Should you get adjusted before or after working out?

Whether you’re a weekend warrior, desk jockey hitting the gym, or someone just trying to stay mobile, pairing chiropractic care with your workouts is smart. But when’s the best time to get adjusted — before or after training?

Here’s the honest answer: it depends on your goals, your body, and the type of workout you’re doing.

✅ Getting Adjusted Before a Workout: Pros

• Improved joint mobility: Adjustments can help free up stiff areas — especially your spine, hips, and shoulders — which can improve range of motion before lifting, running, or doing mobility work.
• Better muscle activation: When your nervous system is firing optimally (which is part of what adjustments help with), your muscles tend to respond more efficiently.
• Injury prevention: If something’s “off” in your alignment or movement pattern, getting adjusted beforehand can help you move more symmetrically — lowering your risk of straining something mid-squat.

💡 Ideal if:
You’re doing a heavy lifting session, working on technique, or tend to feel locked up before workouts (especially in the morning or after sitting all day).

✅ Getting Adjusted After a Workout: Pros

• Recovery support: An adjustment post-workout can help your body recalibrate after the stress of training — especially if you’ve pushed hard or notice soreness setting in.
• Reduced tension: It’s common for tightness to build up post-workout, especially in the low back, hips, or neck. Adjustments can help release that tension so it doesn’t linger.
• Nervous system reset: Post-training adjustments may help calm the sympathetic nervous system (aka your fight-or-flight mode), supporting recovery and reducing inflammation.

💡 Ideal if:
You’ve just had a tough workout, feel tight or jammed up, or are trying to build in smarter recovery practices.

🚫 When Not to Get Adjusted Right Away

• If you’re doing intense cardio or HIIT, give yourself time to cool down before jumping on the table — your muscles and joints may be too warmed up or tight to respond well immediately.
• If you’re already injured, don’t just assume an adjustment is the fix — get assessed first. Pain mid-workout could be mechanical, muscular, or something else entirely.

👊 So, What’s the Move at YFS?

At Your Form Sux, we tailor your adjustment timing to you. Whether you’re coming in to prep for a lift, recover from a WOD, or just stay mobile between sessions, we’ll assess what your body needs that day. Some patients like to come in pre-workout to fire things up; others use it post-workout as part of their recovery ritual.

No dogma. No pressure. Just real results that work with your routine.