I see patients often who come in with a guilty look telling me they hurt themselves doing ________________________(fill in the blank). Often times, I feel like they are waiting to be scolded or lectured, but instead, what I most often tell them is “I would much rather see you in here because you are being active than because you are sedentary”. Our bodies are meant to move. I read a quote from Ido Portal (an expert in movement) that says “The body will become better at whatever you do, or don’t do. You don’t move? The body will make you better at NOT moving. If you move, your body will allow more movement.”
There also needs to be a paradigm shift. Many people live a sedentary lifestyle for various reasons, including work, pain, time, motivation, etc. They try to fit in, for example, an hour of exercise, 3 days a week. But the focus on exercise to lose weight or build muscle may be too narrow. Maybe we should focus on moving in order to function better. And with more movement and better function often comes weight loss, reduction in pain, and strength. Instead of thinking we need to exercise to look better maybe we should focus on moving more to feel better. Too many people jump in a car to drive 5 minutes when they could have taken a walk. Too many people hop on the elevator or escalator instead of walking up or down a few flights of stairs.
I love the visual of watching kids at a playground. Climbing, running, avoiding being tagged by another kid, balancing on the beams surrounding the playground, riding bikes, and so much more. They don’t do this for the exercise. They do it because it is fun. And the more they do it, the more they want to do it. I’m not saying that we as adults should act like children or that there aren’t obstacles to being active. But maybe we should just simply focus on trying to get active and moving instead of dreading the gym workout that makes us miserable. Change our thinking about getting fit. Find what we enjoy doing to stay active and do it. Take advantage of what we CAN do instead of dwelling on what we CAN’T do.
And if pain and immobility are stopping you from achieving your goals, come in for an adjustment, evaluation, and/or consultation. Harlow Chiropractic in Auburn would love to be a part of your team in helping you get or stay moving. Call today at (253) 939-9599 to get started.
