Endurance Athletes and Chiropractic Make Great Teammates
By Martha Michael
Endurance athletes and chiropractic go together like Pippen and Jordan, Rice and Montana, and Gretzky and Messier; they should be teammates joined at the hip. Top endurance competitors such as Boston Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi, cyclist Lance Armstrong, and decathlete Dan O’Brien are known to utilize the benefits of chiropractic for their performance and overall health. There are certainly benefits to endurance sports; those benefits are increased when your body’s nervous system and spine function optimally.
Endurance Sports
Endurance sports are those that require an individual to participate in continuous cardiovascular exercise for prolonged periods of time. Think distance cycling (such as the Tour de France), running marathons or other long distances, and long-distance swimming. The Ironman competition is called the Ironman for a reason.
Chiropractic and Endurance Sports
Sustaining prolonged periods of exercise requires a lot of hard work from one’s body. There is a great deal of coordination between numerous processes that are required for optimal performance. All of this coordination occurs through the body’s communication system, also known as the nervous system. Chiropractic supports optimal nervous system functioning through proper spinal alignment and joint motion. Thus, chiropractic care supports one’s ability to optimally participate in endurance sports.
Increasing Stamina
The body is able to sustain and engage in prolonged activities better and with greater ease when it has proper blood and lymphatic flow. Proper blood flow will assure the muscles are getting the most nutrition and oxygen required to perform the motion of the sport. Better blood flow equals better performance and increased ability to sustain it over time. Proper lymphatic flow assures that wastes are removed from the cells and tissues as optimally and efficiently as possible. Excess waste will slow down performance. Thus, increasing waste removal ability equals increasing performance and the ability to sustain it over time. Chiropractic adjustments indirectly support both of these processes. Thus, the chiropractic adjustment can assist in increasing the stamina required for endurance sports.
Proper Posture and Joint Range of Motion
Function follows form. The ability of the athlete to function is affected by their form. Meaning, you’ll ultimately be able to run farther if you have proper running posture versus someone who doesn’t.
When spinal joints are restricted in range of motion, or stuck, full spinal range of motion is decreased. This decrease will eventually affect the athlete’s ability to get into the proper posture or hold it properly while performing the activity. This will negatively affect their performance.
The chiropractic adjustment restores proper range of motion in spinal joints and supports proper postural mechanics. Utilizing the benefits of the chiropractic adjustments positively affects the athlete and their ability to function.
If you are someone who loves your endurance sport or even someone who wants to get started participating in them, know that chiropractic is a great choice for you. The athletes at the top of their professional game know this and let it serve them. So let chiropractic serve you!
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