3 Ways Your Chiropractor Can Help You Lose Weight
Losing weight is no small feat, and you need all the help you can get when you're trying to get your body back into peak shape. Some people benefit from having an exercise buddy, or dieting along with a partner to help themselves stay accountable. Other people seek out nutrition and exercise advice from their doctor. Chiropractors are often overlooked as a resource to help with weight loss, but if you're looking for additional help, your chiropractor may be a good place to start. There are a number of ways your chiropractor can help you achieve your weight loss goals. Take a look at a few of them.
Pain Reduction
It's hard to get an exercise routine started if you're in pain. Extra weight or a sedentary lifestyle are both factors that contribute to all kinds of different body and muscle pains, and a daily or weekly fitness routine can be a long term solution to keeping chronic pain at bay, but that doesn't help in the early days, before the pounds start to fall off and your metabolism starts to pick up.
Chiropractic care is widely known as a reliable solution to spine, neck, and joint pain. A few adjustments can relieve pain long enough to allow you to feel well enough to get started on a regular exercise routine. An adjustment may also come in handy after you push yourself too far or accidentally injure yourself while exercising. After the adjustment, you'll feel better and will be able to continue improving your fitness regime rather than lapsing back into old habits.
Better Sleep
Do you have trouble getting to sleep at night? That may be part of the reason why you need to lose weight. Sleep deprivation has some very damaging effects on the mind and body that go well beyond simply leaving you too tired to exercise. For example, studies show that when you're sleep deprived, you respond differently to sweet or salty junk foods, like candy and potato chips, than you do when you're well rested. You crave these items more when you haven't had enough sleep, and even worse, you're less able to control your impulses when you're sleep deprived. This may explain why weight gain is associated with insomnia.
Chiropractic care can help you get a better night's sleep, which in turn can help you maintain your diet. One way chiropractors can help is by simply helping you relax. When your back is out of alignment, your muscles tense and you'll have more trouble winding down and falling asleep. Improving your alignment helps your muscles to relax so you can fall asleep more easily. The adjustments also improve blood flow in the nervous system, which improves communication between your body and your brain. In other words, it will be easier for your brain to understand that your body is tired and it needs to shut down for the night and go to sleep.
Improved Muscle Tone
Many chiropractors incorporate massage therapy into their treatment programs. Massage therapy can help to tone and firm your muscles. Massage therapy isn't a replacement for lifting weights, but it can be a good supplement to your gym routine.
The firmer your muscles become, the more difficult it becomes for your body to add or hold on to excess weight, so anything that helps to tone your muscles can help you shed the pounds that much faster. Besides, a good massage is a healthy and indulgent way to relax after a workout. You'll be doing something good for yourself, but it will feel more like you're treating yourself.
If you're struggling with weight loss, your chiropractor is in a good position to examine your body and make recommendations based on your own strengths and weaknesses. Make an appointment at a local chiropractic clinic to learn more.