Fit vs. Fantasy: Facts, Fallacies and Fun

By Sara Butler

Many people might be reluctant to use the word “fun” in the same sentence as “fitness,” but I think they’re missing out. For example, I often enjoy using fun and fitness in the same sentence, as in “I have a lot of fun after my fitness class when I go and share a pitcher of beer with friends.” See?

Here at The Joint Chiropractic, we really do think fitness and fun go together, so we’re about to unleash some fitness facts that are full of fun. Maybe they’ll inspire you!

Men – Fitter Than They Think?

If you have an Instagram or Facebook account, you probably have a few of these guys in your friends list. You know the type – they vlog all of their gym workouts, or Snapchat their leg days. We all know that dude. Did you know that about 69 percent of men think they’re fit? Did you know that only about 13 percent of them actually are?

What does it mean to be fit? I guess it goes back to those caveman days: If you weren’t able to hunt down your prey, then no cavewoman would want to mate with you and you could basically kiss your hairy caveman butt goodbye.

In the modern era with nary a caveman in sight -- unless you count those paleo-obsessed CrossFit guys (but I don’t think cavemen wore plaid and skinny jeans) -- there are five components to physical fitness, according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services. They include:

• Body composition – This is how much bone, fat, and muscle you have relative to one another.
• Cardiorespiratory endurance – This is the ability of your heart and lungs to keep up with you during physical activity. If you can sustain an elevated heart rate, you’re well on your way.
• Flexibility – This is the range of motion around the joint – part of the reason you see your chiropractor! Maintaining good flexibility helps protect you from injury, which is why stretching is so dang important.
• Muscular endurance – This is how long your muscles can perform without fatigue. Sustained activities such as swimming, cycling or running help you accomplish this feat.
• Muscular strength – This is how much force your muscle can exert during an activity. You know, that whole “Do you even lift, bro?” mystique.

According to these components, how fit are you really? 71 percent of men admit they need to exercise more, so if you’re among their ranks, get on it!

The Amazing Muscles of the Human Body

Did you know your body has over 650 muscles? That’s right – all those muscles range from the teeny-tiny stapedius muscle that is only a mere millimeter in length in your inner ear all the way to your biggest muscle, the gluteus maximus. You know – your butt.

You have three types of muscles in your body: Cardiac, visceral and skeletal. The visceral muscles and the cardiac muscle are involuntary, so you can’t move them at will. The skeletal muscles are voluntary, so you can move those bad boys all day, every day. Well, I guess that really depends on your muscular endurance, heh?

Walk Your Whole Life Long

Can you guess how far the average person walks in their lifetime? If you guessed 70,000 miles, then you’re right! I have to admit that makes me feel a little cheated by The Proclaimers and their famous one-hit wonder “I Would Walk 500 Miles” – oh, so you’ll walk 500 miles to be with me? Chump change, Proclaimers! I’m sure the average Pokémon Go player walks more than that.

At any rate, 70,000 miles is equivalent to walking three times around the earth at the equator. That’s a lot of steps during one lifetime, and even more of a reason to take care of your body throughout your life by getting fit and going to see your chiropractor regularly.

The Chiropractic Fitness Connection

If you really want to take your workouts to the next level you should consider seeing a chiropractor. Chiropractic care has been found to help boost your performance, aid in recovery and even reduce your chances of becoming injured.

When you incorporate chiropractic care into your lifestyle, it can:

• Bring balance to your body - When chiropractors adjust the spine, they fix subluxations or misalignments that may be keeping you from performing at your best. They also restore balance to your body’s systems, including your musculoskeletal system.
• Increase mobility - By removing any imbalances in your body, your chiropractor is assisting your body by improving coordination and balance.
• Make workouts more efficient - When your body is aligned, subluxations are treated and your body is balanced, which allows you to perform at a peak level, both better and faster. It’s a good thing mastodons aren’t around anymore because you would take those bad boys down!

See, wasn’t that fun? Now you’re armed with all kinds of knowledge to use on your next eHarmony date. Or to motivate yourself to get out and put a little more fun into your fitness.