Forever Young? Why Pilates & Spinal Flexibility Matter When it Comes to Your Health.

“A man is as young as his spinal column.”

“If your spine is stiff at 30, you are old. If it is flexible at 60, you are young.”
- Joseph Pilates

The spine, for Joseph Pilates, founder of the Pilates, was the key to physical and emotional well-being for humans. While he was focused on how the Pilates method incorporated breathwork to improve posture and movement that strengthened the back and core muscles to support the spine, chiropractic takes a deeper and more direct approach to strengthening, restoring, and improving mobility of the spine.

Americans are sitting more than ever these days, with the typical office worker averaging about 15 hours of sitting a day. The lack of movement and the repetitiveness of sitting day-in and day-out causes our spines and bodies to malfunction, in other words, not work at their highest function. All of this sitting can lead to poor posture, digestive issues, low back pain, sciatica, and overall stiffness and discomfort, among other potential issues and sickness. 

Getting daily movement - whether it’s through an everyday task like yard work or shoveling snow or a more intentional work out like lifting weights or going to work a fitness class (like Pilates) - is absolutely vital to our overall health and improving spinal mobility. There’s no arguing that. However, movement isn’t enough to get our spines (and health) back to functioning at its highest level, especially in how we live our daily lives in the 21st century. 

ADJUSTING TO RESTORE MOTION VS. MOVING WITHIN YOUR RESTRICTED NORMAL
Getting adjusted is key to not only strengthening our spine and improving mobility - it helps RESTORE motion in areas of the spine that are, for lack of a better term, STUCK.

Let me paint a clearer picture for you. The typical 40-something-year-old office worker has been sitting for somewhere around 8 hours a day for 5 days a week for 15+ years. The body has become accustomed to or adapted to this regular sitting desk posture. As a result, areas of the spine and body have become completely restricted or have a much limited range of motion.  

When I adjust a patient, I am aiming to start the process of restoring normal motion in those areas of the spine that have become restricted. While daily movement is providing motion to your spine and body, you are going through the range of motion that your body has adapted to (aka sitting posture) while those restricted areas stay restricted, or stuck.

We are what we repeatedly do. Our daily actions and thoughts either promote health or promote sickness. So, as you set your intention for the day or the new year, consider incorporating daily movement in addition to getting adjusted into your wellness routine. Chiropractic isn’t just about pain relief, it’s about keeping your spine flexible and your body at the top of its game in order to live a vibrant, mobile everyday life!

By Dr. Kevin Clark