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We have compiled 5 exercises you can do at home that will get your blood flowing and joints moving.

1) Core Extension

This exercise gives your core a great workout. It also helps stabilize and strengthen your back muscles, arms, legs and spine. It improves your balance, posture, and coordination. Here’s how to do it:

1. Start the exercise by positioning yourself on your hands and knees.
2. Slowly, extend your right arm straight in front of you and your left leg
   directly behind you.
3. Hold this for two seconds and bring in your extended arm and leg
   slightly, and then re-extend, balancing on your limbs that are still on the ground. Bring your Extended arm and leg back to the floor.
4. Repeat on the other side.
5. This is one rep. Repeat 3 sets of 7 reps.

2) Leg Circles

This one might require some practicing and balance. It is a perfect exercise to keep you in good shape as it improves your upper body strength, your back, your glutes, and your legs.

1. Kneel on your arms and knees with the palms on the floor.
2. Now lift one of the legs and try making a circle, starting from one elbow to the other using your knee.
3. Now repeat this with the other leg.
4. Try doing a rep of 10 on each side for sets.

This exercise is great to help improve your stability, strength, and balance and can really get your heart racing.

1. Get on the ground and balance yourself on your hands and feet.
2. Move four steps to the left and then four steps back to the right, keeping yourself on your hands and feet. You can also try moving forwards and backward.
3. Start with 5 reps on each side. It may sound simple, but this one can be laborious

4) The Side Plank

This one is a great exercise for your core and upper body. The side plank also helps tone your legs from hips to heels. Not only does it strengthen your oblique and shoulders, but the deep muscles of your lower back as well.

1. To start, get in a low plank posture with both elbows on the floor placed directly under your shoulders. Keep your weight balanced between your
   toes and arms. Keep your core and glutes engaged.
2. Now shift your body weight to the left elbow, and roll onto the left side, so the whole body is facing left. Make sure both your feet are stacking on top of each other.
3. Raise your right arm to the ceiling and hold this stance for 15 to 30 seconds. Repeat the same on the right side now.
4. You can do 2 to 4 reps depending on your body strength. Once you have developed enough strength, you can increase the reps as well as the timing of each stance up to 1 minute.

5) Pushups

Nothing beats the basics like pushups, one of the most effective bodyweight exercises. It is a perfect exercise to build upper body strength. It involves all major upper body muscles, such as the triceps, shoulders, and pectoral muscles, and also works your entire core.

1. Start with the plank position, holding yourself up on your hands and feet.
2. Pull down your shoulders, tighten up your core, and keep your neck neutral. Now, bend your elbows lowering your body towards the floor slowly. Go as low as you can or till your chest is about to touch the floor.
3. Extend your elbows to return to the starting position. Try to keep your elbows as close to your body as possible.
4. If you cannot do this exercise, you can use a modified stance by resting your knees on the floor. Once you build your upper body strength, you can try the standard pushups. Aim for 10 pushups.

Push Your Limits
These five basic exercises you can do at home will keep you in good health and your body in shape. However, there is always room for improvement. If it feels like you are breezing through these, challenge yourself and add more reps or sets.
Stay home, stay safe, and stay fit.

Are you struggling to stay active while you’re cooped up and wondering how you can stay healthy and fit while in quarantine? You are definitely not alone. In the current circumstances of lockdown, working out may sound like a farfetched idea.

But there are exercises you can do at home without the need for fancy equipment. Before we get started, let’s address the “Achille’s heel” in your fitness agenda and how
to overcome them.

Can You Really Maintain a Work-Life Balance While Working From Home?

You might think that you just received a gift from the stars by getting the opportunity to work from home. You can work in your PJ’s all day long with your dog/cat curled up at your feet with flexible hours (you work when you want as long as the work gets done). Your partner and/or child(ren) is in the next room over. And there’s no commute! It looks like your job and life finally integrated…

But wait. You start sleeping later and later. Eventually, you lose track of the day, the time, and the hour.

Your face has become glued to the screen and you think, “OMG. I haven’t left my computer other than to sleep in 11 days.”

The lack of a routine is a silent killer of the work-life balance for people who work from home, which also includes exercise.
Ironically, the lack of activity also kills motivation and productivity.

This lack of motivation can also translate to more hours sitting behind the screen because you didn’t use your time efficiently — maybe due to those bouts of “brain fog” because you haven’t been active.

A sedentary lifestyle can lead to all sorts of health problems from excessive fatigue to weight gain to muscle and joint problems; which will inevitably cause you miss out on life going on right in your house.

The bottom line is that you need an exercise routine for your health, your family, and your friends.

How working in an exercise routine can improve your job performance

You might think that some people are more naturally “on” than others. But chances are, this appearance of productivity, wit, and enthusiasm might have more to do with a healthy lifestyle than innate talent.

Regular exercise can help you:

• Improve your mood and mental health: When you exercise, your body releases chemicals like endorphins, dopamine, norepinephrine, adrenaline, serotonin, and more. These help you regulate your mood, energy, focus, stress levels, and motivation to keep you going strong. You can even get the coveted “runner’s high” from a chemical called anandamide, which also happens to be a chemical linked to your endocannabinoid system.

• Keep your brain structure and function strong: Exercise has been shown to stimulate the body’s release of chemicals that support learning and thinking.

• Improve your sleep: If you’re not sleeping, you’re definitely not going to think as sharply. A little exercise in your life can certainly help with this.

• Strengthen your bones and muscles: You may not immediately see the relevance of bone density and muscle mass to work focus, but it’s there. If you’ve ever experienced a “bad back” and had to sit at a computer all day, you know the importance of this. If you’re bones and muscles are strong, you’ll decrease the chance of aches and pain in your muscles and joints that can hamper your work efforts.

Best practices for working in an exercise routine while working from home
It’s never too late to start some healthy habits. Here are some tips to help you work exercise into your routine:

• Set a time (and stick to it) for exercise: Procrastination is your worst enemy when it comes to exercise. Just because we can’t go to the yoga studio at a set-time, does not mean we can’t schedule it. Set your calendar with a day, time, and hour for exercise with a link to your favorite exercise video.

• Include exercise as part of your day: If you have a choice between the elevator and the stairs, take the stairs. Alternate between running and walking while taking your dog out. Or hang laundry by hand during one of those “I must take a break to do chores” procrastination moments. You name it, you can find a way to make it “exercise.”

• Make your workstation an exercise station: You don’t have to set up a fancy standing desk or bicycle desk to stay active, but you can make it more active. You can stack books on a table, desk, or other raised surface to make a standing desk that you can step back and forth from in order to keep your body engaged as you work. If you can set up two screens with a splitter cable, that’s an added bonus– as you’ll be forced to regularly turn your head and twist your body slightly as you work.

• Make yourself accountable: Got a workout buddy? Schedule a zoom workout session together or create an exercise diary together. When someone is part of your routine, it is easier to make yourself do the work.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s blog post where we will give you:

5 exercises you can do at home that will get your blood
flowing and joints moving.

If you’ve found yourself feeling anxious during the past few weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic, you are not alone. Some of us are living in areas of the country that have been hit harder than others, and the uncertainty of what will come is extremely unsettling. 

For most people, not knowing what will happen is an undesirable feeling that we are forced to confront right now. This, combined with the interruption to our daily routines and being housebound, can cause additional fear and panic in our lives, on top of the worry around the virus itself. 

While there are certainly many ways to deal with this type of anxiety, an effective tool is to actually slow down, both mentally and physically, and focus on being present. Oftentimes, our own racing thoughts can play a pivotal role in how we feel overall. 

By learning to control your thoughts and slow them down, your mood and outlook can improve.

The Fight-or-Flight Response 

You may be familiar with the term “fight or flight.” This is a term used to describe the body’s natural response to threats. The sympathetic nervous system releases hormones, like adrenaline and cortisol, that causes this instinctual response. 

When a physical threat occurs, your autonomic nervous system causes a range of responses such as: increased heart rate and increased blood flow throughout the body, causing you to breathe more rapidly. Your hearing and eyesight actually improve, too. However, anxiety can also cause this same response, even though there is no physical threat. 

The “fight or flight” response signals the body to either run away, fight whatever is threatening it, or freeze. The term ‘freeze’ is a sort of in-between stage between fight and flight, when your body is trying to figure out its next move. None of these responses are made consciously but happen instinctually to a physical threat. 

When a psychological threat occurs, however, you can help control your mind and how it responds by being present and practicing mindfulness. 

How to Slow Down and Focus on the Present 

While some people thrive on staying busy throughout the day to keep themselves going, others, especially during periods of anxiety, can benefit immensely from actually being unproductive and slowing themselves down. It’s okay to allow yourself some down time, and many therapists consider this a vital part of self-care during a crisis. 

Here are three ways to slow down your racing thoughts and reduce your anxiety:

Mindfulness and meditation

Mindfulness is the idea of being in the present moment, and not thinking about the past or worrying about the future. It emphasizes a focus on the body, the breath, and “clearing out the clutter” from your mind. 

Meditation is an excellent way to start practicing mindfulness. While there are many ways to accomplish this, an excellent way to start is the traditional method of sitting quietly, eyes closed, and focusing on your breath. Regular meditation has an abundance of benefits, including: 

• Reduced anxiety, stress and depression 

• Promotes positive thinking and can reduce negative thought processes 

• Promotes a healthy immune system 

• Enhances self-awareness 

To begin practicing meditation, try the following: 

1. Get into a comfortable position, whether it be lying down or sitting up, and turn off all distractions. Some people find it helpful to play calming, instrumental music while they meditate. 

2. Begin by closing your eyes and taking in a few deep breaths. Try to get your breathing pattern to slow down by inhaling for 4 seconds through your nose, and then exhaling for 4 seconds through your mouth. Continue with this breathing pattern. 

3. As thoughts come into your mind, simply notice and acknowledge them. Don’t fight them, just notice that they are there. Eventually, after regularly practicing meditation for some time, your brain will learn how to slow down, or even stop, 

Meditation can be difficult because we aren’t used to simply sitting and doing nothing. Start by meditating for 5 minutes a day, and slowly increase your time. There are people who actually meditate for hours at a time! (But don’t feel like you need to do this—10- 20 minutes a day can be highly beneficial).

Other ways to practice mindfulness include: 

• Coloring. Adult coloring books were invented for a reason! 

• Knitting. Creating something new can help your mind focus and provide a sense of accomplishment.

 • Play or sit with your pet. Pets provide companionship and are known to help reduce blood pressure and provide a sense of calm. 

• Practice yoga. Yoga is a great way to practice mindfulness. By focusing on getting into positions correctly and holding them, the mind-body connection kicks into play. Your mind slows down and can help relieve anxiety and tension.

Don’t constantly read the news

It’s understandable to want to stay informed and on top of what’s happening in the world and in your community, and it’s important for knowing the latest precautions and regulations in your area. But obsessively checking news sources during this unprecedented time can just cause heightened anxiety. Stick to checking the news 1-2 times daily, and make sure your news sources are trustworthy. There has been quite a bit of coronavirus “fake news” and you want to stick to the facts only. 

To avoid reading the news altogether, you can even ask a friend or family member to provide you with important updates as they occur. 

Control what you can 

While you can’t control what is happening in the world around you or how long the pandemic will last, try focusing instead on what you can control in your immediate surroundings and throughout your day-to-day life to stay healthy. 

This includes: 

• Washing your hands frequently 

• Not touching your nose or face 

• Avoid going out into crowds or taking unnecessary trips out of the house 

• Wiping down surfaces in your home and anything you bring into your home from the Reminding yourself of what you can control can help reduce fear about what you cannot.

Key Takeaways 

If you are facing anxiety during this time, the thoughts of needing to be productive and busy are sure not going to help ease your internal pressure. Mindfulness techniques such as learning meditation for anxiety, not reading the news constantly and controlling the things you can help reduce tension and fear. And remember, while this is surely an unsettling period in time, it is only temporary. It will end and life will return to normal, allowing you to get back to your normal day-today routine. 

Answer: Your immune system could use the boost!

Chiropractors deal with the Central Nervous System (CNS) which controls all body systems. Your spine and skull, apart from giving you a vertical mechanical foundation, form a protective house for the CNS.

When the spine is in it’s natural, perfect alignment, the CNS is allowed to perform all of its functions perfectly.  When the spine is out of it’s natural, perfect alignment, CNS interference is created. This means the brain can no longer optimally communicate with the body and visa versa.

Chiropractors call these spinal misalignments, subluxations. Subluxations can cause much more than neck pain, back pain and headaches. In fact, some of the most frightening health problems are the ones you cannot feel, no pain is present to alarm you that some dysfunction is occuring.

Subluxations, if left undetected, can over time cause chronic body system dysfunction in the absence of pain.

You may or may not have back pain right now or have neck pain or headaches either – yet your immune system could be suffering right now because you have spinal subluxations, and you don’t even know it. Your chiropractor is your go to expert in detecting and correcting spinal subluxations, this corrective procedure is called a chiropractic adjustment.

A chiropractic adjustment is a painless, safe technique used by thousands of chiropractors every year. Spinal adjustment may be immeasurable for your current and future health.

Call or email Chiro Center Norwood today so we can discuss your health.

New clients specials are available.

chirocenternorwood@gmail.com

Phone: (781) 352-8146

1. Sports Performance, Injury Prevention, and Recovery

Percussive massage provided by a massage tool by a licensed healthcare professional helps improve the muscle contraction, which results in the lengthening and strengthening of the muscles and fascial tissues. The main purpose of a this type of bodywork is to help relax the muscles and relieve tension in the body, which would help shorten the muscle recovery time between workouts, as toxic debris are constantly being eliminated to allow the muscles bounce back within the shortest possible time. 

For every deep tissue Percussive Massage with the massage tool, fluids and tension are released within the deep muscles and this results in improved circulation, as the blood and tissue cells exchange substances which help boost tissue metabolism. The supply of nutrients and oxygen is also improved, therefore increasing blood circulation throughout the body. It also helps prevent overtraining due to the sedating effect it has on the nervous system. It heals and prevents injuries, as the improved circulation helps break down adhesions and the increased production of nutrients and fluids could help with quick tissue repair. 

Sports performance is also improved, as the massage guns help increase power and performance, which makes the muscles more flexible and efficient.

2. Advanced Vibrational Healing & Powerful Pain Relief

Vibrational healing is a form of healing that is based on vibrations and subtle energies, without any dependence on other systems of healing. It is based on each person’s unique energy field and is known to be efficient. Interestingly, a massage gun provides this same benefit, as it delivers vibrations deep into the muscle by using the “percussive therapy” technique.

The vibrations from the massage tool help improve blood and lymph circulation around the body, which helps produce more oxygen and nutrients into the muscles. The result of this is speedy recovery, improved range of motion, pain relief and relieving muscle fatigue and soreness. Pain in the neck, shoulders and lower back can easily be relieved with the advanced vibrating effect from massage tools.

3. Rehabilitation

Percussive Massage is known to be one of the most effective forms of injury rehabilitation therapy, as it not only speeds up the recovery process but also prevents re-injury. Massage tools work as a supplement to the standard injury rehabilitation process and encourage healing and recovery of atrophied muscles due to trauma or disease. Improved circulation into the muscles and fascial tissues helps the injured areas to become more flexible and heal within a short time. 

4. Release Lactic Acid

Lactic acid forms when the oxygen levels in the body are low and the body begins to compensate for it by converting newly formed lactate into energy. This often happens during intense exercise and the lactic acid tends to build up in the bloodstream faster than it can burn off. This could make you feel exhausted, nauseated and have cramp feelings in your muscles. A massage tool can reverse this, as it helps the release of lactic acid and other toxins from the muscles to surrounding tissues. This will help reduce the risk of muscle soreness that often comes after a prolonged exertion due to lactic acid accumulation.

5. Increases Blood and Lymphatic Flow

Percussive Massage provide deep tissue massage, which increases the rate of blood flow and stimulates the nerve receptors responsible for dilating blood vessels. The lymph works to remove waste and toxins from the bodily tissues and the flow is controlled by muscle contractions; this means less active people might not be stimulating enough lymph circulation while very active people might be accumulating too much of it. This could result in lymphedema if not controlled. However, with a massage tool, you can create a balance, as it helps improve circulation throughout the lymphatic system.

6. Relieves Muscle Spasms and Stiffness

Massage tools can help relieve muscle spasms and stiffness that may arise from an intense workout. The muscle spasm often leads to ischemia in the muscles, which means the muscle is lacking proper blood flow. This could result in spasms that are painful to the touch. The massage gun works by applying pressure to the muscle, tendons, and ligaments to help them become relaxed, thereby reducing spasms and painful contractions

7. Breaks up Scar Tissue

Scar tissue is made up of collagen fibers that help with the repair of damaged fibers in the body. However, the elasticity of the tissues does not measure up with the natural muscle tissues of the body. Massage tools provide deep tissue massage, which will help break down these scar tissues, thereby alleviating pain and relieving restriction. You can use massage guns not only for sports injuries but also for post-surgery scar tissues. 

Chiro Center Norwood offers Percussive Massage Tools as part as our patients treaments plans, call or email us today to schedule your appointment.

Back pain is the sixth most common health condition among adults in the United States, leaving chiropractors as the first line of defense for the physical health of nearly 16 million adults. But as social distancing has become the new norm, patients are wondering if their pain is even worth a visit to the chiropractor at the risk they may contract novel coronavirus COVID-19.

What the experts say

The U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security has deemed chiropractors as essential workers during this pandemic meaning many Americans will still be able to visit their doctor for back treatment. But to some chiropractors, the decision as to whether that treatment is telemedical or in-person all depends on the severity.

Dr. Jared Gailes, from Chiro Center Norwood, recommends that you listen to your body and get adjusted when you are experiencing musculoskeletal pain that would normally be alleviated by receiving chiropractic adjustments. 

Any neck, back or extremity pain that prohibits you from performing normal Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s) is reason to get adjusted by your chiropractor. Examples of ADL’s include all activities you normally perform in keeping yourself clean from brushing your teeth to taking a shower. Also getting dressed and performing all simple household chores. These activities require you to raise your hands above your head, when drying and combing your hair and pulling your shirt overhead. Also bending forward at the waist over the sink while brushing teeth, cleaning dishes, putting pants on and putting socks on your feet. Also bending forward while mopping and sweeping floors and squatting while picking things from the floor and carrying groceries and other items. 

All of these ranges of motion present your spine with various loading and unloading forces that may misalign your spine leading to pain at the neck, back or extremities. When your spine is out of alignment, pressure on the nerves can create pain, weakness and numbness. If left uncorrected, these misalignments can become chronic and present with more severe symptoms such as neuropathy, muscle wasting and loss of motor control to the affected body region.

Telemedicine

Chiropractors across the nation are already switching from in-person appointments to telemedicine in order to assure their own safety, even major insurance companies like BlueCross BlueShield and Anthem have been approving insurance coverage for telehealth visits. And those who have decided to stay open are taking heed to recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to minimize the spread of the novel coronavirus such as waiting rooms requiring patients to sit six feet apart, sanitizing tables, and using face masks. 

“At Chiro Center Norwood, we are helping to minimize the spread of the novel coronavirus by allowing space in the schedule between patient visits to both keep a minimum of people in the clinic at any one time and also thoroughly sanitize the tables between visits. Face masks are worn by patients and doctor and staff and hand sanitizer is used by all.”

Ultimately, the decision on whether to visit the chiropractor or not will be left to the individual patient to decide for themselves, but as cases of the coronavirus continue to rise the CDC suggests the best method to stay safe is to stay at home.

Source: WebMD Medical Reference and Jared Gailes, D.C., Chiro Center Norwood.