Yes, it has been quite some time since I’ve written a blog. No real reason other than time has flown by. I moved back to Colorado to enjoy more outdoor time, reacquaint with old friends and find more play and balance in my life. Speaking of life, can you believe we are already in 2024?

It does seem like an appropriate time of year to get back on track writing blogs, as many start to set goals for changes in the New Year. So, now is a good time to perhaps inspire you to exercise from a different perspective.

I realize exercise can come easily to some of us and yet for others it can be a challenge. Since my last writing I have come across so many studies and reasons why we need to include a regular exercise program into our life. I thought I would share some of my findings in hope you will find a few reasons that get you over the hump and into exercise:

Ankle Instability

• Ankle sprains are common in athletic people but also those that do not exercise regularly. Sprained ankles are among the most common musculoskeletal injuries. Official estimates are that two million people in the U.S. sprain their ankle every year.
• The biggest reason people have recurrent ankle sprains is that they never do rehabilitation,” said Dr. Michael Fredericson, a sports physician at Stanford University.
• Exercise-based interventions were more effective at reducing the risk of recurring sprains than the traditional RICE protocol. Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.
• Incorporating an exercise program, like Essentrics, that works the ankle in various ways is a great preventative measure!

Physical and Mental Benefits of Exercise

• Even if you exercise regularly you may want to consider spending time outdoors for some of your additional forms of exercise.
  • Jason Hunziker, MD, chief of the division of adult psychiatry at Huntsman Mental Health Institute, says, “Some studies have shown that being outside triggers physiologic responses in our body that help reduce stress levels. Some feel that we have a strong connection to nature because of the way we evolved from living in nature for survival and that helps us feel peaceful in that setting.”
  • In Canada, doctors will prescribe passes to national parks for those struggling with depression, anxiety or other mental health issues.
  • In Japan, residents have practiced forest bathing, or meditative walks through tree canopies, since they rose in popularity in the 1980s.
  • It isn’t much of a stretch, then, to consider the logic behind the Outdoor Rx program run by the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment. https://coloradosun.com/2022/08/12/colorado-outdoors-nature-therapy-mental-health/

Reduce Low Back Pain

• Surrounding the spine are the core muscles. Although we tend to think of our core as the abdominals, it also includes the deep back muscles, as well as the hip muscles, quadriceps and hamstrings, which support our spine and pelvis.
• Regular exercise, with a focus on the aforementioned, will be of great benefit in reducing low back pain from the mere fact that your body is being supported by your musculature rather than your spine.
• By developing healthy core muscles, the discs and facet joints in the low back will not have to take the brunt of the load, thus reducing or eliminating pain in the low back.
• This study is a bit heady but if you’re a geek like me, you might find it interesting: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/55/9/468.abstract

As you can see, the above aren’t your usual reasons for exercising, however, are key items to increasing greater overall health and mental peace of mind. So if you tend to set goals around weight loss, appearance or restriction in your diet, perhaps approach your goals from an entirely different perspective!

Here’s to a healthier 2024!