How are you active?

We all know and understand the importance of being active from lifting weights to getting our heart rate up with cardio exercises, but what does this have to do with chiropractic. Well – it’s the name of our office – Active Life Chiropractic! Exercise not only benefits our cardiovascular system as well as helping increase our bone density¹, but spinal movement also influences the functionality of the brain. This is in part why movement for children is so important in the school systems. Children need to move to help their brains develop, and that concept doesn’t stop as we get older.^2,3 Even senior citizens have better brain function and cognition when exercises programs have been implemented in assisted living facilities.^4,5

As some of you know, my exercise of choice is running. I’ve been running for 28 years now. I ran my first race at 6 years old, and then my mom helped start a youth track club where I grew up which really helped me form my foundation in running. My love of running grew from the 800 meter track and field race to a 50K ultra marathon trail race in the Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky, and all race lengths in between including Boston 2015. There are so many other ways to stay active, so you don’t have to be crazy and do ultra marathon trail races, in fact, those are not for the faint of heart! What’s most important is that you find that activity that you love, that gets your heart rate up, that makes you sweat a little, and gives you some mental clarity. That’s what running does for me, and I am thankful for that.

So how does leading an active lifestyle and regular chiropractic adjustments go hand in hand? When you think about the importance of spinal motion for maintaining a healthy and active life, you really need to be thinking of the importance of proper spinal motion. Not only does your body need the spine to move for every day functions and brain development, but each individual vertebra (bones of the spine) need to move properly. When there is improper motion and ultimately decreased nervous system function, chiropractors call this a subluxation (hopefully you’ve heard us say this in the office). Removal of subluxations through a chiropractic adjustment restore normal motion and nerve function!

What do you do to stay active? Has chiropractic care helped you with that activity? Be sure to tell us when you come in for your adjustment!

Dr. Shannon

1. Shaw, Brandon S. Shaw, Ina Brown, Gregory A. Resistance exercise is medicine: Strength training in health promotion and rehabilitation. International Journal of Therapy & Rehabilitation. Aug2015, Vol. 22 Issue 8, p385-389.
2. Poitras, Veronica Joan. Systematic review of the relationships between objectively measured physical activity and health indicators in school-aged children and youth. Applied Physiology, Nutrition & Metabolism 2016 Supplement, Vol. 41, pS197 43p.
3. Stevens-Smith, Deborah A. Active Bodies/Active Brains: The Relationship Between Physical Engagement and Children’s Brain Development . Physical Educator. 2016, Vol. 73 Issue 4, p719-732.
4. Lisa Rapaport. Many exercise options are tied to better brain function Reuters Health e-Line. April 27, 2017.
5. Pettersson, Anna F. Physical activity level in people with age related white matter changes correlates to better motor performance, lower comorbidity and higher cognitive level. BMC Geriatrics; 7/12/2017, Vol. 17, p1-6.