Exercise: An Essential Element of a Healthy Lifestyle
That dreaded eight-letter word: exercise.
Just like drinking enough water or getting plenty of sleep, we know that exercise is good for us, but it's easy to put it off, to make excuses, or to simply forget about it.
However, the benefits of regular exercise are so great that it should be an easy decision to make it part of your regular routine and healthy lifestyle!
Regular exercise can:
- Improve sleep
- Increase energy
- Help with weight loss
- Improve digestion
- Improve blood pressure
- Reduce stress
You don't have to spend an hour in the gym every day or run five miles three times a week to get these benefits. Even simple exercise can give you noticeable improvements in your health.
However, there are exercises that can be damaging to your spine. Therefore, it is important to exercise carefully and properly so you don't undo all the work your chiropractor and you have done to get your spine healthy!
- DON'T do any exercises or stretches which involve a forward-bending motion: full sit-ups, toe-touches, reaching for your toes in a sitting position, etc.
- DO always keep your back straight and only curve it the way it is meant to be curved.
- DO exercises that are gentle on your spine, such as walking (with good posture!) and swimming. Running and jogging are both hard on the spine and can be damaging to it.
Questions? Ask Dr. Hackbart or Dr. Folkers, or request a copy of our handy exercise guide next time you're in the office.
We also conduct a class for new patients most Monday nights, but anyone is welcome to attend! Learn what good posture really is and how to get it, how to exercise, lift, and even sleep in ways that won't damage your spine, and hear about people whose lives were changed because of chiropractic--and how yours can be changed for the better, too. Just call and let us know that you'd like to attend class so we can be expecting you!
