“Exercise is Good For you!”
We hear it all the time. But does it really impact our health?
The answer: Yes, all the way down to the genetic level. Physical activity and exercise are necessary to keep our bodies in working order. Our genes REQUIRE movement to express and create healthy cells.
Unfortunately, our modern society does not innately support lifestyles required for daily survival, i.e., walking to get water. According to a 2001 study, “approximately 70% of adults in the United States do not undertake the recommended 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, five or more times per week, which includes those 24% of Americans who have no physical activity.” (Brozinick et al., Molecular Cell 7: 1085-1094, 2001)
And this is only the MINIMUM amount required to avoid a chronic disease! Not the amount recommended to achieve optimal health and thrive.
Many modern diseases, not including Osteoarthritis, did not exist when we lived as a society according to hunter-gatherer patterns in the pre-agricultural age, about 10,000 years ago. Our genes have not changed from that time to now. However, our day-to-day activity level has. As humans, we require more exercise and movement to stay healthy. (Booth et al. J Appl Physiol 93: 3-30, 2002)
You can see why Dr. James Chestnut coined the term ‘Movement Deficiency Syndrome,’ identifying the necessity of both physical activity and exercise on human physiology, function, and health. As a society, we just aren’t moving enough to stay healthy.
The positive side of living in this day and age is that we now have a clearer understanding of what is necessary to stay healthy. This is why we talk so much about daily movement in the practice. It is accessible and makes a huge impact. All you have to do is mimic our ancestral hunter-gatherer patterns. Making small changes will increase your quality of life and could even save your life by preventing disease.
We recommend alternating between high-intensity exercise, reminiscent of hunting, and days of rest and light activity. Remember that this exercise is in addition to the basic daily physical activities of building and moving camp, gathering, cooking, cleaning, butchering, carrying water, and other requirements for survival.
Daily Requirements:
- Mobility: Moving our joints to the full range of motion during stretching and yoga practices.
- Cardiorespiratory: Elevation of your heart rate through movement and exercise for a MINIMUM of 30 min. For example, taking walks throughout the day.
2-5 Times Per Week Requirements:
- Muscle Loading: Using our muscles to complete tasks like carrying, climbing, and hunting. If you, like most of us, do not hunt or climb daily, focus on bodyweight movements like squats, pushups, and pullups or external objects such as weights.
- High-Intensity Activity: Performing intervals of burst exercises such as moderate-heavy weight lifting, intervals of 100-meter sprints, or about 12 seconds of maximal exertion. Additionally, we must perform a sub-maximal exertion for a moderate duration, such as intervals of 200-400 meter sprints.
At Platinum Chiropractic, we aim to provide each practice member with the best in Neuro-Structural chiropractic care and the latest health science information. When we improve the alignment and function of the spine, we can restore our functional movement and regain our full potential, protecting us from degeneration, disability and disease.
