Advice from a chiropractor on staying fit during the winter in Salt Lake City

With the weather turning colder, many people are spending more and more time indoors to stay out of the frigid air.  Activities that were once done outside are no longer done, or are altered so that you don't have to freeze doing them.  One of the biggest of these is exercise.  During the warm spring and summer months, Utah residents spend a great deal of time out hiking and running and spending time outdoors doing their regular exercise routines.  With these activities shifting indoors, it's important to make sure that you are taking care of your body the same way that you once did outdoors.

When running, jogging, or hiking outdoors, it is easy to stay in a good and upright posture (healthiest for your spine) because the sun is warm on your face and the air is fresh and clean.  When workouts move indoors, it is easier for your posture to go south and you can actually wind up hurting yourself during your workouts.  As a chiropractor, I see this contributing to back pain in my patients all winter long.  Here is something to keep in mind while doing workouts that will help keep your spine healthier.

With ANY exercise – let me repeat: WITH ANY EXERCISE – it is best to keep your spine in a straight and upright posture while doing the exercise.  Yes, I understand that there are some exercises that you cannot do while standing straight up.  The point is that you should be making every effort to keep your spine as straight and upright as possible during your workouts.

Example:  When doing a bicep curl, you are trying to get the most effective workout to the bicep that you can, right?  The part that most people don't understand is that when doing a bicep curl, your entire body is getting a little workout too.  If you are hunched over a bench, trying to max out your weight while doing a bicep curl, you are telling your spine (and hips, shoulders, neck muscles, low back muscles, gluteal muscles, and pretty much every muscle in your body)...THIS IS THE POSTURE THAT I WANT. 

Try doing that bicep curl while standing in an upright posture.  While doing this, you are strengthening ALL the muscles of your body in a correct and normal posture, thus improving your posture and overall health.

Did we forget about the bicep?  NO...  It is true that in an upright posture, you may not be able to curl as much weight as you were when you were hunched over.  But, the bicep is getting just as good of a workout (because you are isolating that muscle in this upright posture) as if you were hunched over and you were recruiting other muscles to help you lift more weight.

As you try to keep your body healthy during the colder months in Utah, just remember to keep your spine in a straight and upright posture as much as possible to strengthen core and stabilizing muscles, as well as limiting the risk of injury.

Stay healthy.

~ Dr. Michael Hill

7 Healthy Tips for the Holidays in Utah

Most of us look forward to the holiday season with all of the fun and festivities and parties, but some dread this time of year because of the increased stress and inevitable weight gain. Here are some helpful tips from a Utah chiropractor that may make it easier for you to enjoy a healthy holiday season.

1. Get plenty of rest. This time of year comes with the busyness of family get-togethers, office parties and shopping. It is easy to sacrifice your sleep to get it all in. One of the easiest ways to make yourself sick with winter colds and flus is to limit your normal sleep. Make sure you are getting your full 8 hours so that your body can regenerate and recuperate. 
2. Don't stress out. Whether you're stressed about not seeing your family for the holidays or stressed about having to sit down at a meal with them, take time to de-stress. Meditation and guided visual imaging are great ways to calm yourself. Some foods that have been shown to reduce the stress hormone Cortisol include: Omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin C, low Glycemic Index foods and Dark Chocolate.
3. Find time to exercise. As little as 30 minutes a day, most days per week of some type of cardiovascular exercise is enough to keep you fit and trim. Try to schedule some resistance weight lifting exercise as well. This will help keep the stress down and also help improve joint mobility and function.
4. Hydrate. The cold, dry weather that gives Utah the “Best Snow on Earth” also takes its toll on our bodies, sapping us of our natural fluids. Make sure you are drinking plenty of pure water to fight the effects of dehydration.
5. Limit the snacking and grazing. Just when we are getting rid of all the Halloween candy, we are faced with all the holiday goodies that are delivered to our offices and homes. Find healthier snacking alternatives. Studies show that most weight is gained in the last 2 months of the year. Don't fall in to the trap of saying, “I'll start ____ (losing weight, exercising, eating healthy, etc.) after the new year.” Get a jump start on your New Year’s resolutions by limiting the fudge, candies and cookies.
6. Get outside. When the days are shorter and colder, it is natural to want to stay indoors and sit
   
   by the fire sipping hot chocolate. Bundle up and go for a walk in the snow, go sledding with the kids or grand kids, drive up the canyons and escape the inversion. Being outside enjoying the beauty of winter and letting the winter sunshine hit your face to produce Vitamin D will do wonders for your overall well-being.
7. Get your Chiropractic adjustment. There is no better way to improve your physical and mental wellness than to let the doctors at The Joint Cottonwood Heights align your spine. Adjustments release the natural feel-good hormones, improve joint mobility, and increase blood flow and energy. Take advantage of the benefits of Chiropractic and enjoy your Holidays!

~ Dr. Brad Hendricks

The Best Cardio Exercise

Over the past several years I’ve had several patients asked me what is the best Cardio exercise they can do if I had to pick just one?. My background as a Sport’s Chiropractor in Utah and Strength and Conditioning Specialist gives me a little different perspective than most fitness experts.

  

The Late Bruce Lee said “Running is the king of all Exercise” While I agree Running is the fastest way to get in great shape it poses many obstacles for most people over 30. First running is very hard on the feet, knees, hips and low back. When a person runs every time their foot hits the ground it’s 4-5 times their bodyweight per foot strike. This high body impact can lead to many problems such as stress fractures, shin splints, plantar fasciitis etc. Second is running technique and running surface. Most people who run have poor technique and they chose to run on the asphalt instead of grass or dirt, and this magnifies the forces of impact on their body.

  

Walking seems to be an alternative to running, but there are some major drawbacks to this slower cousin of running. The biggest challenge is achieving a person’s training heart rate. Most people cannot reach their training heart rate unless their obese or severely de-conditioned.

As a chiropractor in Utah, I’ve found the best cardio exercises are whole body, low impact, cross crawl exercises like the Elliptical machines or Cross Country skiers.  Let’s take a look at some of these incredible activities and examine why they’re so effective. Most of these exercises are very easy on the joints and will not lead to impact type injuries. Individuals who are out of shape or overweight can do these exercises and have little soft tissue soreness. The next component is whole body. The Elliptical or Cross Country skiers or Versa climbers engage the entire body and this is most beneficial for time restricted people and for greater caloric expenditure. A stationary bike is a great tool, but it is mostly lower body and you’re seated for much of the time. The last factor is these exercises are cross-crawl exercises and this has a profound effect on our Central Nervous System. Cross Crawl is a term that describes the normal human movement patterns with one leg forward and the opposite arm forward. Individuals who don’t crawl as an infant and go straight to walking often have learning problems and motor impairments.  Rowing is a whole body exercise and low impact, but it does not use a cross crawl motor pattern and therefore is not as good as the other exercises I have mentioned.

Dr. David Bailey