Choosing to move regularly improves our mental health, reduces our risk of disease, and lets us live longer with higher quality of life. Basically, if there was a magic pill for healthy aging, it would be movement.

When I first started working as a chiropractor in Ottawa, I would create perfect little exercise programs for patients. They would be complicated, rigid, and exact (not too mention extremely overwhelming). The patients who listened to me were usually the ones who were already exercising and I began to realize that I wasn’t helping the patients who would benefit the most from increasing their daily movement.

My new approach to movement.

My philosophy and approach to health have changed drastically in the last few years. More than ever I am convinced that exercise is important, but I’m much more flexible when it comes to exercise prescription (no pun intended). The keys to success for an active lifestyle are simple: enjoyment, consistency, accessibility. The particular exercises and activities can change, but getting the work done in an enjoyable way is when the magic happens.

How a chiropractor helps with movement.

When a patient presents a certain issue or injury, my job as a chiropractor is to identify what is going wrong and provide specific education, hands-on care, and exercise to overcome the injury. In the long run, finding movements that are fun, accessible, and can be performed consistently is crucial for injury recovery AND long term health and wellbeing.

Even though my go-to exercises include weightlifting and cycling, it’s my job to help others find that activities that suit them. (If watching poorly-lit videos of a guy lifting weights and hanging out with dogs in his garage interests you, check out my Instagram page @SpineOttawa.)

Patient success over pain.

Instead of telling people what they have to do, I now ask what they’d like to do to become healthier. In my Ottawa practices, I’ve seen a huge variety of movement goals, and it's been a blast supporting my patients as they work towards them. 

• A patient in his mid-70s wanted to continue lifting weights through an episode of low back pain - it was important for him to stay strong enough to work in the garden and lift his grandkids. We found some movements that made his back feel better when he was stiff and modified his weightlifting for a couple of weeks to help with recovery until he could go full speed again.

• A patient who has been dealing with her Achilles post-surgical dysfunction has started swimming and power walking so she can beat her god-daughter in a race home from school this Spring. We’ve been meeting monthly to discuss obstacles, increase the difficulty of the exercise program, and brainstorm ways of improving overall health.

• A teacher who has been suffering from a sore neck has successfully managed her pain by adding walking to her schedule and performing some simple mobility exercises a few times a week while watching tv. She has even started showing her students some of the exercises we covered in our appointments to help them limber up after sitting at their desks all day!

The Canadian Guidelines for Physical Activity

The Canadian Guidelines for Physical Activity lay out some standards that most of us should try and achieve for movement every week.

The numbers may seem daunting at first, but when we break things down as small as we can, little improvements can really add up over the course of months and years. As proof of this, a study came out recently and found that even walking a few extra minutes a day can literally add years of health to our lives!

If you don’t know where to start, or if pain and stiffness are stopping you from moving the way you’d like, please get in touch. There are options available for convenient expert chiropractic care that can help you reconnect with the meaningful activities in your life.