As many of you know my husband and I were out in Arizona this past weekend visiting a dear friend of mine.. yes we missed the somewhat unwelcome April snowstorm, minus the shoveling of course! We had a wonderful time hiking around the desert, having never been in this climate before the landscape was so surreal and breathtaking!
All in all it was a wonderful trip, however I was acutely reminded of one very important lesson. As the seasons change (either naturally or via traveling) we adapted to the climate and the different activities that come along, thus our bodies must learn to adjust as well. This process can be smooth and done safely or it can be painstakingly difficult.
The day we arrived we went to the gorgeous Botanical Gardens in Phoenix. Because I wanted to revel in the warmth, I chose to wear my Berkinstock sandals as we walked around for hours, which at the time felt great! Two days later as we began to hike around the Grand Canyon, my front left ankle ached as I lifted my foot to walk. At first I was confused why my ankle was hurting since before that I hadn’t done anything strenuous on the trip. A mile later I realized my mistake, I had worn sandals for the first time in over 6 months using muscles in my leg that had been basically hibernating all winter in my boots!
It may seem subtle, changing your foot wear from boots to sandals, however this change requires different movements when walking and uses different muscles in your body. When we make sudden changes to our routine our bodies aren’t always as quick to adapt as we once were when we were young. By 
maintaining integrity in our structure via chiropractic care, yoga, or daily activities like walking we create resiliency and are better able to manage these changes.
Although we still have snow on the ground, when spring finally comes it’s going to hit us hard! I want to make sure everyone can jump straight back into all the warm weather activities you love from biking and running to gardening. Don’t be like me and forget that our bodies need time to adjust and condition to these activities! Be proactive and make sure your body is ready to take on the sun and all the glorious hustle and bustle!
