Are you moving correctly?
For Laura, movement was an integral part of her life. She and her daughters were active in the gym and took fitness to be an important part of staying healthy. With sports and exercise, however, comes the possibility of injury. On her health journey, Laura learned that “How” you move is even more important than “How much” you move.
Here’s Laura’s story:
“I first began to think seriously about chiropractic care when my daughter was showing signs of successful adjustments and changes in her athletic and daily life while in the care of FFC. You see, I had been under the care of another chiropractor in the past with no success. I was hooked up to a machine which gave me intervals of small “shocks”. To say I was skeptical to engage in chiropractic care was an understatement. As a matter of fact, when the doctor was preparing me for the x-ray he asked me “so, what do you think of this chiropractic stuff?” I raised my eyebrows and said “seeing is believing, the jury is out”. After six months, I’m drinking the proverbial Kool-Aid.
I knew I had something going on in my body. I wasn’t sure what it was; I just knew something wasn’t right. I attributed it to all sorts of causes. I was living a very active gym life. I worked out five days a week and sometimes more. The gym was, and still is, my stress relief. I would tell myself it was a particular workout which was causing the stiffness, the tightness, the inability to function properly. I was also facing a very stressful home environment. I was continuously telling myself “once I get past this step, or the next step” I would feel better. The only problem was that there was always something in life causing changes, altering my routine and making me feel unbalanced.
For some background on my story, when I moved to the Omaha area I needed to search for my next gym. I landed at LifeTime Fitness. I toured the place and knew it was where I would continue my fitness journey. I signed up and got connected with the Personal Fitness staff at that time. I was paired up with the most knowledgeable person I know relative to fitness, corrective measurements and genuine care and concern for me and my body. After a couple assessments, Jason put together a workout schedule. To say I was disappointed is being nice. I thought “I can do so much more, and this guy has me doing beginner’s work”. I was ready to continue where I left off, not start over. This is why Jason really is the best. He knew what I needed and what I didn’t need. He knew what I needed to be successful.
After working with Jason for a while I was hearing terms like subluxation, sticking point, impingement, adjustments. I had heard some of these terms at my daughter’s chiropractic appointments. Could it be a chiropractor could help me in my fitness journey? I made an appointment and began my way to a healthier spine, body, mind and soul.
All the doctors at Family First Chiropractic have been involved in my chiropractic journey. I learned I have subluxation in my neck and my lower spine. When I was driving it was almost impossible to look over my left or right shoulder to check for traffic. I found I was turning my shoulders to view what I should have been able to see by a simple turn of my head. All those workout excuses I was telling myself weren’t due to the exercises at all, but rather an ineffective spine.
After a few adjustments I found myself able to more effectively use my neck. It will never be 100%, as I waited too long to do anything about the issue. My lower back has responded to the adjustments, as well. As I mentioned, I lead a very active gym life. Jason, Dr. Joel and FFC have allowed me to excel and set new goals for myself. I ran in a 5k this past summer with my sisters. A year ago, I would have never been able to complete the race. I will be competing in a Warrior Dash this spring. I am more effective in the gym with my workouts. I don’t have the pain, the long recovery period or the ineffectiveness like I had experienced in the past.
I have also learned about being healthy in other areas of my life. Omega 3s, smoothies, and trying to de-stress all play an important part in my journey. I now face some new “aches and pains”. When I express my frustrations to those who are on my life journey with me, I get encouraging words. I receive explanations of why I’m feeling what I’m feeling.
As I heal and begin to be wholly fit and healthy, I realize I am like a jigsaw puzzle. All the pieces must fit together before the next piece can be successfully placed in order to make the whole picture. I know chiropractic care will be a piece of my life journey indefinitely. Chiropractic care is an investment in me and my future. I know it is the most valuable care I can do for myself and my daughters. I understand the journey. I look forward to being fit and healthy.”
Learn More at Our Up Coming Event!
If you want to learn more about “How” to MOVE FOR YOUR HEALTH, get registered for our upcoming workshop on March 27 at 5:30pm. Personal Trainer and Health Coach, Nick Monzu will be teaching about the proper ways to move and why movement is key to living a healthy life. Call 402-884-4100 or visit our Facebook Event to get registered. We’d love to see you there!
