Exercise: do you need it?

Exercise is what a lot of us do to stay healthy and fit.

Exercise is what all of us should do to stay healthy and fit.

Exercise is good for your heart, your lungs, your digestion, your liver, your kidneys and in fact all the organs and systems in your entire body. It’s good for everything that has to do with any of your body’s functions. Period.

There are many ways to include an exercise regimen in your life to achieve the goals that you set for yourself. Remember, everyone is different, with different needs and different lifestyles. You should personally choose the type and amount of exercise you feel comfortable with and which gets you where you want to be.

Some people are self motivated and just like to work out at home on their own equipment at their own pace; maybe adding walking or bicycling for their aerobic exercise. Other people like to go to the gym and work out with supervision or get some help from the experts in designing a workout schedule that suits them. Other people have very physical occupations and don’t need as much organized exercise. Although, people in this category should add some stretching and range of motion exercise so they can include their entire body in the process.

Walking or running combined with stretching and calisthenics are inexpensive ways to exercise and just need your motivation and time to get the job done. Do this type of activity 3 or 4 times a week and you will be well on your way to a healthier body. Bicycling, either stationary or on the road in conjunction with the stretching and calisthenics is a little more costly and time consuming, but equally effective. Working out in a commercial gym or a home gym is usually much more intense but more focused on specific body areas and goals. Gym workouts are relatively more expensive due to your gym membership or the cost of the equipment.

The type or style of your exercise program is up to you as an individual. You get to decide what you want to do.

My advice to everyone is:

Do something.

As a chiropractor I deal with a wide range of people that fit into all the categories mentioned above: Including the ones that never exercise and those that seem to exercise too much. An important aspect to exercising is to have fun. After all, you are supposed to eventually feel better as a result of your efforts.

A nice straight, fully functional spine is very important to achieve all the benefits that arise from whatever form of exercise you choose.