Maintaining a healthy, aligned spine with proper posture is a natural way to boost energy, along with exercising and eating healthy.
How does spinal health and nervous system function influence overall energy levels?
Dr. Scott Gardner: The better aligned the spinal column, the better nervous system will function. So, there’s one of the parts of the nervous system called the sympathetic nervous system. It acts as a gas pedal. It triggers the fight or flight response, which gives big bursts of energy, but also helps to maintain steady energy as well.
Does maintaining proper posture give us an energy boost? And how does poor posture decrease energy levels?
Dr. Scott Gardner: Good posture can greatly reduce fatigue and boost your energy throughout the day. When you sit, stand, or even sleep with proper spinal alignment, your muscles don’t have to work as hard. This means less strain on your body and more energy for you. And really the opposite is true. So poor posture actually requires more energy. So, the muscles are going to require more energy and that means less energy for the person.
What role does diet and nutrition play in draining our energy and/or boosting it?
Dr. Scott Gardner: Simple answer, fuel in is fuel out. The more simple sugars or processed food you eat, you’ll get a spike in energy followed quickly by crash. I live by a simple rule, if it doesn’t come from a tree, the ground or a lean protein animal, I don’t eat it 90% of the time. That means the other 10% I misbehave a little bit.
Are there specific daily habits you recommend like stretching that can help people feel more energized throughout the day?
Dr. Scott Gardner: Life is motion and motion is life, meaning the more you move your body, the more energy you breathe in, the more energy you have, the more you want to move. The key is finding activities you enjoy doing so you stay consistent. Walking, biking, swimming, weight training, yoga, Pilates are all great, but only if you enjoy doing it.
At a minimum, a functional warmup routine daily, which again, can take anywhere from four to five minutes. You can find great examples on YouTube, which would be a great place to start.
How can regular chiropractic care help people maintain good energy levels on a daily basis?
Dr. Scott Gardner: By improving and maintaining ideal posture, regular chiropractic care is vital in maintaining good energy. Most people under regular chiropractic care report that their quality of sleep is greatly improved, which also supports good energy.
Learn More
If you are interested in speaking with the doctor please visit www.gardnerfamilychiro.com or call 973-614-9256 to schedule an appointment.
Click here to receive more information & to schedule your consultation.
