Get (The Whole Family) Moving!

Kids are generally very active from birth as their bodies and minds are rapidly growing and developing. They struggle to learn to crawl then walk then run in the first year of their lives. They love to explore, play and build things in their toddler years, while their brain and nervous system further develops. The development and learning abilities of a young child are endless and vigorous physical activity fuels this development.

Young children in our western society have so much electronic influence that at a very young age, media such as video games, television, handheld electronics and other things take the place of physical activity. Studies have shown that kids of 3-4 years of age get 84% of their recommended physical activity. This number drops dramatically to only 7% for the age group between 5 and 11 years old then drops even lower to only 4% for 12 to 17 year olds. This results in child obesity and health problems for children due to a lack of activity and exercise. It is recommended that children get 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day, while teens should be getting an hour per day.

It is no surprise that this trend is following kids right into adulthood. Adults are recommended to get 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week and currently only 15% of the population reach this minimum standard. This can lead to significant health issues, such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, loss of bone density, and colon cancer. We want the best for our kids and the best way to help with their success in the future is to start now.

Make a commitment as parents to reduce the screen time of your kids. Find physical activities that your kids enjoy doing or chores that need to get done. This could include a wide range of activities ranging from walking, soccer, bike rides, skateboarding, bowling, swimming, skiing, skating, hockey, dancing, hiking, mountain climbing, baseball, playing at the park, weight training, vacuuming, washing the floor, washing the car and the list goes on. 

Keep your kids active and in shape. Maintaining the proper alignment of their spine is important as well to ensure maximum enjoyment of their physical activities. Call us today to keep your kids on the path to great health.

Five Stretches to Get Yourself Moving in the Office

Stretching is beneficial to keep your muscles moving throughout the day. Many of us have office jobs and find ourselves sitting from 8-10 hours per day at work. This can cause muscle tightness and joint stiffness. In addition to seeing your massage therapist and chiropractor, here are some great stretches that you can do at your desk to keep yourself moving throughout the day!
 

1. Neck and Shoulders.

Hunching over keyboards strains the neck and causes our shoulders to drift up and forward. Every 45 minutes to an hour, give yourself a 30 second break, stretch both arms out, thumbs up, and tilt your head from side to side slowly. This pulls the shoulders back in a nice stretch and gives your neck a break from that forward pull.

2. Hip Flexors & Iliopsoas.

If you are spending the majority of your day sitting, these muscles are at risk of tightening up and causing pain. An easy way to get these muscles moving again is to take periodic breaks, by standing! While standing, doing very gentle lunges next to your desk or down the hallway can get these muscles moving again.

3. Abdominals & Obliques.

These muscles also tighten up if you spend the majority of your day sitting. Reach your arms above you and lean slightly back so your chest and throat point towards the sky. If you have difficulty balancing, keep your gaze forward or down to the floor. Tilt slightly to the right and slightly to the left to get more of a stretch in the oblique muscles. Hold this stretch for about 15 seconds and you’ll notice a change in the stomach muscles. Make sure you keep breathing!

4. Lower Back & Lats.

Sitting for too long rounds out your spine in the low back, which can cause muscle tightness and joint strain. The muscles surrounding the lumbar spine get particularly weak while the hamstrings can go slack. While sitting at your desk, give yourself a little bit of room from the edge of the desk and then reach forward and slightly to the side. Repeat on the other side. This gentle stretch can relax those muscles that have been overworked throughout the day.

5. Whole Back/Spine, Glutes & Hamstrings.

Even if you are sitting the whole day, a nice stretch to do while at your desk is the Figure 4 stretch. Bend one knee and lay your ankle over your opposite knee. Sit up straight and very gently lean forward. You should feel a nice stretch in your low back and glutes. Hold for about 15 seconds and then switch sides. This can help loosen up muscles that have tightened up during the day.