Skip to main content

More Spring Cleaning Toxic Free Tips, and How Exercise Helps Minimize Injuries

By May 9, 2019

Spring Cleaning Is In The Air We Breath

Spring time is finally here, and this article continues the ‘spring cleaning’ theme from last month’s newsletter.

If you’re anything like me, you can’t wait to open up all the windows in your home, let the fresh air flow through, and get to cleaning! The long winters can have us feeling unmotivated, and the worst part about it is all the recycled air we breath, along with the cleaners and air fresheners that really do have an impact on our immune systems, our mental wellness, and our muscles. The desperate actions we take to stay warm, and have our homes smelling “fresh” have now impacted us, leaving our bodies feeling weaker.

That Clean Smell

That smell – whether it’s bleach, or some of those other really common household cleaners we all grew up using, it’s what we equate with being “clean”. However, now that we know better, we should do better.

Clean doesn’t have to mean toxic. If smell is really what you’re looking for – try using 100% essential oils in a diffuser. You can buy ready made combinations, or you can combine your own for a unique home fragrance.

Cleaning products have come a long way as well. You can buy ready made ones, but they can be expensive. Making your own at home is an inexpensive alternative, and can be a fun way to get the whole family involved. And it’s safe for everyone to be in contact with.

Here Are a Few of Our Favorites

For sinks and bathroom tiles:

  • One part baking soda
  • Two parts vinegar
  • Four parts water

This combination is excellent for scouring surfaces. Giving the area an extra scrub with vinegar afterwards is a great way to kill pathogens.

To polish wood surfaces:

  • Half lemon juice
  • Half olive oil

Rub onto wood surfaces and allow to dry.

To remove dust:

  • An old wool sweater makes an excellent dust cloth, but any other fabric will do.
  • Just make it damp with water, and it will collect the dust as you wipe surfaces.

Replacing heating and air conditioning filters regularly will help to alleviate the dust build up in your home. Opening the windows on those warmer spring days will also help to ensure you aren’t breathing in too much of the dust that has settled in your home over the winter.

Remove mold and mildew:

  • Two teaspoons of tea tree oil
  • Two cups of water

Put it in a spray bottle and spray onto mold or mildew.  Tea tree oil has a strong smell that can last a few days, but if you can’t tolerate it – use vinegar instead. Use a few drops of essential oils to freshen the space if you aren’t into a washroom that smells like vinegar.

The mold spores are an enemy that can wreak havoc on your health and your allergies. The spring months while everything is melting and damp can unearth mold spores outside, and the warmer damp air inside can be a breeding ground as well. Keeping mold and mildew at bay, at least inside your home will help to maintain a healthier environment for your family.

For your windows:

  • ¼ cup of vinegar
  • Two cups of water
  • ½ teaspoon of liquid dish soap

Combine these in a spray bottle, and use dry newspaper to wipe the windows clean. Cleaning on an overcast day will work better, as the sun could dry the solution too fast.

For your toilet:

  • ¼ cup of vinegar
  • Baking soda (just a sprinkle)

Pour the vinegar into the bowl and sprinkle the baking soda in. Let it sit for about 5 minutes before scrubbing and rinsing. If you have hard water stains, you can pour 2 cups of vinegar into the bowl and let it sit overnight.

It’s never too late to take a toxin free approach to spring cleaning! I hope these ideas will help you to begin a new regimen, or will give you some tips to share with your friends and family. Our holistic approach to your Chiropractic care is one we take seriously.

Are you a Weekend Athlete?

As our lives get busier, it becomes harder to squeeze in those runs, golf, squash games, swims etc. With longer durations of time between vigorous activity – the likelihood of sports related injuries increases.

We hear about professional athletes suffering traumatic injuries, but not about the person who loves to stay active but may be cutting corners on warm ups, equipment, and after care treatment.

How many times have you hurt your back or your ankle and ran to the drug store for a muscle relaxer? Only to spend a week in excruciating pain until you see a chiropractor. Let us help you get ahead of your pain and injury before matters get worse.

Sports Injuries Happen

Your goal here was to remain in good physical shape. However, that desire sometimes has to take a back seat to what is really happening with your body. Muscle imbalances happen when structural abnormalities are present. Exercise equipment that isn’t being used correctly can be the culprit. Aging and natural muscle loss is a big one – which goes hand in hand with a weakening core.

Typically sports related injuries are caused by traumatic force, and we most commonly see torn ligaments in the ankles, elbows, shoulders, and knees. Spinal injuries are most commonly a result of weak core muscles paired with sudden injurious movement. All of which can be debilitating.

How Chiropractic Can Help

Chiropractors are trained to assess, diagnose, and treat sport related injuries. We will give you a comprehensive exam and will help determine the cause of the pain.

The next step is to provide you with a management plan that will include soft tissue therapies, manipulation and mobilization, rehabilitation, and individualized exercises along with lifestyle suggestions to restore function and reduce pain. The can sometimes be a long road to recovery, but the sooner you begin treatment the sooner you will be back to your regular activity.

Along with our role in care, we encourage every person to remain physically active. Maintaining a strong physical body will prevent illness, deterioration of muscles and bone mass, and it keeps you feeling happy. There is nothing more important than being able to remain limber and agile, so our lives can be fulfilling.

This is why you participate in sports through adulthood right? Because it makes you feel good.

The Key to Prevention

Of course, the key here is to prevent injuries from happening in the first place. The importance of warming up, using good quality equipment, and cooling down cannot be stressed enough. If you are beginning a new workout regimen or are going back to a sport you have played in the past – be mindful of your current physical state and do not overdo it. Sometimes the nostalgia of revisiting an old sport can get the best of us and being overzealous in the beginning can lead to injuries we didn’t even know existed.

Being proactive by visiting us before taking on a new sport to determine preventative measures should be included in your action plan!

 

Top Exercises to Use if You’re Over 40

Exercise is an important part of maintaining your health, but as you age, it can get more challenging to keep up with your old routines. The good news is that as you age, the health benefits of exercise increase because it reduces your chance of getting an age-related disease like heart disease, arthritis, and high blood pressure. You can keep exercises simple and low-intensity, while finding ways to exercise can be easy and even free. Take a look at the top ways to get some exercise when you’ve reached your 40’s or older.

Pilates

Get your sweat on by signing up for a Pilates class. This is a great way to get some exercise in a social environment and it works out your whole body. You’ll get stronger and more flexible while taking some of the stress off of your muscles. This is the perfect class for someone who wants to get stronger without doing something too intense.

Strength training

Speaking a low maintenance exercise plan, lifting light weights is a great way to start building up your muscle strength. Start doing some strength training with light weights between 1lb and 5lbs to get your muscle mass up and to get stronger at every day activities. Since your muscle mass decreases as you age, it’s an important time to start building and maintaining your muscle mass now.

Yoga

You’ve probably heard about yoga being all the rage and that’s because it’s one of the best ways to exercise and get so many different health benefits. It’s a gentle exercise that offers beginner to advanced classes so that you can learn the poses and have fun doing it. You’ll see your energy improve, your sleep improve, and your stress levels diminish; all things that any 40something can appreciate! This is also a great option for those times when a yoga in the park event is taking place so that you can move that workout outdoors.

Get moving with cardio

Do you love to take a bike ride or swim in the summer? Cardio is a wonderful way to get the exercise you need while having fun doing it. A neighborhood walk each day or a hike at a state park on the weekends is a great chance to move your body while having fun. Biking, swimming, running, and walking are great cardio options that will keep you heart healthy.

Corrective training exercise

If you suffer from joint pains, you’ll definitely want to check out corrective training with a personal trainer. You’ll do squats, rotations, lunges, and more to improve your body’s physical health which can help with muscle imbalances and joint pains.

Stand-up paddle boarding on the water

If you’re feeling adventurous and always liked the idea of surfing, give stand-up paddleboarding a try. It’s a great way to get in the water in the summer and glide along in the sunshine. You’ll gain muscle from getting yourself up on the board, paddling in the water, and maintaining your balance, all while getting a tan and forgetting you are exercising.

Tai Chi class

Lastly, you should definitely consider joining a Tai Chi class which is like martial arts. This type of class is really gentle and offers a way to reduce stress and blood pressure. Your mental focus will improve and you’ll even find your balance improve; something that can come in handy when you try stand-up paddle boarding.

If you’re starting to fear exercise as you age, try one of these excellent workouts suited well for 40 years and older that will have you looking forward to your next class!