Cape Girardeau chiropractor Seth Hudson gives his best advice for a happy, healthy new year

Seth Hudson, DC, is a chiropractor in Cape Girardeau. A native of Cape Girardeau, Hudson was an NCAA Division-I baseball player for Murray State University and was inducted into the Cape Girardeau Central Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014. He became a chiropractor in 2011 and has his own practice at The Pillar Chiropractic Physicians Center.

Business Today: How do you fit exercise into a busy work schedule?

Seth Hudson: That's the age-old question, but the best way I've found is to make a plan ... Write it on the calendar -- what you're going to do and what time you're going to do it each day and stick with it. ... If you have a plan and you miss the time, you're going to hold yourself more responsible if there's an actual time you set... Having a plan and having it down on paper is the best way to go about it.

BT: What's your favorite exercise?

SH: It's a mixture. I like more cross-training or circuit-training, so you're mixing cardio and light weights with high reps and your heart rate is up so you're getting a full-body work out.

Chiropractor Seth Hudson provides a consultation at his Cape Girardeau office.Submitted photo

BT: What's your least favorite?

SH: As a former athlete, I don't like lifting legs or heavy legs, but I try to work it in. That's my least favorite, probably a lot of people's least favorite.

BT: How do you overcome a sports injury to get back to your exercise regimen?

SH: The best thing is listening to your body. It will tell you when it's ready to get back in the swing of things. Listen to the people around you. If your friends notice you're walking funny, listen to them. If you're compensating while doing daily activities, you probably need to get checked out by a podiatrist, chiropractor or physical therapist. They all would do a great job at examining you and making sure you're not going to further your injuries.

BT: What advice do you have for people whose work has them sitting in a desk chair all day?

:Chiropractor Seth Hudson works with a patient at his practice in Cape Girardeau.Submitted photo

SH: Make sure the screen level is at eye level ... and your feet are flat on the floor with your legs at 90 degrees and that your arms aren't elevated above the keyboard, so your arms [need to be] relaxed, 90 degrees at the elbow and not putting too much pressure on the carpal tunnel. Everything needs to be ergonomically spaced. It can be difficult, but it's a good habit to get into.

BT: Your wife, Christa, is a dietitian; what is your approach to eating well?

SH: I personally feel breakfast is important. Plan ahead of time ... some people try to sleep a little more and then say they don't have time, that's an excuse they use when really it's probably the most important meal of the day. You can create bags of frozen fruit with protein powder or peanut butter, everybody's different. I use blueberries, strawberries, banana, peanut butter and whey protein with some ice and Greek yogurt ... it's a great blend in the morning; it's really energizing. Pop it in the blender and you're good to go.

BT: What are your thoughts on "guilty pleasure" foods every once in a while?

SH: The best thing to do to get it out of your system is to pick a day, once a month or once every other week. I use Sundays a lot of the time. I like pizza. Pizza and Pilot House in Cape are my go-to cheat days.

Occasionally in the summer, Andy's Frozen Custard. But you work hard in the gym and on your diet so you have to reward yourself on those cheat days.

BT: What's the best fitness investment you've made?

SH: The best investment is honestly investing in something you enjoy.

As cliche as that sounds, if you're going to get into running or exercising, make sure you have the proper footwear. There's people like Missouri Running Co. here in town that will instruct you on exactly what will keep you healthy when you're exercising. I was having foot problems and they fitted me with the proper shoes and it's accelerated my health because now I can run longer and train better and my feet and legs aren't bothering me because I'm wearing a neutral shoe like I should have been wearing.

BT: What's the most common preventable injury you see in your practice?

SH: I would say improper lifting. If it's gonna be heavy, make sure you have help ... make sure you take your time. Get down on one knee, don't flex in your lumbar spine. Make sure you use your legs [and] keep your lumbar spine extended and use the strong muscles -- the glutes and the quads.

Flexion with rotation is the most common way to injure a disc in your lower back, so just take your time and move things appropriately and safely.

BT: Do you have a New Year's resolution?

SH: A New Year's resolution would be to incorporate more lifting instead of just cardio. That's my health resolution, but my actual one is to spend more time with my wife instead of working all the time.