The reality of today’s world in the United States is that most
people sit for the better part of their day. This is true whether an individual
is driving in a car, sitting at a computer at work, sitting at a computer at
home, or sitting in front of the television being a “couch potato.” It is bad
to be sitting this much because the
human body is made to stand and move but not to sit, which is why sitting
causes so much trouble for the human musculoskeletal system.
So what are you to do?
You can move to keep your body flexible and mobile. It’s not
as hard or involved as you may think. You can easily fit flexibility and
mobility training into your hectic day without much fuss or effort.
Most folks think of stretching to increase flexibility but
to achieve usable flexibility you must perform more than simple static
stretching of your muscles. Simple static stretching of muscles can improve the
non-moving static flexibility but does not prepare your body for fast and
efficient movements, which is why static stretching before physical exertion or
participating in athletic endeavors is now being discouraged.
To better understand this concept it may be a good idea to
actually define what flexibility is instead of simply relying on what your idea
of flexibility consists of because your conceptualization of flexibility may be
in error. We will also define the difference between flexibility and mobility
for the same reasons.
Flexibility is the physiological maximum range of motion
that can be achieved within a given movement of the body that is passive in
nature and does not produce pain or severe discomfort. Flexibility exercises
are done to restore normal tissue length as well as to help guard against the
injury that may occur when a muscle is overused over the long term. Flexibility
is not strength dependent.
Mobility on the other hand, is the ability to move a limb through
the full range of a joint’s motion. It involves voluntary movement, conscious control
of that limb, and strength to achieve full range of motion within that joint. Mobility
is more important than flexibility because to achieve mobility you must be in
active control of your movements whereas flexibility is a passive endeavor not
requiring strength. As far as your body and your personal well being are
concerned it is better to be inflexible with good mobility than it is to be
flexible with poor mobility.
Because of long term flexibility and mobility problems
caused by prolonged sitting as is commonly found in an office worker or
traveling sales person sitting in their automobile for long periods of time it
is advisable that you see your local doctor of chiropractic to be evaluated for
the best flexibility and mobility exercises for you. After a thorough
examination your chiropractor can devise a plan designed for you based upon
static postural analysis, orthopedic and neurological testing, and functional
movement assessments of how your body moves.
Treatment may consist of working the soft tissues of your
body using deep-tissue laser (also known as cold laser or light therapy), lymph
channel drainage, myofascial decompression techniques, and vibration or
percussion treatment to help break down adhesion or scar tissue that may have
formed from long standing problems. You doctor of chiropractic can also teach
you to use soft tissue myofascial release techniques using a foam roll or other
device so you can continue your care at home.
Dynamic flexibility warm-ups and dynamic mobility training
can also be used at home and may have a greater effect than static flexibility
exercises. Dynamic mobility training offers greater stability as you increase
your range of motion which helps reduce the risk of injury from having too much
range of motion and not enough stability in the joints.
Talk to your local Doctor of Chiropractic about your options
before more serious conditions set in and become permanent.
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