Get Moving for Amazing Health!
By Donna Stark
Has pain limited your daily movements? Are you unable to participate in the activities you want to be involved with? If you are sitting behind a desk for most of your days and then go home to sit some more, we may be looking at the reason why. A sedentary lifestyle can certainly keep you from enjoying your life, but fortunately, there is a way to turn things around. Take a look at how immobility can contribute to the way you feel and how physical activity can make everything better.
Sedentary Lifestyles
Sedentary lifestyles are on the rise and unfortunately, that means pain and discomfort are too. Sitting for extended amounts of time each day can lead to poor posture, headaches, hip problems, and back, shoulder and neck pain. But that's not all. A sedentary lifestyle can lead to more significant issues like heart disease, diabetes, and depression, too.
Luckily, there is something you can do that will help alleviate the pain you feel and restore the mobility you have lost. It's called exercise.
Move It or Lose It
Most people think that by adding exercise to their weekly agenda, they need to schedule long, sweaty workouts at the gym each day, but that is simply not the case. If exercise is something you haven't done in a while, baby steps are where it's at! Here are a few suggestions.
- Start your morning and end your day with some easy stretches and movements
- Take a break from work every 30 minutes or so to stretch and move your body
- Enjoy a quick walk during your lunch break
- Incorporate at least 30 minutes of exercise into your day, whether it is broken up or all at once
- Choose low-impact exercises, such as walking, swimming, or cycling, for your first workouts
It's Never Too Little, Too Late
Don't let yourself fall into the "it's too late for improvement" trap. Both light and moderate activity during any stage of life can make a huge difference in pain levels, flexibility, and range of motion. And do you know what that means? It means you will be able to move around and enjoy your life better than ever before!
The best thing you can do to improve the quality of your life is to create a plan that will keep you moving. Just make sure you are ready though! Your days will quickly fill up with all the activities you have been pushing to the side.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Mint Hill, N.C.