One of the simplest and most effective types of exercise we at Eastern Oklahoma Chiropractic recommend is walking. Walking fits ideally into the chiropractic philosophy of holistic, natural remedies for pain.

How Lack of Exercise Hurts Your Spine

When you don’t get regular exercise, your spine suffers.  Back pain is often caused and aggravated by spinal misalignments and weak muscles in your core.

Lack of exercise also causes spinal discs to degenerate. Normal healthy discs hold fluids and act as cushions between your vertebrae. Walking promotes the good circulation and healing you need for a healthy spine.

Anxiety about pain can also inhibit you from exercising, making you even more prone to injury.

The Many Benefits of Taking a Walk

Regular walks improve your health in multiple ways, such as:

• Improved circulation throughout your body. This helps to rehydrate the discs of your spine to prevent mobility problems and pain.
• Increased immunity that lowers your risk of illnesses such as heart disease and osteoporosis.
• More strength in your core, hips, legs, and feet. Walking strengthens back and abdominal muscles, allowing them to support joints, ligaments, and spinal discs properly.
• Improved mobility, flexibility, and balance. A stiff back is more prone to pain and injury. Exercise helps to prevent pain and injury by maintaining flexibility in the connective fibers that help to support the spine.
• Better sleep and weight control.
• Psychological benefits.  Walking and other types of exercise naturally cause your body to release endorphins. These chemicals affect receptors in your brain that reduce pain and give you a feeling of well-being.

Tips for a Productive Walking Program

Regular walking can help heal many back problems, minimizing pain or preventing it from returning. It’s a great therapy that you can begin doing immediately and with minimal equipment.

If you’re out of practice, start gradually. Walk around the block to start. Add one minute to your time each day.

Walk fast enough that you raise your heart rate but can still talk.

Commit to exercise daily regardless of bad weather. Even marching in place in front of the TV gets you moving.

Listen to your body—if the pain is severe or increases during or after the walk, see your healthcare provider for an exam to determine the cause before resuming your walking program.

Exercise as Part of Your Chiropractic Care 

Your chiropractor diagnoses joint and spinal issues that cause pain and serves as a great source of information about increasing your mobility and strength.

Walking complements your chiropractic treatments. Both make your spine stronger and healthier, using natural, safe, non-drug methods.

Regular chiropractic adjustments align your spine and strengthen back muscles. Your chiropractic treatments and daily walks help to retain that alignment. Then you can walk for longer periods of time, build up your strength and reap all the benefits of a healthy spine!

Contact Eastern Oklahoma Chiropractic for Your Complimentary Consultation

Call our Broken Arrow office at 918-940-4630 today.

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Most of the greatest benefits achieved with Chiropractic adjustments go well beyond the alleviation of pain in the back, neck, or extremities. Many photographs capture Usain Bolt, the fastest person in the world, receiving Chiropractic care during warm ups or shortly before competition. Bolt and other athletes representing the highest levels of worldly competition make Chiropractic care a staple of their training regimen. Golfers, basketball players, wrestlers, and athletes in virtually every sport utilize the unique benefits of Chiropractic care. In addition to improving motion and reaction time, chiropractic adjustments also aid in recovery and allow athletes to push themselves in training sessions to achieve greater gains in preparation for the spotlight of competition. Coaches in all sports love Chiropractic because they know that Chiropractic care helps their athletes prevent injury and recover more fully and quickly.

Other benefits of regular Chiropractic adjustments include improved nervous system function, mobility, balance, and reaction time. These assets help maximize athletic performance in professional and recreational competitors. A study published in 2015 split a group of female athletes into two groups. One group received specific adjustments to areas of misalignment in a pelvic bone. The other group received functional muscle stretching to relieve soft tissue imbalances in the lower back. The results showed that elite female athletes receiving a Chiropractic adjustment to their pelvis experienced an increase in vertical jump height when compared to a control group. The group receiving additional stretching exhibited no change in vertical jump height while the group that received Chiropractic spinal adjustments experienced an average increase of 3.6 centimeters to their vertical jump height. Evidentiary studies continue to mirror previously produced evidence that Chiropractic adjustments unlock kinetic potential in the body.

Chiropractors do not seek to treat a condition, pain, or vertical jump height impairment. The purpose of Chiropractic adjustments focuses on restoring motion in the bones and joints of the spine. By improving movement and joint integrity, the health of nervous system impulses from brain to body improve due to the intimate connection between the spine and the brain. Appropriate alignment and movement in the spine alleviate pressure and negative feedback into and out of the brain. The brain better perceives internal and external needs as the spine becomes more well-adjusted. Every athlete of every level of competition, both professional, and recreational, deserves to understand the positive impact of whole-body health which comes from Chiropractic care. Access to regular spinal adjustments improves function and performance. Unlock greater potential with Chiropractic.

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Most doctors, therapists, and trainers believe that muscle size represents the predominant reason for lack of strength or increased muscle exhaustion. Many people do not know that strength has much more to do with the impulse radiating from nerve signals to muscles than the volume of muscle fibers or size of a muscle. One of most important determinants of strength and endurance comes from the amount of electrical drive moving from the brain to the muscle. Research from 2015 showed that people who received just one Chiropractic adjustment experienced increases in electrical muscle activity readings of almost 60%. Strength measurements also increased by 16%.

No drugs or supplements specifically help an elderly individual increase strength, coordination, and balance. Some people make the valuable choice to begin weight training, movement programs, and better manage their weight. Too often the precautionary action taken by people afraid of serious, costly falls tends to be the limitation or conclusion of participation in activities and beloved hobbies.

Costly risks and dangers of falls include:

• One out of every five falls causes a serious injury such as broken bones or a head injury.

• 3 million older people visit emergency facilities annually due to falls

• 300,000 older people admitted to hospitals annually due to hip fractures

• More than 95% of hip fractures result from falling, usually falling sideways

• Falls represent the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries

• Total medical costs for falls reached more than $50 billion in 2015

Chiropractic adjustments improve communication between the nervous system and the body. Better central nervous system communication helps the brain become better aware of the body’s location and surroundings, improves strength to the muscles, and aids in coordination. All of these qualities help individuals better move and function in order to fulfill their life’s work and pursuits. Many older folks simply desire the ability to play with grandkids, be active, participate in hobbies, and avoid falls in terrain or conditions off the beaten path.

The study determined that Chiropractic adjustments produced a 45% increase in the drive from the brain to the muscle. The degree and efficiency needed for the brain to activate specific muscles improved dramatically. Studies continue to provide evidence as to why every aging adult deserves the education and access to regular Chiropractic care. The threat of dangerous falls robs so many people of life quality and opportunity. Chiropractic adjustments restore possibilities and hope for a future filled with fulfilling activity.

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