Mobility

WALKING 

Our bodies were made to move and if we don't move, we’re going to have some trouble and breakdowns along the road. Basic movement which has been around since the beginning of mankind is walking. 

Before the bicycle, car or carriage, people were walking.  It is essential above all forms of exercise.  Our ancestors used to walk to the neighbors, market, church and along their farmland working and doing chores from morning until evening.   Now today, we sit in cars, offices, in front of the tv, in school and entertainment/sports/church events.  Our lives have revolved around sitting.  God did not create us to sit our lives away, we were built to MOVE.   Also, our ancestors did not have the bone/joint problems, diabetes, heart disease, obesity and immune issues that we have today.  Humans were meant to walk.  It is the foundation of movement.  Athletes perform all different sports, but if they are not walking regularly along with training, then mechanical problems will surface.  Mastering and maintaining the body’s most simple and basic movement of walking, above all other movements, will help balance the body from side to side, from top to bottom and front to back.  This will also help prevent injuries.  One of the most amazing things about walking which gets grossly overlooked is the strength it builds in the back.  Walking causes all of the back muscles to fire and when the back muscles are stimulated, they stabilize and support the spine, thus making the limbs and organs stronger.  That’s why walking is so powerful. 

I have worked with super fit individuals, but they don’t walk and guess what…they have weakness and injuries.   Modern man says…”Hey, bag the walking, let’s hit the gym”…after they’ve been sitting for the past 5 hours.   Walking steadily burns glycogen and fat while promoting joint mobility/stability, circulation of blood, clearing of the mind, expansion of the lungs, encourages relationships/communication and reduces stress. 

Walk at least 30–60 minutes a day and if safely and physically possible, change the terrain to grass, gravel, dirt, or sand. 

Here's a Rule of Thumb: 

If you can’t walk far, due to various health reasons, then start with baby steps every day and increase the distance each week by 5-10 minutes.   

 

INJURIES 

Many injuries as we get older, occur from being predominately sedentary to then demanding motion from our bodies that we are not used to such as shoveling snow, soft ball, running, snow/water sports, lifting, digging and yard work. Staying mobile the majority of the year reduces our risk of injuries and keeps our musculoskeletal system, coordination, balance and proprioception in tune.  

 

GENERAL EXERCISE  

Mobility, mobility, mobility!  From years of experience working on patients, I have found that those that don't exercise have weakness such as poor/slow metabolisms, poor immune systems, brain weakness, weak muscles, weak limbs, weak organs and adjustments don't hold, but those who are mobile and exercise regularly experience the opposite.  Our bodies were designed to move, they were not designed to be sedentary for extended periods of time.  Take a measurement of how many hours your body is in motion verses how many sedentary hours per week.  You will be surprised.  It just may give some insight as to why your body is not performing well, because it is lacking performance - motion. 

Movement of the body is a necessary part of health, if we don’t use it, we will lose it.   

After walking has been established as a routine, then pick exercises that are enjoyable.  I love to walk the dog, run, weight lift, bike, P90X fitness program, ski and water ski.  Those exercises make me happy. 

So do the activity which brings peace and happiness and is appropriate for your fitness level. But above all else, just move. 

 

EXERCISE PACE AND IMPACT 

There is a lot of good information and research about heart rate zone training and its effectiveness.  To learn more, go to: 

https://www.mountelizabeth.com.sg/healthplus/article/fat-burning-zone-heart-rate-to-lose-fat 

 

Weight training is a powerful form of exercise to help hold adjustments and keep muscles strong. Body strength produces better balance, coordination, speed, endurance and helps prevent injuries.

Low impact exercises for joint injuries are crucial such as walking, swimming, stretching, biking and the elliptical machine. 

 

THE FEET 

They are a very mobile structure and must be allowed to be mobile for good foot health. Poor foot health can affect the knees, hips, pelvis, low back and spine.  When immobile structures such as hardwood floors, cement, concrete or asphalt push forces up on our mobile feet, then the movable force wins and causes our feet to eventually become fixated, restricted or have a lack of motion.  Orthotics are important and should be fitted ONLY by a Certified Chiropractic Extremity Practitioner a C.C.E.P.  Go to this website to locate a doctor.  The reason these practitioners are the best at fitting orthotics to the patient’s foot is that they are trained to manipulate and align the bones of the foot to normal position BEFORE molding the orthotic.  If the bones do not get properly aligned before molding the orthotic, then the orthotic is molded to a pathological dysfunctional foot.  It’s like casting a broken arm, but the doctor fails to reset the bone to its proper place before molding - a cast molded to a pathological dysfunctional bone.  The purpose of orthotics is to SUPPORT the bones of the feet so they can move in their normal anatomical position.  If orthotics are too expensive at least get the feet adjusted as well as the rest of the body. 

 

One other thing to note, when the feet are having problems, consider the adrenals.  They reflex to each other, so poor functioning adrenals can show up as foot problems. One of the best ways to repair the adrenals is through nutrition and proper sleep as mentioned in both Food and Rest in Healing of the Body.