St Paul MN Chiropractor | Health & Wellness
The American Chiropractic Association sponsors National Chiropractic Health Month every October. Each year is given a theme, with 2013’s being “Get Vertical.” This public health awareness campaign helps the chiropractic profession highlight some of the small, manageable changes people can make today to keep being active for the rest of their lifetime.
And, considering the fact that the average life span today is 77.6 years and growing, we don’t merely want to be able to exist on this planet – we want to be able to live and work and play on this planet. Barring unforeseen circumstances, we can expect to live to a ripe old age… and we want it to be a QUALITY life!
So… Let’s Get Vertical!
Regular physical activity has been found to add years to our lives (by reducing the risk of ill health number of different health conditions) and to add life to our years by improving quality of life (better mental health and improved flexibility and stamina). And you don’t have to be a fitness fanatic to reap the benefits. No matter your age or fitness level, there are lots of enjoyable ways to use physical activity to help you look better, enjoy life more, and feel better, so you can continue to do the things you enjoy and stay independent as you age.
It’s not just your body that benefits. Mounting research suggests that regular sweat sessions can keep you sharp as a tack later in life. A study from the University of Pittsburgh shows that aerobic exercise training increases the size of the anterior hippocampus, leading to improvements in spatial memory. Spatial memory refers to our ability to store and access information.
Even with the super cold weather and long winters every Minnesotan deals with every year, we find ways to get our fitness on no matter what the weather. And we have a mighty big reputation to uphold. After all, in 2013 Minneapolis-St. Paul won the title of “Fittest City in America” for the third year in a row. That’s something we are pretty proud of. Let’s make it 4 this year!
Why Exercise?
- Strengthen your bones and decrease your risk of osteoporosis
- Decrease your blood pressure
- Strengthen your heart and lungs
- Lower your risk of cardiovascular disease by increasing your HDL (good) cholesterol and lowering your triglycerides levels
- Improve your sleep patterns
- Improve the ability of insulin to enter your cells, so lowers the risk of diabetes
- Improves your immune system
- Prevent or reduce lower back pain
- Relieves depression, stress, and anxiety. That’s right… exercise is one of the best stress relievers of all! Being active can boost your feel-good endorphins and distract you from daily worries. Endorphins are the reasons exercise makes us feel oh-so-good!
- Sharpening brainpower. The same endorphins that make you feel better also help you concentrate and feel mentally sharp for tasks at hand. Exercise also stimulates the growth of new brain cells and helps prevent age-related decline.
- Manage your weight. Want to drop those excess pounds? Trade in your couch time for exercise time. When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the exercise, the more calories you burn, and the easier it is to keep your weight under control.
- And there’s more… regular physical activity can help you prevent arthritis, and certain types of cancer.
There are so many benefits to exercising regularly. In fact… Exercise is literally the key to a longer, happier, and better quality of life. Exercise Is the Key to Life
However, although we all know that exercise will benefit our health, most of us do not do it for various reasons:
We don’t have enough time. Well, here’s the deal… we all have enough time for what is important to us – our priorities. And if we don’t make time for exercise today, then we better schedule LOTS of time for sickness and disease later.
We have an injury. This is a tougher one. It is very hard to exercise if we have let our health go to the point that we are in pain or if we have an old high school sports injury that flares up every time we start to exercise. This is where working with a St Paul MN Chiropractor trained in injury rehab can help.
Be sure to make time for fun, laughter, and relaxation so you’ll be better able to handle life’s stressors. Carve some time out of your day – even 10 to 15 minutes – to take care of yourself. Also, remember that exercise is one of the best stress relievers of all! Being active can boost your feel-good endorphins and distract you from daily worries. Endorphins are the reasons exercise makes us feel oh-so-good!
It really doesn’t matter what you do… the important thing is that you find a way to make exercise a part of your day!
Chiropractic has helped hundreds clients, young and old, to exercise pain-free or at least to reduce the pain to a manageable place.