Archive for Chiropractic Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Chiropractor Offers Holiday Exercise Tips
Posted by: | CommentsHere I go again talking about exercise, one of my favorite subjects as your Santa Barbara
chiropractor when it comes to an essential part of good health that no one can do for you but you. In my past blogs I’ve talked about simple ways that you can add exercise to your daily routine without altering your schedule too much, like using your lunch break to jog or take a brisk walk, taking the stairs at work instead of the elevator, and when shopping at a mall or market, find a parking spot on the outskirts of the lot, instead of close to the building.
But, with holiday shopping and other “to-do” activities, even the simple exercise options above might fall by the way side. Your lunch break becomes an opportunity to get pressing holiday necessities accomplished and if you’re in a rush, you may find parking close to a mall or market entrance, and taking an elevator instead of the stairs far less time-consuming.
However, many holiday activities offer ways for you to get the 30 minutes of daily moderate physical activity that your body needs. And, in addition to the usual health benefits, making sure you continue to get exercise will also help your body burn extra holiday calories! And, of course, as I’ve mentioned before, you don’t need to get in your 30 minutes all at once, but instead, exercising in 10- to 15-minute “chunks” can also be beneficial.
So, here are a few tips to healthfully get you through the holiday season:
If you’re holiday shopping and in a hurry, continue to park farther away from the mall entrance, and get your heart pumping by picking up your walking pace. You’ll save time and get a workout. Once you’re inside, remind yourself that taking the stairs may seem to take longer, but waiting for the elevator is often more time consuming. And, when your purchases aren’t too heavy or bulky, try carrying them instead of using a shopping cart to help get your heart pumping and strengthen your muscles.
If you’re hosting guests for the holiday, getting ready for them and cleaning after they leave can be a good way to get in your aerobic exercise. Housework, such as vacuuming, mopping, scrubbing, and even decorating (and “undecorating”) uses large muscle groups like those in your legs and back. The most important thing is to get your heart rate up at a consistent level for at least 10 minutes without stopping.
Don’t let inertia set in during the holidays. It’s hard to start exercising again once you’ve gotten out of the habit. And, if it helps, keep an image of Santa Claus and his big round belly in mind. Remember, he only exercises one night a year!
1809 Cliff Dr. Santa Barbara, CA, 93109 USA
mesachiropractor@gmail.com • 805-963-2069
As a Santa Barbara chiropractor for many years, I have to say that there isn’t much difference between the skeletal structure of men and women, with the exception that the female pelvis is wider to allow for childbirth, and the forehead bones of the male protrude more and the overall frame is frequently larger. And, to be honest, though I’ve never fully understood the philosophy that “women are from Venus, men are from Mars,” at some level this seems plausible to me and I’m far too intelligent to debate the issue with either sex! But, one difference between men and women that my mother asserted with pride was that “men sweat and women glow.” And, though I never debated this issue either, I was pleased to run across new research published in the journal Experimental Physiology that concluded that women have to work harder than men in order to start sweating, and that men are more effective sweaters during exercise. (Ergo, women are more effective “glowers.”)
The researchers at Osaka International University and Kobe University studied the differences between the sweating responses of men and women as they participated in exercises in which the intensities were changed, i.e., four groups of trained and untrained females and males cycled continuously for an hour in a controlled climate with increasing intensity intervals. The results? Men were shown to be more efficient at sweating, and that while exercise training improves sweating in both sexes, the degree of improvement is greater in men. Untrained females had the worst sweating response of all requiring a higher body temperature to begin sweating. The bottom line? According to the study’s coordinator, Yoshimitsu Inoue, “It appears that women are at a disadvantage when they need to sweat a lot during exercise, especially in hot conditions.” This finding may explain why men and women cope differently with extremes in temperatures, with women adapting better to hot environments, but men having greater efficiency of action under the same conditions.
But, sweat or “glow,” exercise for both sexes is essential for good health, including a strong musculoskeletal system.
Source: Experimental Physiology
Santa Barbara Chiropractor Discusses a Surprising Benefit of Exercise
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As I’ve written time and time again in my blogs, as a Santa Barbara chiropractor I can’t say enough about the health benefits of exercise. And, I have to admit that I’d thought I’d run out of new exercise incentives to pass along to you. But, here’s one that you may not be aware of…exercise can actually help you to get a good night’s sleep. That’s right! Sleep experts say that an aerobic exercise routine during the day can offer relief from insomnia.
A recent study at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois tracked 23 previously sedentary adults, primarily women 55 and older, who had difficulty falling or staying asleep. After 16 weeks on an aerobics training program that included exercising on a treadmill or stationery bicycle, average sleep quality improved. Not only that bu one expert on sleep and exercise believes that an hour of exercise can do more good than an extra hour of sleep.
So, the next time you’re tempted to “sit it out” instead of rising to the occasion and exercising, remember that keeping with a regular exercise routine during the day can help you to have “sweet dreams” at night!
Move It AND Lose It! Says Your Santa Barbara Chiropractor
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Okay, if you read my blogs, even on an irregular basis, you know by now that I am a Santa Barbara chiropractor who is a bit of an exercise fanatic (nut?). There are so many healthy reasons to exercise that not exercising by some individuals seems unduly resistant to their good health! Well, in a effort to coax those few exercise holdouts, and to say, “here’s an extra bonus,” to those of you who exercise regularly, I offer the results of a new study: According to research led by Brazilian researchers at the University of Campinas, the results of which will be published next week online in the open access journal PLoS Biology, there is yet another good reason to exercise. In addition to keeping the organs of the body functioning properly, helping the musculoskeletal system to stay strong and mobile, and burning calories for weight loss, exercise has also been found to restore the sensitivity of neurons involved in the control of satiety (which is to say, “feeling full”). This, in turn, contributes to reduced food intake and, ergo, more weight loss.
PLoS Biology
