Back Talk: Family Fun is Healthy Fun

Dr. Karl Schwartz

Last month, we celebrated the dads, who are the impetus for fun, sports and competition. This month I would like to celebrate the families that make us who we are as a country.

This month, as we head into the summer, I travelled to Long Island, New York to visit my brother’s family. It was the first time that I had traveled since the beginning of the pandemic. The mini-vacation was full of fun, food, and lots of summer activities. My brother lives on Long Island Sound, where we were able to boat, paddleboard. and dig for clams (surprisingly fun, like a modern day digging for gold). The time spent with my family reminded me how fortunate we are to enjoy unrestricted travel and relaxation, time not so easily or freely enjoyed by families in other countries, especially now with so much of the world still in a health crisis.

Like most people as they age, I have begun to really value my family, and spending time with them becomes of paramount importance. Going to the beach, boating, camping, fishing, hunting – even small, seemingly unimportant activities are a time to cherish. Being with my family reminded me how much I enjoyed these times, but the resulting aches afterwards also reminded me what happens when you start using muscles you haven’t used in a long time. Now I am back working out in the gym regularly and I am pleasantly surprised that I am not too sore even after hours of activity.

I have a motto that I preach to patients regularly: “Use it or lose it.” Our bodies are made to move. Keeping it in motion with regular activity keeps the spine, muscles, tendons and ligaments moving smoothly. The more you move, the better your body will age. The big three activities I recommend to all my patients, young and old, are muscle building and maintenance, cardiovascular aerobic exercise, and stretching. You can do most of those activities solo, but family activities are often fun ways to work in healthy movement as part of family get-togethers, travel, and social outings. I especially like any activities related to the beach!

Let us all take pride in our bodies. Keeping our bodies supple and freemoving leads to feeling better and the freedom to spend more time with our families. To me this is the best thing we can do to maximize our quality of life. Act now and you will enjoy the benefits of active participation later. You will be glad you did!

Dr. Karl Schwartz is a graduate of Life University in Marietta, Georgia; he has been practicing chiropractic in Tucker for twenty-one years and a resident here for fifteen years. His office specializes in preventing sports injuries and maximizing performance by analyzing posture, weight bearing, and gait. If you have a question you would like addressed in a future column, please email karlschwartzdc@gmail. com. Note “Back Talk” in the subject line.