MOMENTUM PHYSICAL THERAPY OF NEW PALTZ
  • Home
  • About
    • Greg's Philosophy & Bio
    • Top 10 Reasons To See Greg
    • Is Momentum PT Right For You?
  • Insurance
    • How To Find Out Your Benefits
  • Success Stories
    • Submit Your Story
  • Services
    • Physical Therapy >
      • Running Related Injuries
      • Sports & Performance Injuries
      • Orthopedic Rehabilitation
      • Post-Operative Rehabilitation
      • Persistent/Chronic Pain
      • BPPV (Vertigo)
    • Injury Prevention & Wellness
    • Running Analysis
    • Pre-Race Prep/Post-Race Recovery
    • House Calls & In Home Consultation
    • Workshops/Speaking
  • Resources
    • Forms
    • FAQ
    • Dynamite Resources
  • Video Library
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • 1% For The Planet
(845) 419-1432

The Right Kind Of Addiction

8/11/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
A couple of weeks ago I came across two things that really hit home and gave me one of those "aha" moments.  One was an article on a blog I follow and the other was someone's "testimonial" for her current fitness choice.  The common theme between the article and testimonial is that movement rocks!  So often we take for granted the ability to move without any limitations and do whatever we need or like to do.  It usually takes an injury or physical limitation to remind us how awesome it is to move or a change/increase in activity level to remind ourselves what we've been missing.  Either way, the conclusion from both of these scenarios is the same with regard to movement.  As the old milk commercials used to say, it does the body (and mind) good.  On top of that, I would add that it is addicting (in a good way).

In the article, entitled "The Privilege of Movement", the author, Neghar Fonooni, reminds us that movement is a choice.  In it she says "It's not an obligation or a begrudging requirement - it’s something to be eternally grateful for.  Movement is a privilege, and one which we should honor daily...[by] making fitness enrich your life, not detract from it."  Now fitness means a lot of different things to a lot of people as it should.  That's the beauty of it since there is no one size fits all definition.  At its core, however, I would argue that a major component of fitness means being able to move independently and satisfy your physical goals without any limitations rather than some number or image you are supposed to adhere to.  Whether you accomplish that by going to a gym, heading to your local yoga studio or hiking with your dog, in some ways it does not really matter as long as it is something you like to do.  The choices are endless.  As long as it remains a positive element in your life and continues to enhance it then at some level you are probably addicted to movement without even knowing it.  Now it's still important to mix things up and keep your body and mind engaged so that you don't get stuck in a rut and lose interest in making that choice to move altogether.  We all know the outcomes when you choose not to keep moving and they are not pretty.

The "testimonial" was a bit of a different flavor in that it perfectly exposed the importance of movement on the brain.  I am not the first person to make the connection of fitness/movement with changes in the brain and I will certainly not be the last either.  There are plenty of researchers who have beaten me to the punch but after reading the next two quotes, it is quite obvious and you won't have to bore yourself with dry scientific publications.  It began with, "I looked in the mirror and didn't know who that was. I was tired, weak, sad, embarrassed of my body and just felt plain old ugly."  After a recent change in her activity level and choosing to make movement and fitness a priority, this same person now says, "I feel strong! I have tons of energy! I feel positive about myself and what I can do, in and out of the gym. My kids think of their mom as strong! I am happy."  There has been a total transformation in her brain and mindset thanks to the power of movement and fitness.  It is quite clear from this example that physical fitness and mental health go hand in hand.  And those last three words are awesome!  Happiness is pretty easy to get addicted to!

I could keep adding more anecdotes, articles and research studies reiterating the same ideas but that would be very boring.  Why not be an experiment of one and make the choice to find the right kind of addiction to enrich your life?

You can also check out Ben Bruno for the article that inspired this post as well as find great information on training and programming for your movement, fitness (and brain) goals.

Knowledge = Power; Share The Power:
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Dr. Greg Cecere

    Your personal physical therapist, movement educator and knowledge dispenser.


    Newsletter Sign Up
    Enter your name and email to get Momentum PT's Movement Manual delivered straight to your inbox!  It's your free monthly newsletter and guide to moving better, feeling better and living better!
    * indicates required

    Archives

    April 2017
    November 2016
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013

    Categories

    All
    Addiction
    Arm Swing
    Attitude
    Brain
    Bridge 2 Bridge 5 Miler
    Cadence
    Calories
    Cardiovascular Disease
    Chronic Pain
    Dark Chocolate
    Depression
    Diabetes
    Disease
    Energy Expenditure
    Epicatechin
    Fitness
    Foot Slap
    Foot Strike
    Golf
    Half Marathon
    Health
    IASTM
    Injury
    Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization
    Josh Feldt/After The Leaves Have Fallen 20k
    Knee Pain
    Lacrosse Ball
    Low Back
    Lumbar
    Lumbosacral
    Lyme Disease
    Manual Therapy
    Metabolism
    Mind Games
    Mindset
    Minnewaska State Park
    Mobility
    Mohonk
    Mohonk Preserve
    Mortality
    Movement
    New Paltz
    New Paltz Turkey Trot
    Nutrition
    Obesity
    Pain
    Patellofemoral-pain-syndrome
    Performance Enhancement
    Persistent Pain
    Pfps
    Physical Activity
    Physical Therapist
    Physical Therapy
    Positioning
    Positivity
    Posture
    Practice
    Race
    Receptors
    Rehabilitation
    Runner's Knee
    Running
    Running Shoes
    Shawangunk Mountains
    Shawangunk Runners
    Sitting
    Skepticism
    Soft Tissue Mobilization
    S.O.S.
    Sound
    Spine
    Standing
    Stride
    Technique
    The Edge
    Training
    Triathlon
    Walking
    Winter

    Disclaimer:
    The contents of this blog is meant for educational purposes only.  Momentum Physical Therapy of New Paltz and Dr. Greg Cecere are not responsible for any harm or injury that may occur due to any information on this blog as it is by no means a substitute for a thorough evaluation by a medical professional.
Home      About      Insurance      Success Stories     Services      Resources      Video Library      Blog     Contact
Momentum Physical Therapy of New Paltz, PLLC.  Copyright ©  2013-2023.  All Rights Reserved.

Disclaimer: The contents of this site is meant for educational purposes only and utilization of any of the material is a personal choice.  Momentum Physical Therapy of New Paltz and Dr. Greg Cecere are not responsible for any harm or injury that may occur due to those choices.  This site is by no means a substitute for a thorough evaluation and guidance by a licensed medical professional.
Picture
  • Home
  • About
    • Greg's Philosophy & Bio
    • Top 10 Reasons To See Greg
    • Is Momentum PT Right For You?
  • Insurance
    • How To Find Out Your Benefits
  • Success Stories
    • Submit Your Story
  • Services
    • Physical Therapy >
      • Running Related Injuries
      • Sports & Performance Injuries
      • Orthopedic Rehabilitation
      • Post-Operative Rehabilitation
      • Persistent/Chronic Pain
      • BPPV (Vertigo)
    • Injury Prevention & Wellness
    • Running Analysis
    • Pre-Race Prep/Post-Race Recovery
    • House Calls & In Home Consultation
    • Workshops/Speaking
  • Resources
    • Forms
    • FAQ
    • Dynamite Resources
  • Video Library
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • 1% For The Planet