Last night during our ‘Better Results Faster’ workshop, I was asked one of the most common questions that I get asked in the practice.
“What is the best exercise that I should do?”
Before I dive into this, the best exercise for you and for me can be two completely different things, however the style of exercise should be uniform.
You want to be able to exercise in a way that is congruent with the human genome. Here are my top 5 tips:
- Our brain craves movement and motion. Roger Sperry earned a Nobel Peace prize for his research into how movement charges the brain, much like a windmill using the wind for power and electricity. The first parameter is to avoid stagnancy be it sitting or standing for prolonged periods of time. If you sit or stand for a vast majority of the day with very little movement from your desk, then hop in the car and decide to do a 60-minute slog at the gym on the way home, then your exercise is merely a supplement. The solution: every 20 – 30 minutes you need to move. This could be something as simple as rolling your shoulders back and moving your neck in its six basic movement patterns.
- We live in a 3-dimensional world. Wouldn’t it then make sense to exercise in a 3-dimensional plane. Exercising in 1 dimension does not equip our body to the world that we live in. For example, running on a treadmill; doing bench press on a Universal machine; or riding a stationary bike take out variables delivered to us by the everchanging environment. Variables such as an undulating terrain, uneven surfaces, and the body’s own adaptational response to gravity are taken out of the equation. The solution: exercise outdoors, through parks on natural surfaces and do functional workouts combining movements together (eg burpees).
- Exercise right for your body type. Look at yourself, your current physical condition and ability will dictate what is right for you now. Every exercise can be broken down to a much simpler form.
- When you exercise, think as to how I can replicate this in real life. I have heard, on numerous occasions, that people cannot do squats. However every single one of us does squats every day of our life…every time we go from standing to sitting and vice versa. Practice your squat technique every time you sit down and stand up. Hanging your clothes on the line can be a shoulder press. As you apply these movements to everyday life, you will notice improvements in no time.
- Finally do what you enjoy and enjoy what you do.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at info@chatswoodchiropractic.com to get you moving and exercising congruent to your body type.
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