Where to start?

It is the beginning of a new year and perhaps you are feeling inspired to begin a fitness program. You want to start feeling better physically, but what should you do? It can be overwhelming to consider all the possibilities.

A friend recently made the decision to start doing core work because his back was giving him constant discomfort and pain. This had been happening for years but it got to the point where he said okay, I don’t want to continue living in pain, I have to do something about it. After decades of long hours spent sitting, his back is only getting worse. He isn’t sedentary. He commutes to work on his bike in the summer and skis in the winter. But he believes he needs to work on his core.

While I wouldn’t disagree with him on that, I did recommend he seek the help of a physiotherapist/chiropractor. I gave him the name of the guy whom I have been seeing for many years now for minor injuries. I was reluctant to give my friend exercises to do without knowing the full extent of his back problems.

If you are currently doing very little physical activity, you likely have aches and pains or at the very least have restrictions and limitations in your movement. It is always a good idea to first get an assessment from your doctor or a trusted professional in the field of chiropractic or physical therapy. Once you are given the go-ahead to begin a fitness regime, what next?

Starting with mobility practice makes a lot of sense. Putting your joints through their full range of motion is a great way to find out how well you move and to wake up your nervous system. Mobility practice will give you a good indication of exactly where your restrictions lie. Not only that, done on a daily basis, joint mobility practice will improve range of motion and keep the joints functioning optimally. It’s basic maintenance for the body.

Next, add on some flexibility work. This does not necessarily have to be boring static stretches. There are several kinds of stretching that are beneficial. The one you choose will depend on your stretching experience, your current flexibility and your fitness level.

For some people, some soft tissue work may be required. Whether from over-use or under-use, your myofascial web, the “outer bag” that envelopes your whole body – muscles, bones, nerves, arteries, veins, internal organs and spinal cord – can become stuck. The myofascial web is actually one single sheath that essentially has pockets, one for each structure. You can think of the entire human body as one muscle with hundreds of insertion points.

Fascial restrictions bind down and exert pressure and stress on the body and its soft tissue structures, causing pain and dysfunction. When this happens it may take extra effort to remove those adhesions and return the muscle to proper functioning. Applying friction by using a foam roller for the long muscles and tendons of the legs can help keep them supple and prevent them from pulling on other muscles. Ball work can work out tightness in the belly of shorter muscles of the calves and feet and shoulders.

Strength training and cardiovascular training are both important. It is important to keep the body strong as you age because your muscles atrophy if they are not exposed to resistance on a regular basis, Those who are sedentary will have a dramatic alteration in body composition, increasing body fat and decreasing muscle size.

Cardiovascular training is necessary for obvious reasons: to keep the circulatory and respiratory systems functioning optimally. Aerobic training is arguably the most important aspect of physical fitness as you age, keeping all areas of the body supplied with oxygenated blood, and keeping the heart and lungs strong.

While no one facet of physical fitness should be neglected I hope this breakdown gives you an idea of where to start and why. If you start out small, and gradually add components, you will not only be more likely to continue, you will become a healthier, more well-rounded human being.