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Signs Your Body May Need More Movement · The Dohnal Health Minute

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  Hey there and welcome back. I'm Dr. Chris Donnell
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  and you're listening to the Donnell Chiropractic
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  Podcast coming to you from right here in Nashville,
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  Tennessee. Today we're talking about something
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  that affects just about everybody in this city.
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  Whether you're working a desk job downtown, chasing
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  kids around the house, or hustling through a
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  long shift on your feet. We're talking about
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  the signs your body gives you when it's simply
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  not getting enough movement. And trust me, your
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  body is always talking. The question is, Are
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  you listening? Now, here's the thing. Most people
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  think pain is the first sign something is wrong.
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  But honestly, pain is usually one of the later
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  signals. Your body starts whispering long before
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  it ever starts shouting. So let's talk about
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  some of those earlier whispers, because catching
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  them early makes a huge difference. The first
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  sign I want you to think about is stiffness.
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  Not just when you wake up in the morning, but
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  that stiffness you feel when you've been sitting
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  for a while and you stand up and your hips and
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  lower back just feel locked up. That's your joints
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  telling you they're not getting the lubrication
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  and movement they need. Joints in your body don't
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  have their own direct blood supply the way your
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  muscles do. They rely on movement to circulate
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  the fluid that keeps them healthy and mobile.
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  When we sit still for long periods, that fluid
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  basically gets stagnant. Think of it like a pond
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  versus a river. Still water gets murky. Moving
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  water stays clean. Here's what's interesting.
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  A lot of my patients in Nashville are surprised
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  when I tell them that fatigue can also be a sign
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  you're not moving enough. We tend to think being
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  tired means we need rest. And yes, sometimes
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  that's true. But a lot of times, especially that
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  heavy, foggy kind of fatigue you feel in the
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  afternoon, that's your circulation and your nervous
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  system telling you they need some activation.
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  Even a short walk around the block can do more
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  for your energy than a second cup of coffee.
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  Movement gets your blood pumping, wakes up your
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  muscles, and signals your brain to stay alert.
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  The third sign, and this one is big, is tension.
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  Specifically, tension in your neck, your shoulders,
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  and your upper back. You know that feeling at
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  the end of a long day where your shoulders are
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  basically up around your ears? That's not just
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  stress. That's your muscles working overtime
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  to compensate for a body that's been held in
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  one position too long. When we're not moving,
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  certain muscles get overworked holding us upright,
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  while others get underused and weak. That imbalance
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  creates tension, and over time, it can lead to
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  real discomfort. So what can you actually do
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  about this today? Start small. Set a timer on
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  your phone every 45 minutes to an hour to get
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  up and move. It doesn't have to be a workout.
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  A couple minutes of walking, some gentle shoulder
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  rolls, maybe a light stretch of your hip flexors.
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  That alone can make a meaningful difference.
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  And when you're at your desk, pay attention to
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  your posture. Try to keep your screen at eye
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  level, your feet flat on the floor, and avoid
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  that forward head position where your chin is
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  jutting out toward your screen. Now, if you're
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  already dealing with persistent stiffness, regular
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  tension headaches, low backaches, or that chronic
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  fatigue that just won't quit, those are signs
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  worth getting evaluated. A lot of these issues
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  respond really well to chiropractic care. We
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  can help restore joint mobility, release muscle
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  tension, and put together a simple plan that
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  fits your life here in Nashville. You don't have
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  to be in serious pain to come see us. In fact,
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  I'd love to see you before it gets to that point.
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  Our whole goal at Donal Chiropractic is to help
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  you feel better, move better, and keep doing
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  the things you love. Thanks so much for spending
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  a few minutes with me today. If you're in the
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  Nashville area and you want to come in for an
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  evaluation, give us a call or check us out online.
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  We'd love to meet you. Take care of yourself,
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  keep moving, and I'll talk to you next time.