Blog# 152 Exercise and Good Posture
Another factor besides sufficient sleep and optimal nutrition that supports healthy immune function is activity, especially when the body is well-balanced and aligned. Activity helps keep muscles toned, blood circulating, lymph draining, neurological system perceptive and responsive, internal organs functioning appropriately, attention focused, emotions harmonized, and even intellect and consciousness sharp, compared with people who are mainly sedentary. Chiropractic adjusting and Massage are both excellent ways to further increase the benefits of exercise, especially when paired with stable and balanced posture. Spinal, cranial and extremity (arms legs, etc) adjusting, and also Massage, especially of muscles and lymphatic system, help improve the body’s range of motion, improve balance, instill a sense of confidence, and reduce physical and mental stress. And of course, when a person is unable to exercise sufficiently to support their health, then Physical Therapy, Chiropractic, Massage, Acupuncture, and passive movement, which are often done by all these professionals can be vital to health and recovery.
As people age, it becomes increasingly important to keep moving as much as possible. Walking, stretching, calisthenic exercise, passive motion, Yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong, light weight training, Strong Posture training and gentle Pilates may benefit people as they grow older. Almost always, at least one of these exercises or disciplines can benefit a person. In the past several years, the statement that “sitting is the new smoking” has been in the news, with publicizing statements such as: sitting too much can contribute to the development of heart disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome and even poor emotional health, especially depression.
When you sit, you are folded, and this folding of the body can interfere with blood, lymph, nerve and Qi flow throughout the body. Getting up at least every hour can be helpful when seated at work, flying on a plane, riding in a car, and in other sedentary situations. I recommend that people move every 15 minutes when seated for lengthy periods of time, and often teach a series of three exercises, which I call “chair backward stretch” to my patients. Standing workstations and treadmill work stations can also help people stay active and “unfolded”.
I believe that walking outside, among trees or along a large body of water is especially helpful for immune health. The natural world can be both calming and energizing. The rhythm of a surf, the warmth of the sun, the fragrance of trees and flowers, vibrations rising from the earth and breathing fresh air, if you can find it, all can support physical and emotional healing, instill calmness in the mind and spirit and therefore can support immune function. So I invite you to make sure to be active every day, often in the out-of-doors.
This blog’s offer: if I have treated you as a patient in the past year, contact me and I will teach you the “chair backward stretch” exercises free of charge. If you are currently coming to me for treatment, and if I have not yet taught you these exercises, just ask and I will do so. And if sometime in the past, you received treatment from me, contact me, and for a small fee, I will teach you these exercises. I wish you a healthy, active year.
