Each year, millions of people make a New Year’s Resolution of beginning an exercise program. Regretfully, many people do not even make it through the first month before they are cutting their routines short or skipping exercise sessions all together. Incorporating exercise into your life is truly a lifestyle change. You have to be committed to changing your ways. However, there are things you can do to make incorporating exercise into your life a little easier.

Before beginning your exercise program, visit your chiropractor or doctor for a physical. The results of the physical will enable your doctor to recommend good exercises to start with, and also exercises that should be avoided. Having a physical exam is especially important if you personally have, or your family has, a history of heart disease, diabetes, or joint problems such as arthritis. Also, if you have previously injured a joint, such as dislocating a shoulder or tearing knee ligaments, be sure to ask what exercises would be good to strengthen the joint and which should be avoided.

When people start an exercise program, many do too much too quickly. While this is a good attitude to begin with, performing too much activity too early in your exercise program can increase your risk of injury. If you haven’t exercised in a while, it is best to start with a low-impact aerobic exercise such as walking or biking. These exercises will get your blood pumping, and will help warm-up your muscles so they will be ready for more intense activity in the future. Also, by easing into your exercise, you will find you are less likely to be extremely sore after your workouts. By minimizing soreness, you will be less likely to take days off to recover. This will help keep you in the habit of sticking to your exercise program.

Another way to minimize soreness is to include stretching in your exercise program. Stretching helps loosen-up muscles, and gets blood rushing to them even before you begin exercising. When performing your stretches, hold a steady stretch for 30 seconds. Do not bounce while stretching because this can cause damage to the muscles.

People often quit exercising because they say they can’t find any time to do it. Therefore, finding an exercise time that works for you is very important. One way to find what time works best for you is to try out different workout times. Pick a time, and try it for one week. Then switch times the next week. Try out several different times until you find the one that works best for you. What you might find out is that you like doing yoga in the morning, but like to walk in the evenings. Whatever time or combination you find, be consistent each week and stick to your weekly schedule.

Another way to force yourself to be consistent is to sign-up for a class. This way your exercise time is actually booked into your schedule. Also, just writing your exercise time into your schedule is another way to make sure you are incorporating exercise into your day.

For some people, especially those who haven’t exercised in a long time, designing an exercise program with a professional is the best way to begin. Your chiropractor can help you find exercises to strengthen your spine and promote overall fitness. Chiropractic care can also help minimize joint soreness and maintain proper joint function as you reshape your body. If you have specific problem areas, a personal trainer can help you work towards a specific fitness goal.

To determine if chiropractic care could help you get started with a fitness program, call Dr. Emily Brueggeman at 692-0000. Ask for a free Invitation to Health that includes a consultation and screening to determine if yours is a chiropractic case.

Best of Health,
Emily Brueggeman, D.C.
Chiropractic Physician
Brueggeman Chiropractic Center LLC