Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Exercise is Cement?

Habits are at first cobwebs, then cables.
     Spanish Proverb

This quotation can sum up many things but in this case I want to talk about exercise.  Many patients after getting treated want to jump into an aggressive exercise program.  I don't give them anything.  This surprises many as I am big on exercise, lifting and corrective movements.  But even after getting treated and being out of pain, doesn't mean they will move correctly.

If you give these patients or athletes exercises, most likely, they will revert to their old habits, their old way of moving.  So they are going to end up taking a step back in their rehabilitation process.  In this case exercise will be cementing dysfunction.

When you change the movement pattern through chiropractic adjustments, soft tissue work, muscle activation, stretching, foam rolling, then you can use exercise to cement function.

Exercise should always answer a question.  Why is this important for my health, why is this important to my performance.  Will it increase one or both.  Don't jump ahead in the process of recovery.  Don't cement dysfunction, cement function.  Then habits that are cables work for you, not against you.

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