Movement as Medicine: Your Prescription for a Healthier Life with CORE57
Have you ever considered just how much movement plays a part in your life? We are not just talking about those intense training sessions at CORE57. We mean the simple, everyday movements, too. What if we told you that moving your body daily could be as beneficial to your health as medicine, but without any negative side effects?
By making simple lifestyle choices such as going for a daily walk or engaging in light physical activities, you can reap tremendous rewards when it comes to health and well-being. This month we’re diving into the benefits of daily movement, the importance of focusing on stability and mobility, and sharing easy tips for daily activity that you can incorporate into your lifestyle.
Benefits of Daily Movement
We all know that physical activity is key to a healthy life and essential for shedding those extra pounds. But the benefits of movement extend far beyond the obvious. Our bodies are designed to be active, and movement supports our bodies in nearly every facet.
Physical Benefits
Heart Function: Regular movement is like a workout for your heart, making it stronger and more efficient with each step. It reduces the strain on your heart by lowering your resting heart rate. That means your heart doesn't have to work as hard to meet your body's needs, which keeps you healthier in the long run.
Heart Rate Variability: Moving around helps improve your heart rate variability, which enhances your body's response to stress, anxiety, and fatigue. It's like giving your heart some extra resilience!
Lung Capacity: When you stay active, breathing efficiency increases and lung capacity improves, meaning you will have less difficulty breathing and will be less likely to feel short of breath.
Bone and Muscle Strength: Movement keeps bones and muscles strong, increasing your mobility and strength and reducing the risk of injury.
Mental and Emotional Benefits
Energy Levels: Staying active supports regular and improved energy levels throughout the day, supporting a positive outlook and mental well-being.
Mood: Exercise and movement regulate and improve your mood while reducing the risks of mood disorders like depression and anxiety.
Mental Fatigue: Though it may sound counterintuitive, moving more means less exhaustion. Movement builds energy reserves and your ability to function well when tired. This keeps you from getting worn down or burnt out so easily — key for a busy and stressful life!
The Bigger Picture: Metabolism and Hormones
Everyday movement can have a powerful impact on your metabolic health. It helps regulate key hormones like insulin and thyroid, which in turn manage your energy resources and boost your resting metabolism rate.
Investing in your long-term metabolic health can greatly influence how you age. By incorporating daily movement into your routine, you're setting yourself up for successful and healthy aging. Not only does it support brain health and long-term independent movement, but it also provides protection against illness.
Strength, Mobility, and Stability: The Power Trio
At CORE57, we believe in a holistic fitness approach. This means focusing on improving strength, enhancing mobility, and boosting stability.
Think of your joints as intricate machines. When they're well-oiled and functioning properly, everything runs smoothly. But an unhealthy range of motion can cause problems. Overextension or the inability to fully extend a joint can put pressure on surrounding structures like ligaments, muscles, and tendons. This pressure often leads to pain and strain, affecting your performance.
Tight joints limit your range of motion and can lead to stiffness. Like a rusty door hinge, a tight joint struggles to move freely. This not only causes pain but also increases the risk of injury. Eventually, you may be able to move, but not without causing damage.
Over time, these issues can result in joint degeneration. This leads to pain, loss of function, and reduced endurance. It's a gradual process that often goes unnoticed until the symptoms become too severe to ignore.
That's why at CORE57, we prioritize strength, mobility, and stability in our training. We recommend incorporating strength exercises, practicing yoga for improved mobility, and working on your core for better stability. Remember, it's not about perfection, but progression. Every small step you take to improve these aspects of your fitness is a big win.
Try these exercises to improve your strength, mobility, and stability:
Squats: This full-body exercise mainly targets your thighs, hips, and buttocks.
Strength Training: Using light weights or resistance bands can provide a low-impact way to build strength.
Pull-ups: Targets the back muscles, specifically the lats.
Deadlifts: A great way to build core strength and also work your glutes and hamstrings.
Lunges: They improve hip mobility and strengthen lower body muscles.
Arm Circles: Helps increase shoulder mobility.
Planks: Works on core stability and strengthens several muscle groups.
Stability Ball Exercises: Engages multiple muscles simultaneously and improves stability.
Remember, proper form is crucial in all these exercises to prevent injury and maximize benefits. If you're new to any of these exercises, it's best to have a trainer guide you.
Daily Movement and Recovery Options
But what about those days when you're not hitting the gym? Enter active recovery activities. These are your best allies on rest days or after a heavy workout session. After a heavy workout, on rest days active recovery can help muscles recover, and it’s especially important if you’re sore.
Think walking, an easy bike ride, jogging, yoga, or active stretching. These reduce muscle soreness, promote increased blood flow, and aid in faster recovery.
Walking: A simple yet effective activity that helps to reduce muscle stiffness and promote blood flow.
Swimming: A low-impact exercise that allows for recovery while also working all the major muscle groups.
Rowing: A rowing machine provides a full-body workout that is low-impact and great for cardiovascular health.
Elliptical Machine: This machine provides a good cardio workout with less strain on the knees and hips than running.
Cycling: Whether it's a leisurely bike ride outdoors or a gentle session on a stationary bike, cycling can be a great active recovery workout.
Jogging: A slow, easy jog can help to loosen tight muscles and increase blood flow.
Yoga: Can help to stretch out sore muscles, improve flexibility, and reduce stress.
Make Movement a Lifestyle
Movement is more than just exercise; it's a way of life. It's a prescription for happy hormones, a stronger heart, a healthier mind, and a more vibrant life.
At CORE57, your wellness is our mission, and we're here to guide you every step of the way. Learn more about our fitness programs and let's make every move count!