When its cold out, get moving!
As the weather cools down, it’s a great time to get outdoors and get moving. Whether your goal is to lose weight, gain strength, or just improve fitness, exercising is key to your health. Movement is life! Chiropractor James Chestnut put it best,
“Blood cells that don’t move cannot transport oxygen, lungs that don’t move can’t breathe, hearts that don’t move can’t pump blood, and spines that don’t move can’t create the motion required for proper joint nutrition, for the activities of daily living, or for the stimulation of the joint-brain pathways required for proper brain and body function.”
The human body was designed to move. It’s hard not to draw correlations between motion and health. We know that regular exercise improves circulation, enhances flexibility, and gives you a greater ability to accomplish physical tasks without risking injury; all benefits involving movement.
Getting started
When starting an exercise routine, most people are unsure about what approach to take. Even experts differ on what to do. Some will tout cardio as the gold standard while others will claim that weight lifting is the only kind exercise you really need. As with most extremes, the truth is somewhere in the middle. The best exercise is one that you enjoy and works for you. Whatever gets you moving is a great start.
Cardio
Cardio exercises include things like running, swimming, and even walking. In terms of exercise, cardio is the best kind for weight loss as it burns the most calories in the shortest amount of time. Don’t let this trick you into thinking that running can replace a healthy diet. It’s still easier to eat less calories with proper portion control then it is to burn off even a couple hundred calories from a snack. Research has shown that staying active with movements like running can help keep weight off that you lose through proper eating habits.
Weight lifting
Also known as resistance training, weight lifting helps build lean muscle mass and makes you stronger. Resistance training is a harder moving activity to get into if you’ve never had any experience with it before. If this is the route you’d like to take, a trainer or doctor of chiropractic can be a great resource to make sure you’re lifting with good form and doing beneficial exercises.
A big myth surrounding weight lifting is “I don’t want to bulk up.” Many women and men avoid resistance training because they don’t want to look like a bulky body builder. To get bulky like that, it takes years of work. They stick to very strict exercise routines and bulk with their diet. They consume extra calories to build the large appearance. If you want to get stronger, you don’t have to build more muscle. You can strengthen the ones you already have by lifting heavier weights and sticking to a normal diet. If lifting more than 3 pounds caused bulking, almost everyone would be body builders from everyday tasks like carrying groceries.
Get active
There is no single exercise or activity that everyone should do. The best one is the one that you do. Cardio and resistance training both have their benefits and you don’t have to pick just one. Combining the two can help you lose weight while building lean muscle mass giving you the benefits of both. Remember to talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program and get moving today!
This blog provides general information and discussions about health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this blog, or in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment.
If you or any other person has a medical concern, you should consult with your health care provider or seek other professional medical treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something that have read on this blog or in any linked materials. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately.
