How Working With a Chiropractor Can Improve Athletic Performance
Serious athletes, whether professional or aspiring, are always working hard and looking for healthy and effective ways to improve their performance. Proper techniques and adequate coaching go a long way, but good performance goes beyond good training. Athletes who pay attention to the health of their body typically perform better than athletes who do not. This means that players who incorporate chiropractic care into their training plan are better able to maintain their body’s optimal level, and positively impact their athletic performance. At RxWellness Arlington, we will show you how working with a chiropractor can improve athletic performance, and help you break through to the next level of excellence.
What Happens When You Work Out
Exercise has many positive health benefits and is extremely beneficial when done regularly. Serious athletes, whether professional or not, tend to exercise more than the recommended amount, so it is important to be aware of the possible negative effects that so much exercise can cause, as well as the importance of proper maintenance care.
The amount of exercise dedicated athletes perform can cause chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation can sabotage athletic performance by causing muscle loss and tremendous pain to the affected areas. Chronic pain can stall overall performance and prevent athletes from being able to fully reach their workout goals. Flare-ups can also reduce the amount of time an athlete is physically able to perform a particular exercise or the amount of enthusiasm they are able to demonstrate. Constant pain can also have an effect on attitude, and athletes in constant pain are more likely to have a negative attitude towards their necessary training.
Excessive exercise can also cause an overproduction of free radicals, leading to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can cause disease and premature aging, and athletes are most vulnerable either during or right after vigorous exercise. Oxidative stress can also lead to muscle damage and fatigue. Maintaining the body’s cellular integrity and optimal performance is the best way for athletes to improve their performance.
Take Time to Recover
All serious athletes are aware of the dangers of over-exercising, and how it can cause problems like muscle injuries or fractures. This is why chiropractic care is important, the recovery has to be built into the workout. Recovery and rest are very important to athletic performance, so it is necessary for athletes to take time for recovery or they will be forced to make time for rehab.
Chiropractic care can be a major positive factor for improving athletic performance, but there are also a variety of other habits serious athletes should take into consideration. For example, dedicated athletes should:
- Optimize their sleep
- Your body does a lot of repairs while you sleep, so athletes require more sleep, especially after an intense workout.
- Properly manage their mental health
- Mental health can have a major effect on mood and influence attitude towards performance.
- And reduce exposure to environmental toxins
- Reducing exposure to toxins like cigarette smoke and air pollution is important, but athletes should also aim to reduce exposure to toxins in their food that can contribute to the buildup of free radicals. Good performance continues into the kitchen.
Why Chiropractic Care Can Improve Overall Sports Performance
Chiropractic care has many positive health benefits for all types of people, but athletes performing on a higher daily level need the added benefits of quality care. Chiropractic care helps improve athletic performance by increasing range of motion, reducing pain, and decreasing injury recovery time. Regular chiropractic adjustments have also been shown to reduce free radicals and normalize inflammation.
Chiropractic Care at RxWellness Spine & Health
At RxWellness Spine & Heath, our qualified chiropractors will work with you and your workout regime to provide the recovery needed to balance and improve your athletic performance. At RxWellness Arlington, our doctors will consult with you and get to know your specific needs, so they can create a maintenance plan based on what your body needs. Each person’s plan and treatment recommendation will vary based on a variety of factors. Some possible recommendations may include:
- Massage Therapy
- Athletes tend to favor specific muscle groups depending on the sport they play. At RxWellness Arlington, our massage therapists will work with you to make sure those groups have sufficient blood and oxygen flow.
- Cupping
- Works almost like a reverse massage, and uses suction as opposed to pressure to improve blood and oxygen flow. Cupping may be ideal for sensitive areas that are unable to receive a lot of contact pressure.
- Dry Needling
- Targets specific areas to reduce and resolve trigger points that can develop from the overuse of muscles.
- Spinal Adjustments
- Spinal adjustments are important for proper alignment and keeping the body stable.
Contact Us
If you are a serious athlete looking for ways to improve your performance, then the answer may lie in how much your body is currently able to endure. Sometimes you may be practicing the right technique, but your body may be unable to perform them fully. This is why chiropractic care is important, and the best athletes focus on the overall maintenance of their body, not just their technique and skills. Hopefully, you have a better understanding of how working with a chiropractor can improve athletic performance. If you have any questions or would like to book a consultation at RxWellness Arlington, give us a call at 571-348-1541 or book an appointment online.