Daily Life, the Sport We All Play

     The importance and significance of regular exercise and flexibility training is obvious when considering competitive athletes.  Sports require strength, endurance and mental toughness to reach the highest levels, and the athlete whose body is pain and injury free is usually the one who wins the most.  Of course us regular folks aren't competing to win a medal, so probably no reason to be concerned with being able to repeatedly pick up and carry heavy stuff, or move quickly without falling for long distances and extended periods of time, and being able to stay focused when we're exhausted and there's chaos all around isn't really necessary...

     Wait a minute...could it be that the physical and mental challenges of everyday life are actually quite similar to playing a sport?  Yes, yes they are!  Only difference is when we're carrying a child with one arm, and a million dollars worth of groceries (3 bags or so) with the other arm, while climbing the front steps and being greeted by overly exuberant dogs, no one is cheering for us and we're definitely not getting paid like the pros.  But in that familiar and very common moment of life, we ARE athletes, and avoiding injuries and pain is still pretty important!

     The drug industry saturates us with ads strongly implying the notion that pain and injuries are no big deal, just pop a few of our pills and head out to wind surf or hike a 14er.  Most people think that the over the counter "fixes" aren't a health risk because we don't need a doctor's note to get them.  And, while there are actually appropriate times and situations to use the pills, relying on them daily, or using them every time we want to do more strenuous activities, will lead to trouble and a premature end to being able to do what we love especially as the birthdays tally.  The most commonly used pain pills like ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen do well at relieving inflammation, but there's a physical reason our body is inflamed, and it's not from a lack of these Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in our system.  Sometimes it's justified to knowingly cause more damage and inflammation by artificially suppressing our in-born wisdom and healing systems of the body, but again, it's a bad idea to make a habit out of it.  Also these types of drugs inhibit the body's ability to repair damaged cartilage, so not only do they numb the painful warning signal of the damage, they PREVENT the body from repairing that damage.  Further, since all of our cells have a lifespan and are constantly dying and being replaced, if the body can't rebuild new cartilage cells, then these drugs actually are causing deterioration of ALL of the cartilage in the body when they are being used non-stop!

     The solution is to break out of that habit before the damage done is irreparable.  And it really isn't super complicated.  Start slow if it's been a long time since exercise and stretching has been done on purpose. No one is going to judge and we're not on a timeline for the Olympic trials... just go for a walk, and do a few simple stretches afterward.  Consistency, like in most things good and true in this life, is the MAIN factor.  There are a plethora of online suggestions for getting, and keeping moving.  Search em' up and see what speaks to your heart, then make a commitment and actually strengthen your heart!

     Now here's the plug for what we do here at our "Hometown Father Daughter Chiropractic" office.  Think of the body like a machine, which it is, only unlike a machine it can adapt and overcome malfunctions (eventually leading to damage and pain), and be manipulated by drugs to keep going even though it's causing more damage.  If we had a machine that hadn't been used in awhile, or makes odd sounds, emits unusual gasses, or shakes and shimmies when switched on... ;-) we would likely take it to a mechanic or technician for a tune up before committing it to regular use.  Likewise, once we're then regularly using and enjoying the smooth operation of our machine, it would make sense to do some regular maintenance to keep that mechanical precision. 



      And THAT's exactly what we do for the human "machine" as doctors of chiropractic!  Give us a call, we love helping folks!