Margaret Andrzewski of Phoenixville has overcome considerable adversity to develop an extraordinary knowledge of health and wellness. She has been a licensed chiropractor for over 10 years and has been a yoga instructor since 2018. As a competitive bodybuilder, she is passionate about weight training, cardio, and nutrition. We spoke with Andrzejewski to get her thoughts on the benefits of everything from weight training and proper spinal alignment to supplement and drug-free living.
MLT: How did you get into the wellness industry?
Ma: My main motivation was my past. For the first seven years of my life, I lived with my parents who were cocaine and alcohol abusers. It destroyed their lives and the lives of those around them. Luckily, my uncle and aunt took me in as their home. My mother was severely attacked by a dog. She lost her muscles and was given opioids to relieve her pain. She was already addicted to drugs and she was given another drug. Seeing what my parents went through inspired me to explore a career in the medical field. I first learned about the field of chiropractic when I was in high school. We are a 100% drug-free medical profession. I wanted to help people achieve a better lifestyle.
MLT: How can combining chiropractic treatment with yoga and weight training contribute to overall health and wellness?
Ma: Chiropractic regulates the nervous system and benefits the body by improving spinal alignment. It is also a major factor in preventing large-scale degenerative changes to the spine. Yoga moves your body, makes you flexible, and helps you breathe. Weight training helps keep your entire body strong, including your bones. All this will help your body age as gracefully as possible.
MLT: How do you find the time?
Ma: It’s like investing money. It takes time. The earlier you contribute, the better your future will be.
MLT: Please tell us more about your passion for bodybuilding.
Ma: The gym I trained at was full of bodybuilders and it was inspiring to see them all working out. That made me think, “I’ll be 35 in a few months.” What can you do to challenge yourself? Why not become a natural bikini competitor? Of course? “I’m obsessed with what the human body is capable of and how it can change.
MLT: What advice would you give to people who want to try weight training?
Ma: It depends on what your goal is. Not everyone trains to become a bodybuilder. Maybe you want to lose weight, play more easily with your kids, or just want to look better. We highly recommend starting with a trainer to help you set these goals and learn how to use weights properly to prevent injury. It would be great if he could lift weights once a week and get bigger biceps, but the body doesn’t work that way. it takes time. Trust and enjoy the process.
MLT: What role do supplements play in your health journey?
Ma: I prescribe supplements based on blood tests that I do about every six months. This will tell you which parts of your body need more support. I also supplement with daily essentials such as probiotics, omega-3 and polyphenol-rich multivitamins, milk thistle, and magnesium.
“It would be great if you could lift weights once a week and get bigger biceps, but your body doesn’t work that way. It takes time. Trust the process and enjoy it.”
MLT: You talk a lot about promoting health and healing from within. What does it mean?
Ma: Our bodies have far more powerful healing powers than the world gives them credit for. Most of the time, when someone has a symptom, they look for a cure for it. You may feel better temporarily. But has this solved the root cause of the problems occurring in our bodies? Health does not lie in a pill bottle. It is within each of us. As a chiropractor, removing misalignments through specific adjustments to the body improves the functioning of the nervous system and allows the body to heal from the inside out.
MLT: Is chiropractic care something you should only do when you feel it’s needed?
Ma: No, there are many people who want to keep their bodies functioning at their best by maintaining proper spinal alignment and good biomechanics. Once you feel good, you want to stay that way.
Follow me on Instagram @iheartchiro.
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