Sit Too Much!?!?

This information is from our weekly patient newsletter " The Wellness Express" written by Marty Hughes,DC. I've never thought of sitting as being a disease but this article gives a compelling argument that it may be. 50-70% of us may sit up to six or more hours every day. We watch TV, ride in our car(that's me for a minimum of two+ hours every day), eat, or it's just our standard position while we work. Of course, this inactivity can lead to many types of health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, weight gain(meaning more health issues), and low back pain. OK, so the big thing here is the inactivity. Check this out: a study by the CDC gave indication that a sedentary life style can decrease your life expectancy. AND, the study also notes that you can boost your life expectancy by 2 years by reducing your sitting time to less than 3 hours per day and by keeping your TV time to under 2 hours per day you can add 1.4 years to your life. Neat huh!? Your prolonged sitting is "time spent in behaviors involving minimal energy expenditure". This can lead to life shortening diseases such as cardiovascular disease and metabolic problems which can cause you to become overweight. So let's get to an area where I can help. Sitting around a lot can wear out the musculoskeletal system. Joints and soft tissue(muscle and ligaments) need lots of movement to stay healthy. Over time this lack of movement can permanently limit your full range of motion. We as chiropractors, of course, can help with the structural, mechanical problems of your spine. Along with your treatment plan, that would include spinal adjustments, physiotherapy modalities and home exercise we can coach you on ergonomic changes that you may need to make at work. Even your sleeping habits may need to be modified. Hey!! Quit reading this blog now, it's time to get up and MOVE!!!!! As always all I ask for is a chance to help.

Are You Exercising?!

Are you exercising-----maybe-----just a little bit? Sometimes it really doesn't take a lot of time or energy. My belief is you can always do SOMETHING over and above your normal daily routine. An example would be to walk a mile a day, do twenty push-ups and 20 sit-ups, or ride a bicycle for thirty minutes. The CDC says that strength training can reduce the signs and symptoms of arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, depression and even back pain. Not everyone can go to a gym for an hour or pay for a trainer. So, being able to do these thing on your own is less expensive and less time consuming. You can do a google or bing search to find explanations of simple exercises as well as something for the more energetic such as aerobic videos. WII has some great stuff that is also fun and that you can do with others. Check with me if you want to know something specific for you. Remember the easiest way to lose weight is to UP your calorie burn off (exercise) and lower your calorie intake (diet). Have goals and set target weights and times. Make it fun. Don't use your mirror to decide if you are doing OK, use your scale. Limit weighing to once per week. Only plan to lose 3-5 pounds per week. Stay positive and work hard. You'll do great!!