Fit Friday

Hello everyone! Today is another Fit Friday. Today I wanted to share the benefits that exercise and stretching can have on the body. I am a big believer in staying active through exercise/stretching. I don't stay active just to loose weight and stay fit but because it is good for your overall health and I personally feel better when I stay active. I typically workout at home with dumbbells and/or resistance bands. My workouts are never longer than 35 minutes and I usually stretch for 5-10 minutes after the workout. I'm telling you this to let you know that you do not have to do an intense, long workout to reap the benefits of staying active. In addition, you do not need a gym membership or fancy equipment at home.

Here are some different physical activities that I have tried over the years that I have enjoyed and am able to do with my scoliosis:

• Pilates

• Yoga

• Strength training (again nothing crazy, I usually don't use any weights over 12 pounds personally)

• Resistance training (with long and short resistance bands)

• Walking around the neighborhood

• Hiking in the summer/fall

• Tabata (a form of cardio)

• Treadmill/stairmaster at the gym

• Using the FitOn app (it's free and has sooo many home workouts to choose from!)

• I've also heard that swimming is really good for those with scoliosis but I have personally never gotten into it.

As you can see, there are many ways that I have stayed active over the years. Every year or so, the type of activity I currently enjoy might change and that's okay. I just experiment with other activities until I find one that I like and that does not hurt my back.

Through working out and stretching, I have experienced the following benefits:

• Decreased pain in my back

• Decreased muscle spams

• Decreased knots in my back

When I go through a phase of feeling unmotivated to exercise/stretch, I almost always experience increase pain and knots in my back as a result. This may not be the case for everyone but for several years not it has been true for myself. When I start experiencing increased pain or knots, I evaluate what I've been doing lately and more times than not it's because I have been slacking. Even if I don't exercise, stretching alone helps my back so much! I would personally recommend finding a stretching routine that works for you and doing it first thing in the morning and right before you go to bed. This is the routine that works well for me.

In addition, I have posted two graphics below with more benefits of exercise and stretching that I researched. Even if you don't have scoliosis, staying active is good for everyone and everyone will reap benefits. If you need help identifying some ways to stay active or what stretches to do, let me know!

I hope everyone has a good Fourth of July weekend!