Quick Reads
1-2 minute quick reads for healthier living!
Exercise – No Fooling – The Best Medicine is Moving
I have patients who come to my office with all forms of arthritis. They make the trip because their joints are painful and limit their function. They find it hard to do simple tasks around the house because they hurt.
They are surprised when I mention moving as an important part of their therapy. Some have gone so far as to imply that they are "allergic" to exercise and could not possibly do anything that would make them move more than the absolute minimum. Others try to impress me with the distance between the refrigerator and the dining room table as the ideal amount of movement. I am not impressed. It is not that I am indifferent about their suffering but I know that the only way they can improve is to move their body through space.
The musculoskeletal system is made to move. That is the way muscles, joints, tendons and other parts of the system work best. Moving means that oxygen and the nutrients get to these parts of the body. Sitting is not resting. Muscles stay in one position and do not relax and contract. Blood flow to the muscles is cut off. They tire and become more painful.
So, exercise is an important part of any therapy. Walking can be very useful for patients as a way of keeping muscles strong and using up calories. Some patients have difficulty walking because of pain in their feet, knees or hips. For them, going to a pool and walking in the water is a way to get exercise without putting as much strain on those leg joints. For those who are afraid of water, a stationary bicycle can be a way of limiting strain on lower extremity joints.
Most important is getting started. Find the exercise you like and get started. Start off slow. Like I mention in my book HEAL YOUR BACK start in a comfort zone where the time or the repetitions are 1/10th of what you usually do. Gradually build up over time. Before you know it, you will be doing a safe workout that will control your weight and make your musculoskeletal system healthy.
Then you will know why moving is the best medicine.
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