What if there was a way to prevent injuries and slow down the aging process? Research is constantly showing how an improvement of physical health and vitality can add life to your years and years to your life. I have picked alignment, flexibility and strength because I believe they are all important and all go hand in hand. Our clinical experience in working with physical injuries is that when all three of these are restored you most likely to enjoy long term physical health and stability.
While all three aspects are important we find it paramount to work with the alignment first. Think of proper alignment as a foundation to work from. The alignment of the spine also has a profound effect on how the nervous system functions, which in turn controls everything in your body. Think of wheel alignment and tire pressure in your car and how when one tire has less pressure it will begin to affect the wear of the tire initially but will then affect the entire wheel alignment and eventually the functionality of the whole vehicle. The same is true for the alignment of your body. Once your body is crooked, initially you might notice some discomfort in one hip or knee, then maybe into the low back and eventually your entire body is not working the way it was designed. Think of all the muscles that attach to the spine and limbs and now think of a tug of war. Often when the spine is misaligned it affects all of the soft tissues around the joints and the longer the misalignment has been present the harder it is to fix. If optimal health is one of your goals I don't see how you can achieve it without optimal alignment.
Once you have alignment as a foundation, it is paramount for joints to be able to move. Joints that do not move properly wear and tear prematurely. Joints rely on movement for proper nutrition and hydration. Therefore proper joint mobility (especially in the spine) is a must for your body to stay young. Global flexibility is also very important. The more elastic a muscle is the less prone it is to injury when placed under stress. This is the obvious reason it's important to warm up first and then stretch before any major physical activity. I have seen a lot of people that have experienced some type of trauma and as a result have lost a lot of normal range of motion particularly in the spine. This shows up as a person not able to look left and right or do shoulder checks while driving, unable to look up and down, unable to bend over and tie their shoes, etc. Is this you? If so, you need to book an appointment with a chiropractor!! Most people also find noticeable improvement with their flexibility when they start a yoga class. These are best done with professional supervision to ensure proper form and to prevent injury.
Now it's time to straighten!! Many research articles show how effective strength training is at helping maintain your ideal weight, maintain bone density, controlling blood sugar, preventing hip fractures and slowing the aging process. For the beginner, it is very important to use a personal trainer to prevent injury. Taking it slow will put you further ahead than attempting to make unrealistic gains too fast which can often lead to injury and set back.
There are also occasions when stretching and straightening go hand in hand. For instance, too much sitting can cause the hip flexors (muscles in the front of the hip) to shorten and the gluteus maximus (muscles in the buttocks) to become weak. This creates an imbalance that when upright and walking also has an effect on the low back muscles and abdominal muscles. So to correct this problem you need to do both stretching and strenghtening at the same time. A similar instance may occur with the muscles in the neck from working too much on the computer.
So what's the formula for reducing physical stress on the body? Get your body in optimal alignment, ensure proper global and spinal movement, stay flexible and strenghten where needed. This will often require the help of the chiropractor, massage therapist, yoga instructor and personal trainer. Let the experts help you achieve your goals!! Enjoy your summer.
Dr. Jason Plotsky
While all three aspects are important we find it paramount to work with the alignment first. Think of proper alignment as a foundation to work from. The alignment of the spine also has a profound effect on how the nervous system functions, which in turn controls everything in your body. Think of wheel alignment and tire pressure in your car and how when one tire has less pressure it will begin to affect the wear of the tire initially but will then affect the entire wheel alignment and eventually the functionality of the whole vehicle. The same is true for the alignment of your body. Once your body is crooked, initially you might notice some discomfort in one hip or knee, then maybe into the low back and eventually your entire body is not working the way it was designed. Think of all the muscles that attach to the spine and limbs and now think of a tug of war. Often when the spine is misaligned it affects all of the soft tissues around the joints and the longer the misalignment has been present the harder it is to fix. If optimal health is one of your goals I don't see how you can achieve it without optimal alignment.
Once you have alignment as a foundation, it is paramount for joints to be able to move. Joints that do not move properly wear and tear prematurely. Joints rely on movement for proper nutrition and hydration. Therefore proper joint mobility (especially in the spine) is a must for your body to stay young. Global flexibility is also very important. The more elastic a muscle is the less prone it is to injury when placed under stress. This is the obvious reason it's important to warm up first and then stretch before any major physical activity. I have seen a lot of people that have experienced some type of trauma and as a result have lost a lot of normal range of motion particularly in the spine. This shows up as a person not able to look left and right or do shoulder checks while driving, unable to look up and down, unable to bend over and tie their shoes, etc. Is this you? If so, you need to book an appointment with a chiropractor!! Most people also find noticeable improvement with their flexibility when they start a yoga class. These are best done with professional supervision to ensure proper form and to prevent injury.
Now it's time to straighten!! Many research articles show how effective strength training is at helping maintain your ideal weight, maintain bone density, controlling blood sugar, preventing hip fractures and slowing the aging process. For the beginner, it is very important to use a personal trainer to prevent injury. Taking it slow will put you further ahead than attempting to make unrealistic gains too fast which can often lead to injury and set back.
There are also occasions when stretching and straightening go hand in hand. For instance, too much sitting can cause the hip flexors (muscles in the front of the hip) to shorten and the gluteus maximus (muscles in the buttocks) to become weak. This creates an imbalance that when upright and walking also has an effect on the low back muscles and abdominal muscles. So to correct this problem you need to do both stretching and strenghtening at the same time. A similar instance may occur with the muscles in the neck from working too much on the computer.
So what's the formula for reducing physical stress on the body? Get your body in optimal alignment, ensure proper global and spinal movement, stay flexible and strenghten where needed. This will often require the help of the chiropractor, massage therapist, yoga instructor and personal trainer. Let the experts help you achieve your goals!! Enjoy your summer.
Dr. Jason Plotsky
