If you go to the gym for your exercise needs, I have two questions for you.
- How balanced is your body going into the gym?
- Are you doing a lot of different exercises, weights, and machines when you’re there, or pretty much the same ones every time?
The answers point to two things: your longevity, and your ability to fend off injury and pain.
The Problem With That Mindset
See, most people think they need to go to the gym to maintain their health or fitness. There are a couple of problems with that.
It isn’t true, for one. You can be strong and healthy and never step one foot in a gym for the rest of your life. Case in point: most European, Asian, and African cultures never go to the gym in their lifetimes.
And when you add demand, in the form of weights or repetitive strength exercises, onto a body that’s already out of alignment, you increase your imbalances and your chances of injury. That includes blowing out a disc in your back or neck, pulling a hamstring, tearing a rotator cuff, and more.
Now, Let Me Be Clear
I’m a huge fan of going to the gym, when you:
- Vary your strength routines
- Do a few quick exercises to align your shoulders, hips, and spine before you work out
Alignment and variety. Music to your body, your brain, and your health.
Our bodies need varied motion to maintain balanced strength and full function. And science has shown that not just the amount of exercise you get, but all the different kinds you get, is what impacts longevity, while also stimulating your brain to ward off dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Walk, dance, garden, play tennis, hike, do yoga, play with your kids, and go to the gym for some strength training. Just do it differently.
That Isn’t Balanced Training
I go to the gym almost every day, but I never do the same routine twice in the same week, and I stimulate every muscle and every joint in every workout. I never just do pieces and parts, like “leg day,” or “back and chest.” That isn’t balanced training. That’s training an imbalance.
If you need guidance on how to balance your body and align yourself before working out, reach out!
Those are two of the exercises I lean on most, the ones that keep my hips and shoulders balanced before I lift or play tennis.
In the meantime, the next time you go to the gym, try a new exercise or a new machine you haven’t done before. You’ll be surprised how good it feels.
