Fulfilling Your Exercise Resolution This Year

By Erik A. Ward, DC

NOVA Pain & Rehab Center

. http://www.novapainandrehab.com/

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Fulfilling Your Exercise Resolution This Year

Probably one of the most made resolutions, and toughest to fulfill, is the one ‘to exercise’. For back and neck pain sufferers, exercise is crucial to easing chronic pain symptoms and preventing future pain related problems.

This article outlines some tips for really making ‘to exercise’ a part of your life this year.

Starting an Exercise Program

One of the most difficult things about exercise is just getting started. It’s easy to come up with reasons to put exercise off for just another few weeks, but your back will thank you if you just do it.

Hook Up With a Professional Who Understands “Exercise”

Often, a person wants to start exercising, but just doesn’t know how to begin. For example, going to a gym for the first time can be somewhat intimidating if you don’t know your way around all the machines and weights.

A personal trainer, physical therapist, or athletic chiropractor can get you comfortable with the various apparatus.

More importantly, they can help to design an exercise program that is right for your unique situation (including any back and neck problems) and demonstrate proper technique.

Start With Low Impact Aerobic Exercise

For many people looking to start an exercise program, not only are their muscles out of shape, but also their cardiovascular systems.

These individuals can be particularly prone to frustration (or intimidation) when they become easily winded from just a few minutes of brisk exercise.

These individuals, as well as many with back and neck problems, are better off starting out with low impact aerobic exercise that creates less jarring on the joints.

Equipment like an exercise bike or exercise ball gives a good workout with low stress. There are many techniques that require some initial training but that can provide excellent results for many patients with back and neck problems, including relaxation: Pilates, for example.

Learn Simple Exercises That Go Anywhere

When starting to exercise, it’s easy to get thrown off by schedule changes and use them as an excuse to not start and/or stop exercising. Getting busy at work, going out of town, holidays, extreme weather — these all can cause disruptions in a new exercise routine.

Patients should have some simple exercises in their fitness toolkit that can weather these disruptions and allow some amount of exercise to continue.

Many basic exercises and mobility movements can be done using only a theraband and lacrosse ball.

Get a Health Exam

For many people, a major limiting factor in starting a new exercise program is pain; it is not fun to exercise when it hurts.

Get your problems checked out by a health professional. Chiropractors and Physical Therapists specialize in many symptoms that people complain about every day.

Resolving these problems first might make looking forward to becoming active a reality.