The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many people to spend more time at home than they normally would. Unfortunately, this additional time is often spent sitting on the couch watching Netflix, browsing Facebook or playing computer games.
These types of sedentary activities can compress the spine and increase the risk of poor posture. This often leads to lower back pain, neck pain and knee pain. In the long term, a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of conditions like obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression and cardiovascular diseases — just to name a few.
At our London chiropractic clinic, MotionBack, our London chiropractors have seen an influx in the number of patients with issues caused by sedentary behaviour in recent months.
Our chiropractors provide chiropractic care to help each patient feel better, but these treatments can only do so much. The patient also needs to be more active to avoid their symptoms re-occurring.
We often recommend a variety of exercises and stretches to help our patients improve their health.
Our London Chiropractor Shares Six Important Reasons To Stay Active
How Exercise Helps You Stay Healthy
Relieves Lower Back Pain
Our chiropractic team see many patients with lower back pain at our London chiropractic clinic. In almost all case, we recommend that the patient exercise more often to reduce their pain levels. Exercise relieves pain by:
- Increasing blood flow to the lower back, which promotes healing and delivers nutrients
- Strengthening muscles in the back which support the spine
- Reducing inflammation in the lower back
- Relaxing stiff muscles
- Encouraging you to spend less time sitting
- Bringing more warmth into the lower back which loosens the component of the back
- Leading to the production of endorphins by the brain, which act as a mild analgesic (pain killer)
Improves Mental Health
Many people have found the COVID-19 pandemic to be very stressful and detrimental to their mental health. Researchers have confirmed this fact, finding that the level of mental distress experienced by UK citizens has risen significantly in recent months.
There are several strategies you can use to protect your mental health, with exercise being one of the most effective. Staying active will relieve stress and feelings of anxiety, improve your sleep, give you more confidence and boost your overall mood.
Reduces The Risk Of Chronic Illnesses
Exercise has been found to reduce the risk of bladder cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, endometrial cancer, kidney cancer, stomach cancer and oesophageal cancer.
It also improves the health of your cardiovascular system in several ways. Exercise improves blood circulation, keeps the heart muscle strong, reduces unhealthy forms of cholesterol, boosts good cholesterol and prevents high blood pressure.
Prevents Obesity
Regular exercise reduces the risk of weight gain and obesity, as your body will be burning more calories each day. This has a flow on effect, reducing the risk of several chronic illnesses including diabetes and heart disease.
Keeping your weight at a healthy level will also improve your joint health. That’s because the knee, ankle, back and hip joints won’t be overloaded with excess weight.
Boosts Brain Health
Researchers have discovered that exercise improves brain health in several ways. Regular exercise will:
- Deliver more oxygen to the brain and improves mental performance
- Reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like dementia
- Release hormones which help brain cells grow
- Improve your memory and thinking skills
- Decrease “brain fog”
Interestingly, after we advise patients visiting our London chiropractor clinic on a physical exercise program, they often mention how much “smarter” they feel after a few weeks. Their brain begins to fire on all six cylinders!
Improved Bone Health
When you are an active person regularly moving about, there will be more weight placed upon your bones. The body responds to this additional burden by increasing bone density. This strengthens the bones and reduces the risk of serious injury if you fall. It also reduces the risk of degenerative bones diseases, like osteoarthritis, which is one of the most common conditions amongst older patients seeking out chiropractic care.
How our London chiropractors at Motion Back Chiropractic Clinic can help you
Whether you are looking for advice on keeping yourself active or you are currently suffering pain or discomfort our experienced team of chiropractors are here to help you. To book a chiropractic appointment at MotionBack simply call our clinic on 0207 112 5408 or you can book an appointment online on our website here.