You know what I believe is the best medicine to take? Exercise. You may be wondering how is exercise like medicine? Well the reality is that exercise can not only keep a number of health conditions away but it can help treat other ones.
Think about it. What is the number one health issue in this country? It is obesity. Obesity leads to a number of other health conditions like diabetes and heart disease. If you start by medicating obesity with exercise, you avoid some of these other serious health conditions. In turn you avoid things like insulin or blood pressure pills.
What about exercise and stretching as a treatment plan? I can say that I have personally wittnessed the majority of my patients say they have less aches and pains after they’ve started a regular stretching routine. Some patients even state that they no longer need wrist braces for carpal tunnel or regular Chiropractor visits for their back since beginning their daily stretching routine. Some have made claims that headaches and other common ailments have gone away with the introduction of exercise into their lives.
I would even say that some emotional conditions could be avoided with exercise. Think about depression. Depression causes you to lose motivation and energy. If you medicate yourself with exercise, you are forcing yourself out of that slump.
Now please don’t misunderstand me. I am not saying that exercise is the cure-all for everything. There are definitely conditions, including depression, where something more is necessary. My point is that maybe we shouldn’t always be so quick to jump to medication. Maybe we should consider exercise as an optional medication.
Anyone who exercises on a regular basis can vouch that you feel better about yourself. You have more energy, you are more flexible and you gain more strength. When you are committed to a regular stretching and exercise routine it can have positive psychological effects as well. There is something rejuvenating within the mind and spirit that happens when you are taking care of your body.