits that he assures us will be seen in a short space of time. There are over 30 ‘health snacks’ to choose from, so there is definitely something for everyone. Readers are guided to pick just one ‘health snack’ from each of the three sections.
In the Mind section, there is advice on exercises to calm the mind, as well as recipes that improve brain function. The Heart chapter of the book is all about connecting with others. There are parts of both these chapters that resonate with Nordic Walkers. For instance, the power of nature and the importance of social activities feature prominently.
However, it is the Body chapter that I was most interested to read. Every aspect of body health that he covered - strength, HIIT, balance etc. - has a correlation to Nordic Walking and the way in which we use our bodies with our poles. He has some great exercise routines, all taking just 5 minutes, that focus on particular parts of the body. I will definitely be incorporating some into my future lesson plans, so if you want to get ahead, then read the book and start practicing!.