January's Newsletter

How much exercise is needed to make the difference between fit kids and unfit kids? Want to feel younger? Do energy drinks help with your athletic performance? Learn the real truth behind headaches and more in this months newsletter!

How Important is Exercise?

We've all been there before. Your intentions have been good: "I am going to go for a run tomorrow morning" or "I am going to hit the weights before work". The alarm goes off, and although you are warm and comfy under those covers you can tell it is ice cold in the bedroom and to make matters worse, the sun hasn't come up yet. And it won't be up for another hour and a half. So what do you do? Too many times we roll over and hit the snooze button. Then we hit it again, and again, and again and don't leave ourselves any time to exercise. In fact that is exactly what I did the other day. The winter is a tough time to wake up early in order to get in a workout before work. But I know myself too well and when I hit that snooze button, and tell myself that I will work out after work, I know it will never happen. My day is long and I just want to get home at night. I'm sure many of you can relate to that.

But in reality, exercise is the best thing you can do when you wake up feeling lethargic and lazy. Physical activity delivers oxygen and nutrients to your brain and your muscles. In fact, regular exercise helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. When your heart and lungs are working more efficiently, your whole body has more energy to perform throughout the day. Exercising also stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. Wouldn't it be great to go through the day being in a good mood and not grumpy and irritated? Especially in the winter, when a lot of people are affected by S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) a quick run in the morning can make you think clearer and feel more energetic. I know this is true based on my own personal experiences. On the days that I work out I have more energy throughout the day and I am in a much better mood than on the days I skip my workouts.

Besides making your lung and heart function better, physical activity is now being prescribed by doctors for the purpose of preventing and treating various diseases and physical conditions. In Sweden, healthcare professionals have been prescribing physical activity for many years, so this is nothing new to them.

For the individual just starting with an exercise routine or for the advanced athlete it is important to remember to pace yourself and to work within your own limits. It is also good to know that we have nearly 650 skeletal muscles in our body. With repetitive exercise, muscles can become tight. When the muscles become tight. adhesions can form and this traps chemicals that fire off pain receptors. Chiropractic care can help to restore and maintain proper motion of these muscles and bones to help eliminate and prevent these problems.

So, let's recap....exercise has been shown to put you in a better mood and help with certain types of depression, makes your heart and lungs work better, and it makes you look and feel better. Once you're done exercising, you can go for your chiropractic tune up to make sure everything in your body is working right. Exercise is not hard, getting out of bed to get started with a routine is the hard part. If you can get past that, you're in for a healthier and happier lifestyle.