Exercise Therapy tailored to your individual needs and preferences
Dr. Perman is a Board Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician and an expert in recommending exercise for fitness and rehabilitation. Proper amounts and the right type of exercise therapy are critically important to good health and long-term wellness. Exercise can be simply divided into two basic types: anaerobic exercise to maintain or increase strength, speed and/or flexibility and aerobic exercise to support your cardiovascular system, accelerate fat burning and increase endurance. Aerobic exercise essentially requires that you get your heart rate to a predetermined level based on your age, weight, and other factors, and sustain that heart rate over a 20 to 40 minute period during the workout. Aerobic exercise requires a sustained repetitive activity, such as walking, running, swimming, stair climbing, calisthenics, cross-country skiing, or skipping rope, to name a few. As mentioned, this type of exercise most directly affects cardiovascular health, weight loss and stamina. With the proper targeted heart rate, it facilitates burning of stored fat and is very helpful in weight-loss programs.
Anaerobic exercise involves more stop-and-go movements and includes more of the team and competitive sports that do not require uninterrupted running or swimming. Racquet sports, baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, football, weight-training, etc., obviously require varying degrees of cardiovascular fitness as well, especially sustained running sports like basketball and soccer, but except at the most competitive levels, these sports can be enjoyed by those of just about any age or level of fitness.
An important distinction in determining which type of athletic activity is right for you, requires that you figure out whether you are “tight-jointed” or “loose-jointed”. If you tend to be very flexible, for example, someone who never has difficulty touching their toes without bending their knees or if you’ve described yourself as “double-jointed”, you are most likely to be a “loose-jointed” individual. Conversely, if you have found flexibility to be a problem for you when you exercise, you are more likely a “tight-jointed” type. Tight-jointed individuals tend to have more strength and power, but less speed and flexibility. Their injuries are more likely to include muscle strains or tears, or fractures, and less often, ligament sprains or dislocations. A loose-jointed individual, on the other hand, has more speed and flexibility, but less strength and power. They will more likely sustain sprains and dislocations when injured, but are less likely to tear a muscle or break bones. These observations are generalizations and are not absolute, but gives us a good way to help you choose the exercises best for you. Tight-jointed types should emphasize flexibility training which will reduce the tendency to strain muscles; loose-jointed types should focus on strength training which will increase tendon support around the joints. By choosing to work on the “weaker” qualities, you become a more well-rounded athlete and more importantly, you can hopefully prevent the types of injuries to which your body type is predisposed.
Exercise therapy programs are best when tailored to your individual needs and preferences. Working with a chiropractic sports physician or a trainer that discusses your goals and desires with you is a great start. Any physical limitations that will affect the type and amount of exercise should be addressed and taken into consideration when designing your ideal fitness program. Rehabilitative exercise programs following injury or long periods of inactivity require the advice of a trained professional to reduce the risks of re-injury and to obtain the most benefits. Contact Dr. Steve Perman to schedule your next appointment. 561-852-4440