Before becoming a chiropractor, I enjoyed working as a personal trainer and helping people meet their fitness goals. That’s why when patients seek my advice on this topic I’m always happy to help. Here are some of my favorite tips:
1. You absolutely DO have time to exercise! Unless you’re constantly surrounded by a secret service detail, you have time to do some form of exercise. For example, you could choose to do squats, sit ups and pushups, performing 10 repetitions of each before moving onto the next exercise. Do that continuously for 8-10 minutes and you’ve just found time for exercise without any equipment or even leaving the room.
2. The best places to workout are the ones you’ll actually go to. Selecting a gym, running club or yoga studio is like picking real estate – location is crucial! Choose a place near your home or office because if you can’t get there conveniently, you won’t go.
3. Vary your workouts. For your body or level of fitness to improve you need to keep it guessing. Switch up your exercises, change the order in which you perform them, vary your running/cycling speeds or distances or any number of other factors to keep your body progressing.
4. You should be doing weight bearing exercises. This form of exercise raises your metabolism more than any other activity, protects you against injury, strengthens your bones and keeps those clothes fitting how you’d like.
5. Try to include a cardiovascular exercise. Remember, your heart is a muscle too! Running, biking, hiking, walking or any number of other activities will help you strengthen your cardiovascular system to keep your body healthy.
6. Workout with a friend. Exercising together is a great way to stay motivated and keep one another accountable. Glance around the gym and you’ll notice the co-workers who are there together usually stay longer. As another example, many of my patients have joined running, cycling or yoga Meetup groups so that they can enjoy their activities with others.
7. If you’re in pain your first step should be to get out of pain. There is a difference between having sore muscles after a workout and being in pain. Before you hurt yourself worse it’s best to consult a professional to help you alleviate your pain and enable you to exercise effectively. That may sound like a shameless plug for chiropractic care and that’s because it is.
For more information or appointments please find us online at www.NewBodyChiro.com, on Facebook (New Body Chiropractic & Wellness) or contact us at (303) 347-9906.