Movement as medicine: how exercise can change your life

Despite advanced technology and wealth, Americans still face great challenges. One of them is a health epidemic. Here in the United States, we have some of the highest rates of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Many of us rely on orange bottles to stave off sickness. But what we are quickly coming to find is that movement, along with a healthy diet, is the best medicine of them all. 

Sure, we all know that diet and exercise are important staples of a healthy body. But few of us truly act like it. Along with proper nutrition and eating habits, daily movement can ward off the chronic illnesses listed above, and much more. Today, the experts here at Total Nutrition & Therapeutics are going to provide some insight as to why and how exercise can transform our lives. 

What Is Exercise?

This may sound like a silly question. But the lines are often blurry. Does walking count as exercise? Using the stairs? What about jogging versus strength training? At what point is movement defined as exercise?

In general, exercise falls into two categories: aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic exercise tests your lungs and endurance, such as running. Anaerobic exercise involves strength training, like bench presses or squats. There are varying levels of both. Exactly what movement and intensity are best depends on a few factors. 

Who Are You?

The kinds of movements that constitute medicine depend on you and your needs. 

Younger people can benefit more from jogging and running. As you reach your golden years, however, you might find it most beneficial to moderate the intensity. While 80-year-old iron man runners are out there, that doesn’t mean you need to be one of them. 

You also need to calibrate your exercise to meet your health circumstances. Those with heart conditions shouldn’t be overexerting themselves. That’s why it’s essential to create a movement plan with one of our experts here at Total Nutrition & Therapeutics. 

What Are Your Goals?

Athletes across all sports exercise for the express purpose of competing. Their workouts are often very intense. Most of us aren’t looking to dunk a basketball or hit home runs. Our goal is to be happy and healthy. 

Building an exercise routine that you enjoy is crucial. Folks who force themselves to run miles a day find themselves quickly demoralized by the effort. There’s nothing wrong with pushing yourself, whether to get into shape or in the spirit of determination. But your workout shouldn’t always be a drag. Movement is medicine not only when we get our heart rates up, but also when we’re enjoying what we’re doing, whether it’s racquetball, golf, or swimming a few laps at the pool. 

Additionally, making goals can help you build the right diet around your exercise. Total Nutrition & Therapeutics creates holistic plans that involve eating the right foods and taking the right vitamins and supplements. 

Why Should I Exercise?

Along with a wholesome diet, consistent and quality movement is the best medicine there is. Reducing blood pressure and bad cholesterol, increasing insulin sensitivity, moderating weight—the benefits of exercise are truly endless. 

Exercise doesn’t only help those with illnesses and maladies. Movement is preventative medicine as well. Through consistent exercise, we can ward off some of the deadliest diseases and disorders pervasive throughout American culture. 

Perhaps most importantly, exercise is one of the most effective mood-enhancing activities known to humankind. In fact, movement is a better medicine than most antidepressants, recommended by all health professionals as a first-line defense against mental health problems. 

So What’s The Plan?

Total Nutrition & Therapeutics’ functional medicine plans incorporate everything from your approach to food, your mindset, and all the way to your exercise regimen. Our approach to exercise focuses on two things: freedom of movement; and muscle growth and retention. 

• Freedom of movement means being able to walk, bend, lift, twist—any movement necessary to normal life. Your health and livelihood are highly dependent on your ability to move freely throughout the world. 
• Muscle growth and retention, on the other hand, is the most important element to keeping a high-functioning system. Muscle growth keeps your metabolism running, your organs strong, and helps with freedom of movement as well. 

Our experts don’t only treat your health problems. We treat you: a unique, individual person. Your movement plan depends on your history, health issues, likes and dislikes, goals, and much more. More specifically, we will show you what exercises most effectively apply to these features, how to perform them, and when to perform them. We will be with you every step of the way to refine your plan as we progress through it. 

From your very first visit, our team at Total Nutrition & Therapeutics begins curating a wellness plan that suits your needs. Give us a call or visit us online today to learn more about movement as medicine and to embark on your journey toward living your healthiest life. 

Contact Total Nutrition and Therapeutics for more about movement as medicine. 

We all know that exercise is key to health and longevity. Few of us take the steps toward incorporating exercise into our lives. Here at Total Nutrition & Therapeutics, we treat movement as medicine, and an essential component to your wellness plan. Contact us to find out more about how Total Nutrition & Therapeutics can help you today.