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A lot of people make New Year’s resolutions
to lose weight, run more, stop smoking and on and
on. That’s why I will share some basic advice
to get a solid foundation from which your goal/resolution
can be attained from.
To
break it down to the basics, we all have postural
habits we do and become, because we do. To make sense
of that let me expound on that twisted wording. Why
do some people get carpel tunnel syndrome and others
get a hunched back? There is always a cause and effect.
If a person is spending mega hours with their hands
in a fixed position with their fingers going 80 words/minute
there’s bound to be an affect. The same individual
with their focus and range of motion which is a 14”
screen within two feet is going to feel like they
are becoming part of the key board! They will develop
rounded shoulders and an undeniable ache between their
shoulder blades.
Back
to my twisted wording of “we do and become,
because we do.” Someone will not develop carpal
tunnel syndrome the first time they place their fingers
on the keyboard. It is the repetition of doing something
that aggravates your body in one area. Another example
is a tennis player who doesn’t let the irritation
in their elbow a chance to heal up and clam down before
they are back on the courts working that joint again.
It is what we do again and again that shows up in
our bodies. Our bodies conform to what we put them
through. In an article I wrote for The Cary Magazine
I touched on the topic that there are actual two laws
that express that fact: Wolf’s and Davis’
Law. They prove that the bones and soft tissue conform
to use, or, more appropriately, over use.
So
what does one do to get fit?
I would like to point to the core of the issue for
starters. One's core strength is where we do everything
from. I often tell my patients you can’t reach
for your morning coffee without drawing on your core
strength. Every step you take, why even standing up,
depends on your core strength. So to begin to accomplish
anything this new year, it would be a step in the
right direction to have a good core strength to start
from.
How
do we strengthen our core strength?
Crunches are a good exercise that
almost anyone can do, you just do it at the level
you can manage. A crunch is where you lie on your
back (some like a pillow under their knees) and raise
your upper body off the floor. Here is where you can
customize the exercise to fit your own level. Some
people would find it taxing enough to just get their
head off the floor while others may get their shoulders
well off the floor and hold it there for a minute
or two. Just do the height and duration that you can
handle.
Leg
lifts are another great exercise to work
your core strength from. Again lying on your back
and just hold your legs off the floor a few inches
and you can even move them in different directions
to get an even better work out.
You
may be thinking what about sit-ups?
Good muscle strain, but bad joint mechanics. If you
are someone with a bad back, sit-ups will likely make
it worst due to the increased strain on the last segment
of your back.
What
I am sharing here is by no means an extensive review
of core strengthening. But these easy exercises can
be used to help attain, in some part your, resolution
for 2007.
Any
questions or concerns please contact me at my office;
Chiropractic First!
Dr. Patrick Gallagher (919) 303-2213.
A Happy and Healthy New Year to the
Readers of the Apex Herald |
