Living pain free is possible. And not only will it affect you physically, but overcoming pain will affect you mentally too. When your body is experiencing pain, your mental wellbeing can suffer just as much. Aches and pains are the way that your body tells you that something is wrong and needs attention.
The good news is that exercise can be the very best thing you do for your mental and physical body. And they can even help prevent certain types of pain from becoming chronic. However, the wrong exercises at the wrong time could hinder rather than help.
Use the following to think through your skeletal system and how to maximize your workouts without compromise.
Whether you self-adjust or see a chiropractor, ensuring your muscles are in alignment with your skeletal system is an important foundation for the body in movement.
When muscular imbalances happen, other muscles work overtime. This creates aches, pains, and stiffness. These flare-ups need attention through relaxation techniques like foam rolling and breathwork. Breathwork, while it might not seem like much “work,” is an especially helpful tool for calming a nervous system that is on guard because of pain.
Using a tool like a lacrosse ball, golf ball or thera cane massager can help release knots that have formed due to repetitive positions or movements. The goal is not to create more pain but to help the muscles relax. When using these tools on your own body, go gently!
One important key to living pain free is stretching. Elongating shortened, stressed muscles through active stretching makes sure the body is prepared to perform movement through the proper range of motion. Take care to stretch just to a place of borderline discomfort rather than all-out pain. Try these stretches.
Training underused muscles to make sure you can hold proper posture throughout a movement or exercise’s full range of motion is critical. This will help you get to more advanced physical activity.
Returning to normal activity is important. Make sure your workout regimen includes maintenance exercises that teach the body how to move optimally while keeping your musculoskeletal aligned.
First Stop Health providers are here to care for you! First Stop Health coaches can help you make sure you're on track to manage your pain one step at a time! Just schedule your first visit to get started. All our visits are virtual, so you can get care from where you're most comfortable!