Latest / Staying Aligned with Dr. Kevin Hartung / Why Flexibility and Strength Need to Work Together

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Why Flexibility and Strength Need to Work Together · Staying Aligned with Dr. Kevin Hartung

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  Hey there, and welcome back. I'm Dr. Hartung
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  from Family Chiropractic Center in Robinson Township,
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  and today I want to talk about something that
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  comes up all the time in my practice. It's this
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  idea that flexibility and strength are two separate
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  things. Like, some people think, I just need
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  to stretch more. And other people think, I just
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  need to hit the gym harder. But here's the thing.
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  They actually need to work together. And when
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  they don't, that's usually when people end up
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  in my office with pain they can't quite explain.
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  So let's dig into this a little bit. You know
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  what I hear a lot? People say, I'm not flexible
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  at all. I should probably stretch more. And yes,
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  flexibility matters. Being able to move your
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  joints through a full range of motion is genuinely
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  important for your spine, your hips, your shoulders,
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  all of it. When your muscles and connective tissues
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  are too tight, they pull on your joints. They
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  create uneven pressure. And over time, that can
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  lead to stiffness, discomfort, and the kind of
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  nagging pain that just won't go away. But here's
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  what's interesting. Flexibility alone, without
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  strength to back it up, can actually cause problems
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  too. Think about it this way. If your joints
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  are really mobile, but the muscles around them
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  aren't strong enough to control that movement,
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  your body becomes unstable. You're more likely
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  to get injured. You're more likely to strain
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  something. A lot of people who consider themselves
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  pretty flexible still end up with back pain or
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  joint issues, and this is often why. Now, let
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  me break this down for you in a way that makes
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  sense. Strength and flexibility work like a partnership.
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  Strength gives your joints stability and control.
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  Flexibility gives your joints the freedom to
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  move without restriction. You genuinely need
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  both. Your spine is a perfect example. The muscles
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  along your back, your core, your hips, they all
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  need to be strong enough to support your posture
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  and protect your discs. But they also need enough
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  flexibility so that when you bend, twist, or
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  reach, everything moves the way it's supposed
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  to. When one side of that equation is missing,
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  your body compensates. And compensation leads
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  to wear and tear in places that weren't designed
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  to handle that kind of load. So what can you
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  start doing today? A few simple things. First,
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  Don't skip your stretching, but be smart about
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  it. Gentle, sustained stretches after movement
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  or activity tend to work better than aggressive
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  stretching when your muscles are cold. Focus
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  on your hips, hamstrings, and the muscles along
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  your mid and lower back. Those areas get tight
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  on almost everyone. Second, don't ignore strength.
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  You don't need to lift heavy weights. Bodyweight
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  exercises, resistance bands, even just working
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  on your core stability can make a real difference.
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  Exercises that build control and endurance in
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  your stabilizing muscles are especially valuable
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  for your spine. And third, move consistently.
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  The people who do best long term are the ones
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  who move a little bit every day, not the ones
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  who go hard on the weekend and sit all week.
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  Now, here's when you should come see me. If you've
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  been dealing with stiffness, aching, or recurring
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  pain, even if it seems mild, that's worth getting
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  checked out. Sometimes what feels like a muscle
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  issue is actually your joints not moving the
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  way they should. A chiropractic evaluation can
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  help figure out where the restriction is, where
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  the weakness is, and how to address it so your
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  body can actually function the way it was designed
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  to. At Family Chiropractic Center, we look at
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  the whole picture, not just where it hurts, but
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  why it hurts, and what we can do together to
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  keep you moving well for the long haul. Thanks
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  so much for listening today. If you have questions
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  or you're ready to come in and get evaluated,
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  give us a call or stop by. We're right here in
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  Robinson Township and we would love to help.
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  Until next time, take care of yourself, keep
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  moving, and I'll talk to you soon.