Obesity, Exercise and Pain Relief: Part I

Obesity can be a very hard topic to address with patients. It can also be a major obstacle to recovery from back and neck pain. Conversely, pain in the back and neck can keep obese patients from the exercise that they need to lose weight. People think that if they are having pain, they need to get out of pain before starting to work out. Choosing the wrong workout can lead to pain, too. Rapid weight gain or loss can also lead to pain. The issue of weight, exercise and pain goes 'round and 'round. As a chiropractor, it is something that frustrates me on a daily basis. It is a problem that is getting worse with time. It is also one we cannot afford to ignore. It is crippling our health care system and our lives! As there are so many different angles to this issue, I am going to break it down into parts over the next several posts.

I would estimate that about 75% of my daily patients are overweight. I would go beyond that to say that about 90% of my patients are not getting enough exercise. During the past 13 years I have been a chiropractor, I have heard pretty much every excuse in the book as to why my patients aren't getting enough exercise.

Here are a few facts regarding exercise:

1. Your job doesn't count as your workout! I don't care if you are a bicycle courier or work in a warehouse lifting hundreds of pounds every day. Your job is not exercise. You may be able to eliminate certain aspects of your workout if you are a bicycle courier, like cardio, but you would still need to do some stretching and strengthening exercises to prevent muscle imbalance and overuse issues. If you are lifting heavy things all day, then you DEFINITELY need to make sure that you are getting some outside core strengthening and cardio, as well as stretching. The only career that might incorporate all of the necessary exercises would be a personal trainer (if you work out with your clients). However, most of those folks work out outside of work too!

2. There is always SOMETHING you can do to get exercise. If you cannot walk or bike, you could use an arm bike or do air punches. If you cannot use your arms or cannot afford equipment, you can walk. If you don't have money for weights, you can use household items. I guarantee you that I can find something for everyone to do as exercise unless you are in a coma (if you are, someone else will exercise you)!

3. Having pain or arthritis is NOT a reason to skip exercise. It may be a reason to modify your plan, but it is not a reason to stop or put off starting. I repeat, there is always something you can do! The key is always in picking the right activity. Jogging or running is not a good exercise for someone with low back pain or moderate to severe arthritis in the knees, hips, feet or back. However, walking or cycling are great for these conditions. If you have "gone crazy" on your treadmill and given yourself a stress fracture, you can still do ab work, arm exercise and stretching.

4. Exercise will help improve most health conditions, including arthritis, fibromyalgia, back pain, diabetes, high blood pressure and many, many more. You just have to choose your exercise wisely!

If you are unsure what type of exercise is best for you due to health or pain issues, there are many places to look for advice. Your chiropractor is a great person to look to. You may also find a personal trainer who has extra training in modifications for pain and other health conditions. Obviously your primary care physician is a good person to ask, as well.

It is time to stop with all of the excuses and use that energy to burn some calories! Your body and your brain will thank you for it.