5 Ways to Ease Your Back Pain without Painkillers
Back pain affects millions of people everyday, many back pain sufferers want to find relief without taking harmful and addictive pain medications or getting surgery, for many years pain medication and surgeries seemed to be the only way. There is good news, medications and surgeries are no longer the only way to relieve your back pain, there are several medication free ways to do so. Don’t let back pain keep you down, you can relieve your back pain without medication or surgery. Our office would be happy to help you live your life without pain and find the best options for you.
9 Tips to Stay Active During the Winter Months
When the weather outside is frightful, being inside can feel so delightful. The only issue with that approach? It keeps us sedentary and stationery, creating a whole host of health concerns ranging from weight gain to increased back, neck, and hip pain. So, what’s the answer? Is there a way to stay active during the winter without taking up arctic sports like ice climbing? Fortunately, the answer is yes. Here are nine of our favorite ways to get your heart rate up and keep your body healthy, even during the coldest months of the year. 9 Tips to Add Activity to Your Winters If you live in a cold environment, you know exactly how tough it can be to motivate yourself to do anything during the winter months. After all, who wants to leave the house when the thermometer hasn’t come up above zero? This winter, try these nine tips to stay in shape without putting yourself at risk of frostbite: 1. Look for Indoor Activities First If you’re a member at a local gym or fitness center, take a look at their winter schedule. Many gyms do indoor boot camps or fitness course designed to cater to people who want to keep working out but don’t want to venture into the great outdoors. Not only are these courses a great way to stay in shape, but they’re also a fun way to try something new, meet new people, and improve your functional fitness. 2. Put Activities on the Calendar Each Sunday, sit down and plan out your week of activities. Put them in the calendar as if you were scheduling a meeting, and treat them with the same level of obligation. This serves two important purposes. First of all, it requires you to be intentional about your weekly activities and to think about what you need to fit in if you’re trying to meet a weekly goal (a certain number of steps per week, for example, or total activity minutes). Secondly, it forces you to be creative and decreases the likelihood that you’ll run into a motivation slump and forget to work out. 3. Use Your High-Energy Hours to Your Advantage There are certain times of the day that you feel more active than others. Maybe you get up to power walk at 6 am all summer, but you can’t drag yourself out of bed before seven all winter long. Instead of fighting that, learn to work with it. Identify the times of the day when your energy levels are highest, and take advantage of them. Instead of trying to work out at the end of a workday, when you’re bone-tired, fit in a quick swim or a brisk hike in the morning hours, when you’re feeling energized and awake. 4. Dress Appropriately If you are going to venture outside, make sure you’re dressed for the elements. This means investing in high-quality layers that allow you the freedom to move and the warmth to stay out for as long as you want. For best results, look for active layers that wick moisture away from the body and keep you warm. Use a base layer, insulative layer, and top layer and carry a backpack or bag with you to stash the additional layers when you don’t need them any longer. 5. Bring a Buddy It’s hard enough to get outside during the winter, but it can be quite a bit easier when you bring a friend along. This winter, grab a buddy and try something new. Nordic skiing, for example, is an excellent, low-impact activity that provides some cardio and strength-training all at once. If you don’t want to invest in new equipment, head to your local sports store to rent a setup for the day. What better way to stay active than to try something new? 6. Go for a Walk Love walking but hate risking life and limb on sheets of ice? Take your walks indoors during the winter months. Even the most bare-bones fitness centers have a few treadmills, and it’s easy to hammer out a few miles after work or during your lunch break, If you’re one of the many people who gets bored on a treadmill bring your favorite podcast, book, or TV show with you and treat your exercise window as a time to double-up on the things you love. 7. Sign up for Holiday Runs Most communities do easy “fun runs” around the holidays. These runs – usually in the form of 5K walk/run races – are a great way to get outside and be active, without taking it to the nines. For a great experience, grab a few friends or your family, bundle up, and get out there! Bonus – most of these races send their proceeds directly to charity. 8. Adjust Your Expectations For many people, activity levels naturally dip a bit in the winter, and that’s not always something to be worried about. Instead of treating your workout regimen like a requirement, allow yourself some flexibility. For example, trade your morning run for a brisk walk, or swap an outdoor HIIT class for yoga. It’s all about balance during the winter months, and committing to that philosophy will help you stay healthy and injury-free. Even if you start small, the most important thing is simply to start. 9. Take the Stairs Every little bit counts when it comes to staying active during the winter. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk the three blocks to the local corner store instead of driving, or do some air squats in your living room. It’s the little things that combine to make up a healthy life. Welcome to Your Most Active Winter Yet Winter doesn’t mean the end of your regular activities. Instead, follow the tips in this post to make this winter your most active, healthy season yet! Need a skilled chiropractor to partner with you during the journey? Contact our offices to schedule your appointment today!
Up Against the Wall: How to Break Up Your Day so You Feel Great
Think you have to get up at 5 am to be uber-productive? Think again! Sure, some high-performers rise at the crack of dawn and like doing so, but that’s not the only way to enjoy streamlined, simplified, enjoyable days. In this post, we’re going to share a few top tips to break up your days for maximum physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Let’s dive in! The Origin of the 8-Hour Workday Before we talk about productivity, let’s talk about why it’s so hard to attain it in our current, 9-5 workday structure. Once upon a time, workdays routinely ran 10-12 hours, if not longer. American society was primarily agricultural, and people did have to rise at 4, or 5 am to create enough hours in the day to get everything done. In 1914, however, Ford Motor Company came along and tipped things on their head. To boost productivity and increase morale, Ford doubled its employees’ wages and reduced the length of their shifts to just eight hours. Why? Here’s how BitBounce describes it: “Ford found that its workers’ productivity increased when they had longer to recuperate. The idea soon caught on, and the rest is history. But as business moved into the information age, a problem emerged: people can’t work productively on intellectual tasks for eight hours straight. In fact, research indicates that during a typical eight hour day, office workers generally spend less than three hours working productively. Hence, the working day is once again poised for massive disruption. Companies, governments, and policy-makers are actively researching ways to increase productivity, and this is generating some surprising statistics.” While this shift was a humane one almost 200 years ago, it holds little relevance to our modern work structure. Today, the majority of U.S. employees work in cubicles rather than assembly lines, and the fact that work structure is that it simply doesn’t take as long. In 2016, Forbes called the 8-hour workday “outdated and ineffective,” and we tend to agree. The 8-hour workday is not the most productive way to work, but it’s often unavoidable. That said, it pays to get creative about how you structure your day so that you can squeeze as much productivity as possible out of each hour. 4 Smart Ways to Optimize Your Day, so You Feel Your Best Even if you have to be in the office for eight hours a day, you do have some control over how you use those house. Here are our top tips: 1. Identify Your Peak Energy Hours Some people are at their best in terms of focus and productivity in the morning, while others peak in the afternoon. No matter what works for you, it’s critical to identify the times when you feel most alert and active, and then optimize around that. For example, if you know that you’re awake and alert around 9 am, plan to front-load your day with your most demanding tasks. This is a great time to schedule meetings, deep project work and reading, research, and anything else that requires you to give 100% of yourself. That way, you can plan your administrative and less-demanding tasks for later in the day, when your energy dips. 2. Utilize Time-Blocking While “time-blocking” has been around for years, Elon Musk put it on the map a few years ago, when he touted it as his method for incredible productivity. Time blocking is a pretty simple process. It works like this: you take a look at your day and break your activities down into designated “blocks” of time. Here’s how Forbes describes it: “For example, instead of checking your emails throughout the day, you set a block of time, let’s from 8:00 am to 8:30 am, to clear your inbox and respond to messages. Once your inbox is at zero, you move on to the next task. The key to time blocking is organizing the tasks that need to be completed and then set aside a specific timeframe to focus only on those items. This prevents multitasking and interruptions from dictating your day. As a result, you’ll cross off items from your to-do-list faster, and you’ll be more productive.” Time blocking is critical for a few reasons. First of all, it keeps even the busiest days from sliding into chaos. When you have ample time allotted to everything on your calendar, you know you have space to get it done. Additionally, it saves you the stress of multi-tasking and project-switching, which is a major killer of productivity. According to recent studies, juggling even three tasks at a time (phone calls, email, and research, for example) results in a loss of 20% of productive time for each task, and a whopping 40% loss of overall productive time, thanks to context switching. 3. Get Away From Your Desk When you have a break, get away from your desk, phone, and all other screens. Instead, grab a book and head outside. Not only will the fresh air energize you and help you beat the mid-afternoon slump, but taking regular breaks from your desk boosts engagement and creativity. According to a survey conducted by Tork, upwards of 90% of American employees say that taking lunch breaks helps them feel refreshed and ready to get creative when they return to their desk. 4. Take Care of Yourself Good self-care goes beyond time management. To be your most productive self, make sure you’re taking care of your body, as well. Eat healthy, nutritious meals and snacks throughout the day to prevent blood sugar dips, drink plenty of water (bring a refillable bottle to your desk to stay hydrated), get plenty of exercise, and see your chiropractor regularly. While these seem like small things, they can go a long way to help you feel your best. Your Most Productive Days Start Here Stop slogging through days where you don’t feel like you get anything done. These simple tips will help you optimize your days and feel your best throughout. Need a bit of
How Your Chiropractor Can Help Relieve Sinus Issues
Sinus issues are no fun, depending on what area you live in and your allergies a lot of sinus sufferers go a decent part of the year dealing with sinus headaches, constant runny noses, and a constant stream of medicine. The great part is that you have options, great natural options to help with those sinus issues. Seeing a Chiropractor, getting a massage, and using essential oils can really help sinus sufferers! There is good news for sinus sufferers, you can feel better and start to enjoy being outside during allergy season again! Don’t let your sinus problems control your life, call your Chiropractor today!
8 Benefits of Getting Your Workout in Water
What do the pool, beach, and ocean all have in common? Easy: they’re all an excellent place to get your daily workout! In addition to making your daily sweat sesh fun, working out in water also has some serious health benefits. Namely, it’s low impact on your joints and won’t worsen or inflame existing injuries or sore spots. Here’s everything you need to know about working out in water and why it could be such an excellent choice for you. 8 Benefits of Hydro Training Whether you go for a swim at the beach or take part in an aerobics class at your local gym, you’ll enjoy reaping these nine benefits: 1. Less Stress on Your Joints If you’ve got a bad knee or shoulder, which regular exercise tends to inflame,e look no further than hydro training. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people can exercise longer in water than they would on land since there is no increase in joint or muscle pain with increased effort. The CDC goes on to state: “For people with arthritis, it improves the use of affected joints without worsening symptoms. People with rheumatoid arthritis have more health improvements after participating in hydrotherapy than with other activities. Water-based exercise also improves the use of affected joints and decreases pain from osteoarthritis.” As you can see, swimming is an excellent option for anyone suffering from joint pain. It’s also one of the best ways to get a full-body workout without putting your body through the wringer in the process. 2. Better Health Swimming is truly a whole-body workout, and it helps you stay fit both inside and out. In recent years, studies have uncovered a link between swimming and improved immune function, lower stress levels, and decreased risk of chronic disease. According to the CDC, even two hours a week of swimming can reduce the risk of chronic illness. Additionally, swimming stimulates endorphin production, which can increase positivity, promote better sleep, and cut stress. 3. Swimming Offers Built-in Resistance When you think of resistance training, you might immediately bring to mind images of resistance bands and weights. That’s not truly necessary to get a great workout, though. In fact, swimming is one of the best resistance workouts out there. Because you’re propelling your body through water, which has much more resistance than air, you don’t have to add any props to ensure you’re working hard. This is part of the reason swimming is such an excellent activity for anyone who wants to improve strength and endurance. 4. You can Build Intensity Slowly Not quite Michael Phelps? That’s okay! Swimming allows you to build intensity and resistance slowly, ensuring your workout matches both your goals and your fitness level. Simple things, like swimming for a more extended period or adding a prop like a kickboard can change your workout entirely, making it harder or targeting specific muscle groups. Need to slow things down a bit? Incorporate more rest or take fewer laps around the pool! 5. You Won’t Get Hot If you, like many of us, have a small level of heat tolerance, swimming could be your ideal workout. While most activities at the gym require you to get hot and sweaty, swimming keeps you cool. There’s no question that working out is more enjoyable when you’re not overheating, or that it’s nice not to sweat through your shirt during your activity of choice. Don’t let the coolness of swimming fool you, though, water increases blood circulation and ensures your muscles and bones are getting all the vital support they need during your workout. 6. You Gain Skills Over Time It’s satisfying to observe yourself getting better at something. Swimming is no exception. While learning skills like breathing, sighting, and strokes can be difficult at first, they’ll improve if you stick with them. This improvement builds confidence and helps you feel more accomplished in your daily workouts. 7. You can Swim at Any Age There are probably 80-year old Crossfit athletes out there, but not many of them. That’s because Crossfit and other HIIT activities are tough on your body, and will cause your joints to break down over time. That typically rules them out for seniors and older adults who want to stay active. Swimming, however, is a wonderfully low-impact activity that you can do from childhood well into old age. Even better, you’re not just limited to swimming. Try a hydro interval training class, water aerobics, or even paddleboard yoga to get your share of splashy fun. 8. It can Improve Your Posture When you swim or work out in the water, there’s no temptation to hunch your body under weight. This helps preserve the integrity of your spine and ensure that you’re not inadvertently injuring yourself when you’re trying to workout. Because of this, swimming is a chiropractor-approved activity that supports your overall spine and joint health. Hit the Water for a Body-Healthy Workout You’ll Love If you’ve been looking for a way to take your workout to the next level, get out of the gym and head to the beach, pool, or ocean. Swimming, hydro interval training, and other water-based activities are an excellent choice for anyone who wants to build strength and endurance and tone muscles while also preventing injury and excess strain on the joints. Want to learn more about swimming and other spine-friendly activities? Contact our team of chiropractic specialists today!
5 Tips for 1st Chiropractic Visit – Ridgefieldchiropractic
Going to any new healthcare provider can be nerve wrecking, especially if it is a type of doctor you haven’t seen before. Going to the Chiropractor for the first time most people want to know what to expect and what may happen during their first visit. We’ve rounded up the 5 things you can expect during your first appointment so you do not have to worry about it! Seeing a Chiropractor for the first time does not need to scare you or make you nervous, your Chiropractor wants to help you live your life pain free! If you have any questions please feel free to call our office!
5 Reasons You Need a Sit/Stand Desk
Those of us who work at a desk all know the neck and shoulder pain that can go with it, sitting all day is not only bad for your health, it’s bad for your neck/spine/head. Years ago sitting all day was the only real option for certain kinds of work, the good news is there are several options for being able to sit or stand at work. Taking breaks from sitting during the day is vital, being able to take breaks from sitting and still get work done is not only good for you but your work as well. If your boss isn’t set on getting you a standing desk just let them know of all the benefits it can have on the health of their employees. If you do sit all day and suffer from back or neck pain call our office today and we can help you feel better!
6 Reasons You Need a Massage Today
We all know how great getting a massage feels, how relaxed and relieved you feel after you get off the massage table. Getting a massage can often seem like a luxury and just for special occasions or gifts, however; there are some great benefits to getting a massage that will help your whole body! Massage is not just for special occasions, it’s for your health and wellness. Everyone deserves to feel their best and live pain free, massage can help you do that!
4 Things Athletes can do to Prevent Injuries
Each year, athletes throughout America suffer a collective 8.6 million sports injuries. These injuries range from easy-to-treat sprains and strains to career-ending concussions and broken bones. On the one hand, being an athlete involves the inherent risk of getting hurt. On another, there are ways athletes can take proactive measures to protect themselves in the course of their sport and to ensure that they’re not undergoing more sports injuries than they need. Here are a few of our top recommendations for avoiding injuries during intense play. 4 Smart Tips for Athletes Who Want to Avoid Injury Regardless of whether the sport in question is soccer or pickleball, these injury-avoidance tips work to help keep bodies healthy and injuries at bay: 1. Stretch First It’s far too easy to get injured as an athlete if you don’t take the time to warm up before you start your session of play. Today, upwards of 30% of injuries in sports medicine clinics take place in the skeletal muscles. When you warm up and stretch before you hit the field, you do a few essential things: You improve the flexibility and range of motion in your muscles, reducing the risk of strain and making them less susceptible to injury You prepare your body’s other systems for the stress and impact of activity, reducing shock and stress hormones If you’re not accustomed to warming up before you start a game, build it in slowly. Spend ten minutes stretching your major muscle groups, for example, or go for a slow walk/jog before you start playing. For maximum effectiveness, be sure to start your warm-up at least 15 minutes before you begin your exercise. Be sure, also, to include a variety of dynamic and static stretches. Static stretches are fixed positions you hold for a long period, while dynamic stretches are stretches you do while moving. 2. Fuel Early, Fuel Often To operate at maximum efficiency, your body needs ample fuel and water. If you’re allowing yourself to become dehydrated or suffer from low blood sugar during a big game, you’re not doing your body any favors. Even a simple thing like dehydration can make your muscles more prone to sprains and strains, for example, and contribute to exhaustion that will lead to sloppy form and dangerous habits. Instead, keep your electrolytes high during high-impact activity. Drinking a sports drink or adding an electrolyte tab to your bottle of water is a great option. You should also fuel up on carbohydrates and proteins as you play. To-go packets of almond butter are a great example of a nutrient-dense, easy-to-eat snack. As you experiment with nutrition, find a few go-to snacks that you can toss easily into your pack. Keep these with you as you work out. 3. Evaluate Suspicious Pains Came down on your ankle wrong during the last game? Don’t ignorer thee twinge that flares up when you run. Instead, get yourself to a PT or sports therapist and have it evaluated. A chiropractor is also an excellent resource for assessing sudden pains or injuries, and for helping you take steps to avoid making them worse. Many sports injuries arise from something that could have been inconsequential, if only it were treated early. Not all pains are severe injuries. In some cases, they need rest and a few days off. If you push these little tweaks, though, you put yourself at risk of making a mountain out of a molehill. With this in mind, recognize injury when it happens. You can’t demand a huge amount from your body unless you’re willing to maintain it, in return. When you take care of your body, it will take care of you. 4. Be Dedicated to Rest Days Every hardworking body needs rest. If you’re trying to meet fitness goals or incorporate more activity into your routine, it can be challenging to slow down. Instead of seeing a rest day as an inconvenience, though, start viewing it as a necessity. When it comes to athletic injuries, overuse injuries are some of the most common. According to StopSportsInjuries.org, “Training errors are the most common cause of overuse injuries. These errors involve rapid acceleration of the intensity, duration, or frequency of activity. Overuse injuries also happen in people who are returning to a sport or activity after injury and try to make up for lost time by pushing themselves to achieve the level of participation they were at before injury. Proper technique is critical in avoiding overuse injuries, as slight changes in form may be the culprit. For this reason, coaches, athletic trainers, and teachers can play a role in preventing recurrent overuse injuries.” To avoid this, you need to avoid overtraining. When you overtrain, you not only damage your performance, but you put excessive strain on your body systems, causing muscle and tendon damage and decreasing the energy stored in your muscles. This fatigue puts you in a prime position for injuries. To avoid this, incorporate rest days into your routine. Take Care of Your Body and It Will Take Care of You Being involved in active esports is an excellent pastime as far as your fitness and cardiovascular health are concerned. When it comes to your skeletal and soft tissue system, however, active sports do present a significant risk. That’s no reason to stop playing, though. If you’re concerned about injury, it’s wise to take a few preventative steps to avoid sports injuries and keep your body healthy. By incorporating rest days into your routine, fueling your body with plenty of water and nutrition, paying attention to pain signals your body is sending you, and starting a warm-up and stretching routine, you can make your everyday play safer, healthier, and more fulfilling. Want to develop a spinal care routine to help you stay active? Contact our offices today to book your first appointment.
6 Ways to Enhance Your Post Workout
Working out is a great way to feel great and keep yourself healthy, a big reason people stop working out is due to muscle pain and strain they get after working out. Recovery after your workout is essential to muscle and tissue repair and will help you keep working out! The good news, there are ways to help you recover after a workout and boost your post workout! You can feel your best and keep working out as long as you have a proper recovery, schedule an appointment with your Chiropractor to help you reach your physical goals! Make sure to take time to recover after a workout and it will make a huge difference.