Exercise: Before or After?
By Sara Butler
One of the most common questions chiropractors at The Joint get when they see their patients is whether they should be exercising before or after their adjustments. It’s a good question! But rest assured, there’s a simple explanation to help you understand which way is the best way when it comes to exercise and your chiropractic visits.
Before or After?
If you were asked which would be a better time to exercise, before or after you've had a chiropractic adjustment, what would you say? The answer is simple -- generally, it’s going to be better to exercise after an adjustment if you plan on working out the same day.
This is because when you see your chiropractor, especially when you first begin seeing them to treat a specific problem, your chiropractor is working to remove joint restrictions and dysfunctions that have developed and may be causing your symptoms. When those restrictions and dysfunctions are corrected, and the pressure that has been placed upon your spinal nerves is released, then your body will function better during exercise.
Also, the muscles attached to your spine have probably been unbalanced, causing even more dysfunction. When you work out before those muscles are balanced, then you could make the issues causing your pain or discomfort worse. When you get treated before a workout, then you are correcting the issues that could make your pain worse during a workout, and you’re restoring proper motion to your joints too -- something that is essential for exercise!
Avoid Injury
When you wait until after an adjustment to exercise, you’re also helping to reduce your risk of injury by allowing your body to work as it should. Your central nervous system will be free from interference, and that will allow unobstructed communication through every part of your body.
Your body will view your workout session as a positive thing rather than a stressor. Because if you’re suffering from dysfunctions, restrictions, or misalignments, then you won’t get all the benefits from your exercise that you could. When your body is firing on all cylinders, then you’re getting the most benefit from your workout. Who wants to work that hard without reaping all the benefits? Not you! And that’s why you need to see your chiropractor before your workouts, so you can get the most out of your adjustments and your workouts!
If you have questions concerning exercise after your adjustments, discuss them with your chiropractor!
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.