Why should I exercise?

While practicing Physical Therapy in Canton, Ohio, I have had the opportunity to work primarily with clients who have dizziness and balance disorders.  One special type of therapy that I have used with this population is Vestibular Rehabilitation.  Many individuals who benefit from Vestibular Rehabilitation also have a problem with tension and stiffness.  In fact, I have learned that tension and stiffness are often a primary problem for individuals who had dizziness and balance disorders.  Because I have been immersed into this type of population, I have become more focused on the impact of tension and stress on our ability to move and our overall health.

The normal reaction when we are stressed is to want to fight or run away.  Any perceived threat causes our bodies to tense up.  Many of us have issues that cause stress that we carry with us all day long.  Then, we go and try to get a good hard intense workout it.  Sometimes our workouts stress us out because we didn't perform the way we had hoped or we didn't make as much progress as we had planned on making.  Even worse, sometimes our workouts stress us out because we really didn't want to be doing it in the first place! 

What if we were to change the reason we exercise?  What if our primary reason for exercise became to learn how to relax when we move?  What if we "went green" or tried to use our own physical energy more wisely during the day?