Dr. Brett Hill - Eat Think Move Chiropractic

There is a lot of confusion nowadays about cardiovascular (endurance) exercise. Some people will say that it is the be-all and end-all, whilst others say that we don't even need to do it at all. And as is often the case, the truth is somewhere in the middle.

There is no doubt that our bodies are made to move. We are not designed to be anywhere near as stationary as we are in our modern lives, and as a result we now have to actually work hard to achieve cardiovascular fitness (which would have been part of daily life for our ancestors). In fact I read one study recently that said that even our country cousins on the farm are now not getting enough daily exercise since the advent of modern machinery.

Many people look at the requirements for ‘how much exercise people need in a day to remain healthy', and decide it all seems a bit much: ‘Where am I going to find the time to do all that?'

Well the good news is that you don't always have to set aside specific time to exercise. In fact much of your exercise requirement can be taken up whilst you are at work, while you are doing the shopping and even when you are catching up with friends. The key is to incorporate your exercise into your activities of daily living (ADL's).

Some people exercise to feel good, others exercise to look good. Some people exercise so they can say they did, and still more do it for the social aspect. But for me, there is really only one reason to exercise, and that is to stay healthy. By that I mean to make sure my body is in the best possible shape in order to meet the demands of my lifestyle... be that playing cricket, playing with my son, achieving at work or dancing the night away.

When it comes to health and wellness, resistance exercise is a funny one. Many people think that you only need to do resistance exercise if you want to have abs to show off to the world, or you want to be an elite sportsperson. In fact even the recommendations from doctors and government agencies will suggest that a half hour walk or run a day is all you need to stay fit and healthy. But the reality is that we all need to be doing well-rounded exercise, including some resistance, if we want to be healthy and well.