Unexpected Benefits of Exercise

The chiropractic worldview has always tended towards preventative natural solutions to natural problems. This is why the chiropractic analysis and adjustment at Johnson Family Chiropractic of Peoria is focused on the nervous system, since the nerves control and regulate the natural functions of all your other organ systems. But a healthy life does not end with a chiropractic adjustment. Unless each patient shows a level of willingness to participate in his or her own wellbeing, the chiropractic adjustment remains only a step in the right direction.

Another step in the right direction includes... stepping in the right direction! (Pardon the pun.) Regular exercise, even of a low-force cardiovascular variety like walking, even at a low commitment of three times a week, can do wonders for your body.

An article in Canada's National Post highlights two interesting immune system benefits of regular exercise:

1) Regular exercisers tend to deal with fewer cold-type symptoms during a year than non-exercisers, and they report feeling better during their colds even though their colds last for the same duration as non-exercisers.

2) Low level walking and running had a BETTER influence on the immune system than rigorous and extreme exercise. (Great news for most of us!)

So, how to enhance the benefits of the immune-boosting chiropractic adjustment without having to budget gobs of time? Walk thirty minutes a day, three times a week. Note, however, that the article rightly points out that walking in cold weather, such as we sometimes have in Peoria, can worsen cold symptoms or divert bodily resources away from the immune system, making you more susceptible to getting a cold. When it's cold outside, do simple exercises indoors instead, such as walking in place, jumping jacks, pushups, or core exercises.

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