Running is quickly becoming one of America’s favorite pastimes. Because of its easy accessibility and innumerable health benefits, it has become the go-to aerobic exercise in place of less traumatic exercises like biking and swimming All of the benefits of a run are in line with the health impacts we try to make at Associates in Chiropractic, except for the toll it takes on the back. As people are running their way to increased lung capacity, less stress, and improved circulation, they are also compressing their spines. For people who run on concrete regularly, cartilage degeneration and joint damage is likely happening at an accelerated pace.

When running, posture is important:

• Keep the face forward. Often, this starts with the eyes: looking down encourages the face to follow and a domino effect then changes the entire body into a state of unhealthy posture.
• Hips are your center of gravity keep them straight and upright to prevent the pelvis from tilting forward and destabilizing the spine.
• Shoulders back and relaxed as possible but not caving in toward each other. This position causes muscles to tense and when held in tension for long enough, strain occurs.

The human body is resilient: it can take most of the shock that is applied during a run. However, long periods of running on concrete can wear on the spine. If you are feeling achy after a run, give our office in Hackensack a call at (201) 342-6111. We will ensure that your back muscles are in a state of relaxation rather than tension and help the shock absorbing discs to rehydrate in the wake of a run. This helps the nervous system and your entire body recover quicker.

Dr. Albert Stabile, D.C., C.C.P.C.P., F.I.C.C.