Here’s a conversation that comes up often when I’m working with patients.

When should you stretch, and when should you strengthen?

Let’s back up a second.

Why should you want better mobility at all?

If you have faulty biomechanics (which could also be described as poor movement) you’re fighting against yourself any time you try do any activity. This can mean you’re tense in some muscles, weak in others.

Either way, you wind up spending more energy than you should.

Fluidity (or ease of movement) makes everything you do easier.

And helps prevent injuries.

That’s why working on your mobility and flexibility should be like the regular maintenance you do for your car; they’ll help you get more mileage out of your body! Yet these are widely misunderstood. Stretching and strengthening are two sides of the same coin. If you stretch but don’t strengthen, you’ll see limited results.

Let’s say you want to correct the typical shoulders rounded forward posture that many people display. You can open up the front of your body by stretching your pecs, but if you don’t also strengthen the muscles in your back that hold the shoulders open, the benefit will be temporary at best.

Also, without getting stronger that increased range of motion is almost useless AND can even make you more prone to injuries.

Few things to think about before you start pounding the treadmill on Jan 1. ;-)

Education like this is a big reason we pass along to you our Gifts of Health. These are two certificates for complimentary assessments you can pay forward this holiday season. I’ll even get one of my colleagues in other towns, provinces or countries to honor them if your “giftee” is not local!

Maybe you have a friend or family member with an important fitness goal they plan to go after in 2020? Forward this email along with your recommendation and let them know the certificate is theirs if they want it!

What’s a better gift than the gift of health?

Before I let you go, one final reminder about our Daily Bread Food Bank drive. If you’d like to donate, please bring in any non-perishable food items – I’ll be delaying my drop-off until early January; a little goes a long way in the new year too!

From our families here at Annex Family Chiropractic, we thank you for your trust.

And no matter what tradition you celebrate, we wish you and your family a healthy and…

Happy Holidays!

Sincerely in Health,

Dr. Josh

====
Watch this brief 26-second clip to find out how one patient got relief from long-term back pain and sciatica:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nwot2_RfOqY&feature=youtu.be
====