Fitness – Help Your Body Run More Efficiently

Fitness means different things to each person.  Soccer, jogging, elliptical, Zumba, yoga, weights, basketball, walking, pilates, or biking all keep you moving and healthy.  These may be very different activities but they all have one thing in common.  Any physical activity requires your body to be in perfect operating condition to prevent injury and to function at its peak.  This doesn’t mean you need to be incredibly fit (that’s the goal of working out) but it does mean that keeping your body aligned and cared for is the best way to get the most out of your fitness regimen.

An easy way to understand the importance of maintaining your body’s alignment is to remember the song Dry Bones.  “The foot bone is connected to the ankle bone, the ankle bone’s connected to the leg bone ….”  Each part of your body is connected the next and dysfunction in part can lead to dysfunction in other parts.  For example, low back pain is common in people with ankle injuries.  If you run with a hip issue (such as one hip sitting higher than the other) you can end up with not only back pain but headaches.  Repetitive stress of the wrist and arm (tennis or golf) can lead to shoulder, back and neck pain.  Bouncing through Zumba with a mid-back subluxation (misalignment of a vertebra) can lead to severe muscle tension as well as increased jarring of the spinal column.  And all of these dysfunctions decrease your efficiency in working out, taking time off your game or limiting your overall performance.

So, what do you do?  Look to the competitive athletes and do what they do – utilize chiropractic.  Chiropractors work with the body to naturally restore alignment and maximize your body’s performance.  A research study conducted by Drs. Anthony Lauro and Brian Mouch, published in the journal of Chiropractic research and Clinical Investigation, 1991, indicated chiropractic care might improve athletic performance by as much as 16.7% over a two week period.

Athletes as diverse as Lance Armstrong, Jerry Rice, Roger Federer, Evander Holyfield, Tiki Barber, John Stockton, Tiger Woods and Dan O’Brien include chiropractic when focused on improving their game.

How does chiropractic care enhance your performance?  The same way it enhances your daily living.  By maintaining the natural curves of your spine and removing interferences to the spinal column chiropractic can:

• Improve posture
• Increase blood circulation
• Provide better joint flexibility
• Increase range of motion
• Allow better balance
• Reduce risk of injury.

In addition to chiropractic adjustments, your chiropractor can help you select stretches and strengthening exercises that appropriate for your body.  Chiropractors will incorporate massage therapy (with a licensed therapist) to help muscle health.  Traction and flexibility measures will be used to ensure improvement in overall movement.

So even if you are not competing for the gold in the Olympics you are competing to be the healthiest you possible.   Utilizing chiropractic care is a simple and effective way to up your game and to ensure you are getting the most out of your fitness regimen.