Google “boost athletic performance” and you will get close to 2 million hits.
And the great thing, according to all those Google headlines is that all your options are really simple and super easy:)
For those of us that make physical fitness a regular part of our day we know that there is nothing easy and nothing simple about boosting your performance.
But did you know that olympic and professional athletes are some of today’s greatest supporters of chiropractic?
According to Dan O’Brien, US olympic decathlete “Chiropractic is essential for running. If I could put a percentage value on it, I would say that I compete 8-10% better from regular chiropractic.”
Dan O’Brien has been nick named the “world’s greatest athlete” and took the gold medal for decathlon in Atlanta in 1996.
And here’s a quote from Gerald Wilkins, former New York Nicks NBA guard “My shooting has improved because of chiropractic. If feel more balanced and have more coordination and control. Since I have been under chiropractic care, I have improved by leaps and bounds.”
[ctt tweet=”My shooting has improved because of chiropractic. If feel more balanced and have more coordination and control. — Gerald Wilkins NBA Guard” coverup=”4EHf0″]
And just this week, local Kelowna triathlete Loren Nelson, told me he’s certain that his run time has improved by 5-10 minutes for the half ironman distance since he’s started care.
What’s the catch?
Chiropractic adjustments help ensure that the body functions as efficiently as possible, which can maximize healing and recovery from all types of injuries.
According to Dr. Keith Wassang “Athletes have been benefiting from chiropractic care for many years; however, it has only recently been receiving attention from the media. Athletes of all types, from the weekend warrior to the world-class athlete, utilize chiropractic because it is a drug-free way to better health and performance.”
Dr. Wassang goes on to explain that “when the spine is in its optimal structural position, the nerves are protected and optimal communication exists between the central nervous system and the rest of the body. But minor misalignments of the spine cause nerve interference and can weaken the entire structure of the spine.
Isn’t it just muscle?
There are lots of athletes working overtime to increase their performance, putting large blocks of training time into dealing with muscles that are not “engaging”. Sometime they see gains, mostly it’s a slow and frustrating process.
Loren was a classic example of thinking it was all muscle. He’s the triathlete I quoted earlier.
He only used chiropractic to get out of pain and would “hit the gym” or “therapy” for everything else.
When he finally started to deal with his underlying structural and neurological issues everything changed.
Working muscles that are not connected properly?
Trying to “rehab” your way out of injury or nerve system imbalance is like trying to make a smoothy with your blender unplugged. If your power supply is unplugged you’re going to get really frustrated and never be as strong as you can be.
Your power supply is the central nerve system, your brain and spinal cord.
In Loren’s case, when we started at the source (the nerve system interference) his rehab “all of a sudden” started to work. And his times started coming down.
Less effort, better results.
He’s still putting in his mileage, but his results finally started happening up like he wanted. And because his body and nerve system began functioning more efficiently, all that hard work started paying off.
Notice I said, he’s still working hard.
You don’t become a pro athlete without working hard but are you working harder than your performance is showing?
Are you’re interested in performing better?
Today’s chiropractic isn’t for everyone. If you’re just looking for a quick fix and pain control there are lots of easier (and cheaper) options. But if you’re like the athletes we mentioned, and really want to get the most out of every workout then today’s chiropractic may be the missing link for you.
Like Dr. Wassung say’s “Anyone who engages in athletics can benefit from regular chiropractic checkups to ensure that their spine is balanced and free from structural stress. When the spinal column is brought into balance and alignment, the body’s nervous system and body biomechanics (posture) are maximized.”
Something that today’s chiropractic is perfectly poised to address for you and your athletic endeavours.
Connecting with us to hit your performance goals
And remember, if you want to reach out and talk about anything you read in our blog posts leave a comment below and we’ll try our best to answer your question. I know many of the recommendations we give are against the grain but we’ll be happy to supply you with the scientific evidence to support our recommendations.
If you want to take it one step further, we also want to leave the door open for you to see either Dr. Ken or myself in our Kelowna office, Lighthouse Chiropractic.
You can reach us at [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] or give us a call at 250-870-9136 and we will find a time to sit down and discuss your health concerns or how you can increase your athletic performance.
