We continue to pack more and more into each day. Our priorities continue to change in order to keep that schedule, get that work done, rush around with the kids, etc. but at what cost? Where are our priorities shifting? What in our lives is suffering?All too often it is our health that suffers because we start to neglect integral parts of a healthy lifestyle. Didn't make it to the gym because I ran out of time. Forgot to do my stretches this morning because I was running late. Ate lunch at some fast food joint because I was in a hurry. Haven't slept too well because there's too much on my mind and I just don't have time. We can all get caught up in the race of life and neglect these things, but where does that leave us?Our health is what allows us to enjoy life and without good health we have very little. However, we often let it fall by the wayside in place of saving some time or to make time for other things in life. It is important that we shift our priorities to include healthy lifestyle choices and create time to care for ourselves. Health is not a sprint, it is a marathon. We must be in it for the long haul and we must be dedicated to making the time for becoming and remaining healthy. We only have one body, we need to take care of it.Even within my own practice I hear patients ask all the time, ‘Why is my back so sore? I don't have time for this.' They have tried to cover up the symptoms with painkillers and suppress the body's warning signals with muscle relaxants. When these fail, they try chiropractic care and as soon as they feel better they stop treatment saying: ‘I don't have time,' or ‘I'm too busy.' Instead of finishing out the treatment plan and making an actual physical correction of the problem they settle for symptomatic relief and run directly back into the lifestyle that caused the problems in the first place.Chiropractic care was never designed to be a quick fix. It is to correct and maintain motion and alignment in the joints of the spine to alleviate pressure on spinal nerves. This in turn allows the nervous system to function optimally and promote overall health and wellness.When our lives are full of stress and stressful situations, a commitment to your health is a must. It must be a daily commitment for the rest of your life. Each day must include a balanced diet, some form of exercise, stretching, and proper rest. Regular chiropractic adjustments must be included to maintain spinal and nervous system integrity. The brain must communicate freely with the rest of the system via the nervous system.