Imagine a pill that you could take that helped you realise your full potential.
Unlocked the 80% of our brain that we don’t use, learn new skills in a matter of hours, be the top of our game 24/7 and 365. What could you achieve?
Of course this was the premise for the film Limitless where a down on his luck/waste of space writer comes across a seemly magic drug that helps him realise his wildest dreams. Spoiler alert there are bad side effects, bad people chase him and things turn nasty.
Now If you had to name me an intervention or treatment that has unequivocal evidence of reducing the risk of (and often helping improve) obesity, Cancer, heart disease, diabetes, dementia, osteoarthritis, IBS, anxiety, depression and the list can go on, could you name one?
I will give you a clue, It doesn’t come in pill form and it isn’t a superfood or a new surgical procedure.
You can do it anywhere, with lots or no equipment and it comes in literally thousands of different types.
Getting a sweat on……..
Exercise is the most evidence based intervention that our body can experience (of course it used to just be living life before we went and got all sedentary and industrialised), one of the most beneficial and certainly the most applicable to the entire population!
However in terms of health (not to be confused with performance for specific sports) most of us are doing it wrong……
The problem with exercise is that most of us focus on the aspects we think make us ‘fit’ (whatever that means), rather than what our body actually needs for exercise to give the greatest benefits.
There is a huge focus on being able to run/cycle/swim/pogo for extended periods of time (the longer we go, the more impressed people are).
Another one that is mentioned a lot is ‘I walk the dog everyday’ or I go on lots of walks.
The problem with this is that our body and nervous system needs a significant challenge in order to create adaptation within (well adaptation of a positive kind!).
By only stressing our Cardiovascular system with running etc we tend to lose muscle mass.
On a side note the stress created from high levels of cardiovascular exercise can create excessive free radicals that can be harmful to the body.
When we have more muscle mass (this does not mean Arnold Schwarzenegger Mr Universe size) our heart, liver and nervous system have to work harder to keep up with the demand.
Remember the heart is a muscle and all organs of the body react to what the nervous system tells them to do.
Walking the dog (esp of you do it everyday) is not very taxing and neither is running in terms of heart rate (particularly if you are quite efficient at it).
Strength, power and balance are the things that diminish greatly as we get older so if your pushing 40+ then focus on getting stronger.
Could you pick up your kids and carry them if you needed to. I had to pick up my mum and Auntie when they got stuck in mud one time and carry them and my 2-year-old son through sticky thick mud while out on a walk.
Word to the wise, stronger people are harder to kill.
Come and see us in the clinic to see how we assess people’s balance, strength and posture in the clinic.
Find out how we can help you expand your potential. We also don’t do drugs (stay in school) or surgery but we do have life-changing results.
As always take care.
Dr Gareth Ward
Chiropractor
