I have been reflecting on the class I have been teaching over the past couple of weeks for the College for Older Adults. Our topic this semester was how to make your home healthier. We covered an array of different topics and products to accomplish this. Looking back over the years of teaching health I have noticed one recurring idea, to be persistent and consistent at doing what you can to be as healthy as you can be. It is easy to become obsessive about health these days, or simply to not care at all. Researching and teaching all the different unhealthy parts about our environment can be overwhelming to people and myself included. But I teach in our class and here at the office that it is the small consistent changes you can make in your life that make the difference. Set goals and make the changes you can and don’t become obsessed about everything. This will just cause more anxiety that will be worse for your health in the long run anyway. I have to admit, it took me awhile to realize this. I used to try to push myself so hard in the gym and with sports that I ended up burning myself out. Then I did the opposite with the stress of chiropractic school and put so much time into my studies I did not exercise or eat healthy enough. I couldn’t find the balance that worked for my body.

Wisdom

I have been blessed with grandparents who have made it to their 90’s. It is funny that sometimes they ask me or I find myself telling them about health. I think I should be the one taking notes. I have found that their consistence is key. They stay active and didn’t just stop everything when they retired. They eat home cooked meals, but also eat dessert. They do physical activity such as gardening, but know when they need to rest. And I think most of all, is they stay social, and are active in their church community.

Consistency Is Key

If you are overwhelmed by the thought of trying to be healthy and feel like you are too far-gone, I am here to tell you it’s not too late. You can start making small changes and that is what matters. We teach a concept here at the office called LODI, or law of diminishing intentions. This means that the farther you get in time from your original goal or intention, the least likely you will accomplish it. I am finding the balance my body needs now. We are all in the process of getting better or worse everyday, so lets make the changes for the better and do it without worrying. Am I saying that not being obsessed means that it is OK to eat fast food or mountain dew all the time just because you ate a salad? No, of course not, it is about finding that balance that your body needs. I remember being in a class taught by Dr. John Donofrio, an amazing inspirational chiropractor who unfortunately passed away recently. We were covering many health topics such as nutrition and neurology, and somehow the topic of being vegan was brought up. He said yeah sure that’s healthy, but come on you have to live a little and eat a steak!

How Can We Help

When it comes to health there are really two main aspects. Doing healthy things to prevent damage to your nervous system, and elevating your nervous systems function. All the topics I have mentioned above, plus more if you attended one of our classes in the past, help prevent damage to the nervous system. Everything you do has to be processed by the nervous system. It is the master control system of your body. Various forms of stress can damage it, and if it is, your body will not be able to function optimally. What we do is assess your nervous system for interference, and if found, we correct it. Adding chiropractic care in Abingdon and North Tazewell will make all the other healthy things you are doing in your life work that much better. If you would like to learn more about how we do this, please contact us and schedule a complimentary consultation. I hope to see you soon!

Stretching 101 Class

Come learn about different stretches to increase spinal mobility! Stretching is an important aspect to health and is often overlooked. Our bodies are meant to move and many physiologic processes require movement. Dr. Roger Sperry a neuroscientist said “90% of the stimulation and nutrition to the brain is generated by the movement of the spine.”

Adjustments allow the body and spine to have more function and adding stretching will greatly improve your results. This class is for people of all levels of health and physical ability.