Hello from Texas!
I have been sitting in an awesome chiropractic conference for three days. Being with like-minded chiropractors feeds my soul and mind, but ironically it hurts my spine!
Did you know that sitting causes twice as much compressive force on your spine as standing? The twelve hours each day I have spent sitting on my you-know-what has put a pain in my you-know-where! (I’m still recovering from that darn back injury last month!)
Luckliy I am surounded with great chiropractics to give my spine healing adjustments. But unfortunately, those healing adjustments don’t last long when you go right back to sitting. Which brings me to my question for you… How many hours per day do you sit?
It seems more and more Americans have sedentary jobs, and the majority do not make the effort to exercise daily. It shocks me to read that 24% of Americans get NO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY at all. And what’s more surprising is that a whopping 70% do not undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise daily. Who is left? I am hoping that each one of you reading this is in the 6% that exercises daily. If not, here are some reasons to get up, get out and MOVE:)
- Walking or hiking less than 20min per week was associated with twice the risk of pancreatic cancer compared with greater than 4 hours per week. (Booth et al.)
- Lack of exercising increases risk of melanomas 56% in men and 72% in women as found by Shors et al.
- Sedentary lifestyle is associated with lower cognitive skills and an increased risk of cognitive impairment like Alzheimer Disease (Booth et al.)
If you want to live, if you really want to live a long happy life you alsolutely HAVE TO move! Exercise not only feeds our cells on the physiological level, but also on the emotional level. If you are feeling a bit down or just feeling tired, a walk can be your best pick-me-up.
October is “Eat Well, Move Well, Think Well Month” at Crossroads Chiropractic. Join us for our Move Well Workshop, a yoga class or pilates. Grab the recipe of the week or challenge yourself to walk farther than Sharyn our front desk manager (and boy, she walks A LOT). And if you’re really bold, you can try to be perkier and more optimisitic than yours truly! Participate not for us, but for yourself!
In love and health,
Dr. Stephanie