The human body was designed to move, are you moving regularly?
Some people really struggle with exercise for a variety of reasons, even dating back to school years. If someone suggests you aren’t a sporty person, particularly as a child, many never challenge this statement. You don’t need to be the fastest or most competitive person to enjoy and benefit of exercise. Early beliefs often influence future actions and can lead to avoidance of beneficial activities, which taken at your own pace can be hugely enjoyable. We want to quash these pre-learnt beliefs, and get you moving more.
‘It’s never too late to start exercising’
From Pilates, to walking, weightlifting, dancing, running….. All these activities can have positive effects on your overall health:
Improved cardiovascular health
Joint mobility
Improve mood
Fun and social
and much more….
What exercise should I try?
Everyone is different and you need to consider your current physical fitness levels, bearing in mind muscle wastage can happen within 2weeks! So if you were running 15miles 6months ago, you will need to significantly drop your milage, steadily increasing it again. Similarly, if you were lifting heavy weights, you’d be wise to dramatically drop your max weight down and rebuild strength to minimise the chance of injury.
If you’ve been injured and received some treatment from a healthcare professional, like a Chiropractor why not ask their advice as they will have a good understanding of your current physical fitness, stage of recovery and therefore can advise you on the most beneficial exercise to start with. Swimming can often be a useful sport as you can activate your muscle and get your body moving while minimising the effect of gravity that your body would be exposed to running.
Am I too old to exercise?
No! It’s never too late to exercise, but it’s important to choose something to suit your bodies needs. Starting running in your 70’s may not be the best choice. Instead, steadily building up your exercise levels, via low impact activities such as instructor guided Pilates, later progressing to some resistance Pilates may be a much better and safer approach. This doesn’t mean you can never run, but it’s worth investing in your foundation if you have been inactive for some time as you are likely to lack supporting muscles and will be more prone to injury.
It’s certainly not one size fits all.
If you currently leave the house 1x week to walk to the corner shop it may be as simple as introducing another similar or shorter walk to your weak. Ideally not increasing distance by more than 20% a week whatever level you are at. Steady increase in activity gives your body the chance to adapt to the increased demand and not over stress structures which can otherwise result in injury.
We recommend you seek a health professionals advice if you plan to change your activity levels to ensure you are safe and effective.
Forget what your teacher said about your sporting ability. Exercise is good for everyone no matter what speed. It’s far more important you get out there and move than do nothin at all. Exercise has been shown to boost mood too so why not find something you enjoy and start today.
We have some great tips on our social media channels and blog to help you with some healthy lifestyle habits. If you would like more specific help contact us via email or phone. We will arrange a personal consultation to establish your needs. Contact us now:
Email info@khchiropractic.com
Phone 0203 633 0565
