Cardio, weight training, stretching, yoga, pilates, swimming, sprinting, interval training. There are so many types of exercise that are all basically a combination of strength, endurance and flexibility. Of course there are factors including body awareness, agility and balance among others that are improved with exercise. And there are a myriad of health benefits as well. With so many options, which is the best. Which is the most efficient and offers the most benefit. A recent long term study showed that of all the various types of exercise the absolute best form of exercise is the one you will actually do consistently. That's right, there was no statistical difference between types of exercise. The deciding factor was frequency.
     Another recent study showed heart health benefits of exercise increased with duration. 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise should be a minimum. In this study people exercising moderately 1 hr and 2 hrs per day showed 20% and 35% respectively fewer cardiac events. To understand this better you need to look at what moderate exercise is defined as: walking briskly, water aerobic, riding a bike on level ground or with few hill, pushing a lawn mower. Vigorous exercise can be thought of as worth double the amount of moderate exercise and includes: Jogging or running, swimming laps, riding a bike fast or on hills, playing basketball. When put this way it seems much more reasonable, 1 hr of vigorous exercise per day will reduce your chance of a heart issue by 35%. Heart disease accounts for 25% of deaths reducing your chance of that by 35% is significant.
     Go out and exercise the way you like the best and do it frequently!


Dr. Nelson

     There are different reasons for stretching: injury prevention, improved flexibility, and injury recovery. Each of these goals will have a different routine of timing, type and frequency. For all three, consistency is very important.
     Stretching to prevent injury works on two levels. The first is a warm type stretch which will increase circulation and bring blood to muscle you intend to use. The second is greater overall flexibility can reduce injury frequency. I will discuss this under the improved flexibility goal. A warm up stretch is of course best done before any vigorous exercise. The type of stretching is the key. Static stretching, eg the sit and hold a pose, is not the best choice before exercise. When your muscles are cold they have less flexibility and blood flow. You won't gain much in terms of flexibility stretching cold, and you won't get the blood flowing in a static posture. Dynamic stretching is best pre-exercise. Leg and arm swings anterior/posterior and lateral, shoulder shrugs, high knees and leg kicks are all good examples of dynamic stretches. Focus on the muscle groups you intend to use, start slow and build up intensity for 5 to 10 minutes. 

      Stretching to improve flexibility comes in different forms. Many people think of yoga or ballet and the extremes of flexibility. Increasing your flexibility can reduce injuries, up until a point. There is a trade off of strength for flexibility. Think of it as a bell curve, or inverted U curve. Inflexible people are prone to injury because their limit of flexibility is low and they push their boundaries easily. Extremely flexible people can give up strength for more range at their end limits which can lead to injury as the muscles become a larger portion of stability than the joint capsules and ligaments. More is not always better. That said, extreme flexibility is far less of an issue than limited flexibility. The best time to increase flexibility is when muscles and ligaments are already warm. Traditional static stretching will receive the most benefit following exercise. Balance is key, if you stretch your hamstrings, stretch your quads as well. Also, do not stretch into pain. Dynamic stretching such as during a yoga class is a great way to increase flexibility. If you have attended a class before you may have noticed that they generally start out light and build in intensity. The most vigorous stretching is near the end where you will get the most benefit. Yoga also incorporates balance work, which I personal feel is a great attribute to improve. Consistency is important which ever method you choose. If you stretch once a week then you may see benefits a year later. If you stretch 3 times a week or do a 40 day yoga challenge you may see benefits much more quickly. Everyone's body composition is unique and will progress and different speeds.

     Stretching is a vital component of recovering from injury. After an injury your body lays down scar tissue to hold together the damaged tissue. Initially scar tissue is disorganized and has a random arrangement. Movement breaks through that randomness and helps your body remodel the scar tissue to have a similar function to the tissue it is replacing. It is best to stretch without pain and at a mild or moderate level. The key for injury recovery is consistency. Stretching 3 or 4 times a day will help the tissues regain their former flexibility. It is an organic process that can take up to a year or more depending on the age and severity of the injury. Chiropractic care can facilitate this process by breaking scar tissue in difficult to stretch areas.

Dr. Nelson