A lot of patients ask me if chiropractic and exercise should be done together? Did you know receiving chiropractic adjustments can help you to make the most of your exercise program. Chiropractic helps exercise, and exercise helps chiropractic. Let me explain more..
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There is so much information out there about what’s best for your health. Trends will come and go, but there are foundations which everyone should practice. Like building a house, having these foundations in place will give you a solid start. Here are my 5 tips for optimal health.
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Chiropractic is not seasonal, it’s a lifestyle habit to keep yourself healthy. But, chiropractic for the summer is a GREAT time to get started if you have been putting it off. Here are 5 reasons why seeing your chiropractor in the summer is great idea. Continue reading
The human body design is for movement. It is made to move way more than we are moving it these days. Most people are struggling to get 10,000 steps a day. 100 years ago 10,000 steps a day was probably the minimum most people walked. Continue reading as this Chicago Chiropractor talks physical activity.
As people age there are certain muscles that tend to lose strength and others that tend to get tight. We see this consistently in people that do not exercise. Being that we see this pattern consistently, it makes sense that we should be proactive in addressing this. If we can work on strengthening the muscles that get weak and keep the muscles that get tight flexible, we can then in turn slow down aging. Continue reading
Below is a Chiropractic Spine Correction achieved at our office. The patient is a young 16 year old woman who came in with the complaint of upper back and neck tightness, but more important to her was that her shoulders were not level which effected her posture and appearance. Continue reading
Chicago Chiropractor Talks Exercise Here:
In my office I discuss all aspects of health with my patients. One of the most popular topics that always comes up is exercise. In this blog post I’d like to talk exercise; exercise is a broad topic and there are many different ways to exercise. It is important that before you embark on an exercise program you take into consideration your current fitness level, age, injuries and other factors that you may have to work around.
Exercise is a great way to keep your body healthy and strong. Unfortunately, as Americans we do move our bodies enough or get enough exercise. I feel this is because most people assume that to get a good workout you need to go to the gym and spend an hour each time you are there to get an effective workout. This couldn’t be further from the truth! The key is to incorporate movement into your every day life. Whether it be taking the stairs instead of the escalator, parking further from the door at the grocery store, carrying your children instead of using a stroller, etc…
If you look around there are many opportunities to create more movement in your day. Now that the weather is getting nicer it is time to get outside. I use the summer months as a chance to get out of the gym and into nature. Activities like kayaking, biking, hiking, sprinting up hills, and other things that you maybe don’t get the chance to do during other times of the year. Do something new. When you challenge your body in new ways you become stronger and healthier.
Get outside and get moving. Do something new, learn a new skill, take your kids along and make it a family affair. Let me know in the comments what new ways you have come up with this summer to move your body!
Yours in Health,
Dr. Steven Bourdage
When it comes to exercise, I often hear one of three excuses.
1) I don’t have the time
2) I don’t have the desire
3) I don’t know what to do
I would like to address each of these to help get you back on the exercise bandwagon. First, who does have time to exercise? I know I don’t, but guess what, I make the time to exercise! We all live in the same world. Family obligations, work deadlines, appointments, commuting, exhausting days, etc… The people you see walking down the street in perfect physical shape have these issues to deal with too. The difference is they see the value in scheduling time to improve their health and wellness. Your health is your number one asset, without it nothing else matters. The healthier you are the better you will be able to manage all the other obligations you have in your life. Unfortunately, a lot of people wait until a crisis to change. Don’t let this be you, make the time, I gurantee you have it!
Secondly, a lot of people are too lazy to start an exercise program. This is a catch 22 because as soon as you start working out, you all of a sudden feel like working out more! The hardest part is getting started. The easy part is to keep going. Just start, that is all it takes. Don’t look back one year from now and think to yourself, “I wish I started last year.” Being sedentary is just a habit, and the best way to break a bad habit is to create a new habit in place of the old one.
Lastly, a lot of people wonder what type of exercise is best for them. My answer to this question is always the same, “Do whatever it is you enjoy doing!” If you are going to take the time to exercise, make sure you are enjoying yourself. Exercise should not be a source of stress, it should be fun. Whether it be walking, swimming, lifting weights, yoga or hula hooping, enjoy it! Life is too short to not have fun!
We all know the importance of exercise and the numerous health benefits it provides. The human body was not designed to be sedentary, get up and get moving! If you need some motivation or ideas on getting started let me know, I’d love to help.