Stretch Right For Your Run

It’s the time of year when you can get outside and enjoy yourself without having to be too concerned about the weather. With no cold fronts coming in, and no icy ground to worry about, it’s the perfect time to start upping your running game. Or if you’re not quite at that level of fitness, how about heading out for some brisk walks? Both have great benefits, and you can start slowly and build up as you feel your stamina and energy increase.

One big problem that is often overlooked: that even when you’re out for a brisk walk, stretching is incredibly important.

And that even counts for those who aren’t active! When you stretch, you keep your muscles strong, flexible, and healthy. Without proper stretching, your muscles will shorten and become tight. When you try to use them, they won’t extend as they should, which puts you at risk for issues like:

• Joint pain
• Strains
• Muscle damage

Stretching isn’t just for active people, and anyone can benefit from performing some stretches once or twice a day. There are, however, certain stretches you can benefit from doing before you head out for that jog, run or walk.

#1: Calf stretch

Reach out your arms and place both your hands on a wall. Your feet should remain comfortably apart with your toes pointed toward the wall. Place one leg back from the other with the knee straight and your foot remaining flat on the ground. With the front leg, bend the knee so your hips move forward. Lean slowly toward the wall.

#2: Thigh stretch

The front and sides of your thighs can be stretched by standing, with a wall or chair nearby in case you need support. Pull your leg behind you with the corresponding hand. Pull your shin toward your thigh and keep your knee downward to ensure you don’t hurt your knee joint.

#3: Piriformis and glute stretch

Lie down on your back with your knees bent. Cross your left ankle over your right knee. Grab behind your right knee and bring your leg toward your chest. Then, switch to your right ankle and cross that over your left knee, stretching both sides.

#4: Low back stretch

Don’t think that stretches for physical activities like running should only be about the legs. Your full body is involved, including your back. One easy stretch is to lie on your back and then grab both knees, pulling them to your chest.

#5: Full spine stretch

Lie on your back with your arms stretched to the side. Bring your right knee in toward your chest and let it fall to the left while your right arm is extended. Keep that arm and shoulder blade on the ground to feel a stretch in the spine.

As always, exercise appropriate caution when stretching. Though you’ll certainly feel it, any feeling of discomfort or pain might mean you’re not quite ready for the stretch you’re performing. You can always ask us, if you’re uncertain about the stretches that might be best for you.

Where Does Chiropractic Fit Into Your Health Plan?

There is no shortage of practitioners to turn to when you want to improve or maintain your health. How do you know which is right for you? It can seem pretty difficult to navigate, even for those who consider themselves knowledgeable about the benefits of different healthcare disciplines.

Who’s On Your Team Matters

Have you heard of the idea of integrative healthcare? It involves the collaboration of healthcare professionals that help you achieve your goals. A chiropractor is qualified to assess, diagnose and treat issues that affect your musculoskeletal and neuromusculoskeletal system.

When a case is outside of the scope of chiropractic, a chiropractor will give a referral and explain to you why, and how the referring professional may be able to help you. Then, they can collaborate with that other professional to support your ongoing care.

This team approach ensures you get the best of the best, benefiting from the combined knowledge of different practitioners. But what do some of the professionals in the world of alternative healthcare actually do?

It’s important to understand that so you can maximize your benefit from each. Some of the most commonly used include:

Chiropractic. This form of holistic care is focused on improving your overall wellness. With precise adjustments, joint function is resorted and the nervous system is supported without the use of medicine or surgery.

Physiotherapy. A physiotherapist Aims to prevent, assess or treat injury, disease or disorders in movement and function. They work with patients to improve their mobility, rehabilitate injury and more.

Massage therapy. Massage on its own can be incredibly beneficial, but a registered massage therapist can go deeper and create a treatment plan based on your needs and preferences. It can give a boost to your physical, mental and emotional well-being.

Naturopathy. Naturopathic medicine combines modern science and traditional, natural forms of medicine to stimulate the body’s healing power. To get to the underlying cause of disease, a naturopath may use therapies like nutrition, botanical medicine, acupuncture, hydrotherapy and more.

Acupuncture. This therapy is designed to stimulate the release of endorphins to relieve pain, increase energy, improve your mood or boost your body’s overall function. Though specially designed needles are traditionally used, hands, electricity or a laser can also be used to achieve the desired outcomes.

How to Know What You’ll Benefit From

Though the above is just a small sampling of some of the alternative forms of healthcare commonly used, there are too many to name! As such, it can be tough to navigate which is right for you. Add to that how each practitioner may take their own approach, unique from the next, and you might be feeling a little lost.

By taking an interdisciplinary approach to your healthcare, you’ll end up feeling more educated and knowledgeable about how to manage or prevent health conditions that can affect your level of wellness.