Everyone agrees that exercise is essential to physical fitness, yet there is often dis-agreement about what kind of exercise and how much exercise are necessary to achieve and maintain a reasonable level of fitness … a degree of fitness that allows you to do most of the things you want to do when you want to do them without undue pain or fatigue.
For instance, most persons engaged in hard, manual labor or strenuous sports activities are sure they are getting plenty of exercise … and perhaps they are. Still, the question each person must answer is: am I adequately exercising all of my muscles that need exercise?
Probably not. Each of the body’s muscles requires frequent use in order to attain and maintain strength, balance, coordination and endurance. Insufficient exercise of anyone of them results in weakness and flabbiness of that particular muscle.
JOINTS MUST MOVE TOO
But there is more to fitness than strong and supple muscles. The body’s supporting structures need exercise too, and they get it when muscles are used. Muscles move the body’s parts by moving its joints. When joints move, the supporting structures including ligaments, tendons, cartilages, membranes, capsules get the use vital to their good health.
To keep supporting structures strong, yet flexible and elastic, and to prevent the formation of adhesions, contractures and restricted range of motion, joints must be moved through their full range of motion each day. Many occupations and sports activities fail to meet this requirement, nor do hard work or strenuous exercise necessarily insure adequate exercise of all the muscles or complete range of motion of all the joints and supporting structures.
“CANNED” EXERCISE MAY BE HARMFUL
While numerous “canned” exercise and fitness programs, books and videos are on the market, these generalized programs usually fail to consider that the intended customer may have some physical impairment, disability or health problem. They presume that the customer is fit enough to undergo the program.
Because generalized fitness programs can be harmful, even dangerous, for persons with a history of neck, back, hip, arm or shoulder problems, it is vital that evaluation of the individual’s needs and limitations be made before starting any exercise or fitness program.
ASK YOUR CHIROPRACTOR
Chiropractors are educated and trained in exercise physiology and a substantial portion of chiropractic practice involves treatment and rehabilitation for sports injuries, industrial injuries, auto accidents and other neuromusculoskeletal conditions. Combining chiropractic treatments and specific exercises is often the best method to be rid of back and neck problems and reduce the likelihood of recurrence.
Your chiropractic doctor can advise you.