Many of us take our health for granted.  If we are able to get up each morning and enjoy our lives without an injury or illness complicating our day, it’s easy to forget that many people deal with health issues every day.  The good news is, there are a number of things we can do to not only stay healthy, but also to help combat any health issues we may currently be experiencing.  Many of these things don’t even involve going the traditional route of seeing a doctor or getting on medication.  Here are a few options.

Chiropractic

“Chiropractic works to keep the body functioning at its optimal levels,” says Dr. Corey Dousharm with Lincoln Family Chiropractic.  “This is accomplished by using the adjustment to keep the nervous system free of interference.  When nerve flow is able to continue uninhibited through the body, muscles, organs and the immune system are able to work as they are supposed to.  Chiropractic works to get to the source of whatever problem a person may have.  The nervous system is the controller of the body and by taking care of your spine, you can ultimately take care of and prevent problems from occurring.”

“Chiropractic differs from mainstream healthcare primarily because of our philosophy,” explains Dr. Tiffany Leonida with Healthy Start Chiropractic.  “We believe that the body can heal itself when given the proper ingredients and without any interference.  If the body is free of any deficiencies, like lack of proper nutrition, exercise or proper thoughts; and rid of toxins including subluxations, those found in food, the environment, etc., then the body will be able to heal itself when it encounters a pathogen.  Chiropractic care is built on the foundation that health comes from within.  No drug or surgery will ever increase your healthy—they are designed to treat and eliminate symptoms.”

“When choosing a chiropractor, be sure that you do your research before you make a selection,” advises Dr. Tiffany Leonida.  “If you have never been to a chiropractor and if you have children, you may want to seek out someone with additional training in pediatric chiropractic care or if you have a sports injury, you may want someone with that emphasis.  Most people don’t know that chiropractors can get board certified like medical doctors do.  For example, we are board certified in pediatrics and pregnancy care as well as wellness for the family.  You may also want a certain technique.  Do your research and call around and ask these questions before making an appointment.”

Dr. Corey Dousharm sums up, “Many times we have patients come in who have tried everything else and chiropractic care is their last hope.  They leave wishing that chiropractic care was their first effort.  Chiropractic is safe and beneficial to everyone.  Do not be afraid to try something new!”

Weight Management

Being overweight has a huge impact on your overall health.  Unfortunately, many of us experience weight gain issues and have a difficult time reversing this trend.  “Why are the numbers on you scale climbing?” asks Mike Bevard with Capital City Bootcamp.  “This is a valid and often frustrating question and the answer isn’t always sweet and simple.  Life’s fat traps include college, marriage, pregnancy and your career (especially if you have a sedentary job).  Think about your own fat trap and what triggered your weight gain.  What changed in your life style?  The answer is usually one of two categories (or a combination of both): eating habits and activity level.  Once you’ve figured out which fat trap led to your weight gain and then narrowed it down to the exact behaviors that changed as a result, this naturally leads us to a solution.”

Many times, it can be difficult to see what changes you need to make or, even if you can see them, it can be hard to make the necessary lifestyle changes.  That’s why working with a professional to help design a program for you and keep you on track is important.  This professional could be a personal trainer, a nutritionist or someone else in the health industry who has been educated on diet and exercise and can guide you through a lifestyle change.

Exercise

Exercise is an extremely important part of overall health.  Not only does it help with weight management, but also is key in preventing chronic health problems and disease.  Jeff Dousharm with Tiger Rock Academy says, “As national obesity rates for both adults and children continue to rise, it underscores the importance of a healthy lifestyle.  Regular exercise will not only add years to our life, but also increase the quality of life.”

“Exercise not only burns calories and strengthens your muscles, it affects every facet of your overall physical and mental health,” adds Dave Kentopp with Anytime Fitness. “Beyond improving your stamina, looks, and self-confidence, routine exercise increases your energy level, makes you more alert, stimulates higher thinking, helps your mood, relieves stress, promotes better sleep, slows the aging process, and slows or prevents diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Exercise affects every organ and the body’s ability to rejuvenate its cells. There is NO downside to exercise.”

“People should not set unrealistic goals in making time for exercise, but should make it a priority to do regular activities,” continues Dave Kentopp. “The Department of Health and Human Services says that a general goal of 30 minutes a day of physical activity is optimum to maintain a healthy body and weight. It recommends 150 minutes a week of moderate activity (walking, swimming, etc.) or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity (running, cardio equipment, etc.). Strength training is recommended twice a week. If you are going to the gym, a good idea is to go at least three times a week, and do workouts that mix 30 minutes or more of cardio with some strength training. You can do cardio every day. With strength training, make sure you’re not working the same muscle groups two days in a row. Your muscles need 48 hours to rebuild. Remember, strength training increases your metabolism, so you burn more fat.”

“The key to exercising is finding something you enjoy,” says Jeff Dousharm.  “When we enjoy the exercise, we have a tendency to put more effort into it.  This effort gets more results and that keeps us coming back for more.  The final key is to make sure it’s sustainable.  If it’s too repetitive, your results will stagnate, you will get bored and you will quit. Find programs you can do for the rest of your life and you will see real results vs. falling for marketing hype and the promises of short term programs.  Tiger Rock Academy delivers programs that keep people engaged, including Kisado/kickboxing, yoga, taekwondo and Jiu Jitsu.”

“Exercise with a partner,” Dave Kentopp suggests. “This can help you stay on track. A personal trainer can be a great motivator and friend. Don’t expect results overnight, and keep in mind that regular exercise is a lifestyle. Most of all, exercise when and where it’s convenient. Anytime Fitness offers 24 hour convenience and multiple locations in a warm, friendly atmosphere. Anytime Fitness is the world’s largest 24 hour gym and co-ed fitness center chain.”

“The biggest barrier to exercising regularly and eating right that I hear from people is that they never have enough time.  Our society revolves around getting things done as fast as possible with the least amount of effort and time commitment.  That’s the biggest barrier we face as fitness professionals—trying to get the general public to buy into the fact that getting fit and healthy takes time, effort and dedication.  There’s no getting around those three things.”

Quitting Smoking

The US Surgeon General states that every year, tobacco kills more Americans than AIDS, alcohol, drugs, car accidents, murders, suicides and fires combined.  The American Cancer Association estimates that 420,000 people each year die from smoking-related causes.  Health-wise, it takes oxygen out of your body and slows down your circulation, it restricts the flow of blood and people who smoke are at a higher risk for heart disease.  Obviously, being a smoker has an enormous impact on your health and stopping smoking is of the utmost importance.

“People tend to go to food or cigarettes when they are nervous, stressed or bored,” states Jeff Martin with Lincoln Hypnosis.  “What I teach people is new coping skills when they are experiencing these emotions.  I help people mature through the unwanted and unneeded feeling that they have to have cigarettes in these times.  Hypnosis assists in emotional control and supports the client’s choice to not smoke.  Lincoln Hypnosis helps the client to duplicate the successful behavior of people who choose healthy habits naturally.”

Many of these same issues apply to weight gain as many people overeat due to the same emotions why others turn to cigarettes.  Hypnosis can also help these people make healthier decisions, resulting in weight loss and better health.

Emotional Health

Almost any expert on health will tell you that excess stress has a huge effect on your overall well-being.  We’re meant to live a life of satisfaction, meaning fulfillment and harmony.  Stress occurs when that isn’t happening.

According to Kris Thaller with Coaching Dimensions, “Good emotional health occurs when we are taking action on those things that are most important to us.  If it’s important to us to be loving parents and we do something that isn’t in keeping with that intention, we experience frustration.  Frustration over time leads to poor emotional health.  We show up as stressed, irritable, and unhappy, which produces more frustration and more actions that aren’t in keeping with the intention.  My Life Coaching services are focused on supporting people to discover what’s truly important to them as well as provides tools and skill sets that can be applied immediately to produce the outcomes my clients want.”

“If the stress and emotional problems are excessive and are causing depression or other physical ailments, it’s time to see a therapist or counselor,” Kris Thallerr concludes.  “Life Coaching is neither.  Life Coaching would be appropriate after treatment, when you are ready to take action in your life with zest and enthusiasm.  Most times, the stress we experience in life isn’t so excessive that we need counseling.  We just need a coach in our corner who can support us to play games worth playing and goals worth playing for on the playing field of life!”

We all have the right to live happy, healthy lives free of habits or ailments that keep us from living up to our full potential.  By seeking out the above alternative health methods or experts, we can do our best to make sure your health is at its highest level now and for our futures!