Over the past twenty years, the perception of aging and exercise has changed dramatically.
As our population grows older – estimates suggest that 15-20% of the American population is over 65 years of age – there is growing demand for information on how to stay and feel young throughout the so-called golden years.
Physically fit people tend to maintain brighter outlooks on life, which has a profound effect on their social and inter- personal relationships.
Exercise May Slow Some Effects Of Aging-Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2000;40:1-10
Exercise Makes Us Feel Good-NY Times 2011
Exercise and the brain: something to chew on-Henriette van Praag-Trends in Neurosciences Vol.32 No.5
Pain and functional limitations are key factors in a person’s ability to enjoy life and participate in activities that make life more fulfilling.
Common problems such as back pain, joint pain, restricted movement, loss of bone density (osteoporosis), decreased coordination, loss of muscle mass and an array of other problems can begin to be alleviated by the initiation of a relatively simple fitness program.
When a fitness program is complimented with chiropractic adjustments the accelerated progress can be astounding.
Chiropractors are doctors who specialize in removing joint dysfunctions and correcting muscle imbalances to help restore normal body mechanics while keeping the nerves that supply the body fit.
Although there is no known fountain of youth – there are a few simple steps that can be taken by anyone to help them maintain better physical health and appreciate the fact that getting older is truly getting better.
In 1991 it was estimated that 31 million Americans were 65 years of age or older. That number is expected to grow to around 65 million by the year 2010.
By the time a person reaches senior status, many have already begun to experience chronic and often degenerative changes that cause limited function and reduced mobility – two chronically debilitating problems.
In 1996 the Surgeon General issued a report on physical fitness and health that estimated that only 17% of people over the age of 65 were regularly active. This number is quite disturbing when the effects of aging are considered in relationship to how the body begins to weaken after the fifth decade of life.
Consider this: between the ages of 50 and 60 muscles and nerves begin to deteriorate and it is felt that muscle strength will decrease 15% per decade from age 50 to 70 and then by 30% from age 70 to 80. Decreased muscle strength not only causes a reduced capacity for activity but also carries psychological consequences that can lead to depression.
Many people are under the assumption that getting fatter, weaker and stiffer is an inevitable consequence of getting older.
However there is a growing body of evidence that suggests just the opposite to be true.
It is suggested that sedentary lifestyles significantly contribute to the decline in health that comes with aging and that regular exercise can help people remain healthier and independent.
An intriguing study on physical activity and anti-aging, conducted by the University of Nevada Las Vegas adult exercise research program, found after collecting data on 1,000 adults that regularly exercised that there was a dramatic decrease in factors associated with aging when compared to the normal population that does not exercise.
In many exercise studies, bones get denser, muscles get stronger, and joints become more flexible.
Many people wonder if it is too late to start an exercise program.
The answer is absolutely not!
Muscle loss can be reversed or entirely avoided by regular strength building exercises.
Research has consistently shown that virtually all strength-building methods provide significant benefits for older men and women. According to fitness expert, Richard Weil, strength training for seniors of any age will cause strength increases, muscle mass increases, coordination increases, and quality of life increases as the result of strength training.
Chiropractic, a science that primarily deals with maintaining and correcting problems of spine, muscles and nerves, should not be overlooked as part of the anti-aging equation.
If you so chose, regular chiropractic care provides people with improved spine and joint function, which ultimately has a pain reducing effect.
Chiropractic adjustments provide mobility to the spine and joints by relieving fixations (joint dysfunctions), which are joints with limited movement (similar to the body’s version of rust).
In recent years, numerous medical studies have confirmed the essential role of manipulation and motion in the maintenance of disc health, joint lubrication (synovial fluid), and articular cartilage nutrition.
Increasingly, researchers have concluded: that impaired joint mobility, which alters the joint lubrication mechanism, may be the principal mechanism in spinal degeneration.
The joints of the body are avascular (no blood supply) which leaves them dependent on movement. (Further reading on this topic here: Manipulation in Improving Motion and Joint Health ~Review of Medical literature
Appreciating the role of chiropractic care in the restoration and maintenance of motion and, therefore, in the preservation of joint nutrition of these crucial structures provides new insight into the benefits of regular chiropractic care which are unrelated to the usual symptom-orientated justification of treatment for pain and symptomatic relief.
The current information suggests a valuable role in the “maintenance” or “wellness” chiropractic care in preserving the joint nutrition and lubrication abilities and enhancing the removal of waste products in these vulnerable, avascular structures regardless of whether symptoms are present or not.
These studies come from the well respected medical journals such as: Spine, Clinical Orthopedics, Journal of Manual and Physical Therapeutics, New England Journal of Medicine, Clinical Biomechanics. References available upon request.
Correcting these “stuck” vertebrate helps the body nervous system function properly by removing irritation on nerves that progress to virtually every body part including the organs.
Imagine a garden that was deprived of water, it would eventually wither. By removing the so-called kink in the hose the body can send normal nerve signals that are essential to overall good health.
The young and old can benefit greatly from chiropractic adjustments. Besides from the obvious benefit of pain free living, improved mobility and posture have a profound effect on daily living and a persons overall outlook on life.
The combination of chiropractic care and proper exercise (which in many cases can be shown to you by a Doctor of Chiropractic) should not be overlooked as part of the anti-aging puzzle.
As the American population gets older there is no reason that people have to perceive aging as a process that causes us to simultaneously rust together while we fall apart.
Chiropractic and exercise are two key ingredients of the anti-aging arsenal that are available to virtually everyone that is part of the ageing population.
Other factors, such as nutrition and genetics play a key role as well, however no foundation is built on one block.
It is not too late to start feeling better and stronger.
Consider seeing a chiropractor and beginning an exercise program as part of your remedy to the age long quest of staying younger and healthier throughout an entire lifetime.
If you are suffering from: Sports Injuries, Sprains, Strains, Car accident, Herniated Disc, Disc Bulge, Degenerative Disc Disease, Neck pain, Headaches, Low back pain, of just want to feel better and have better life performance– please call our office in Irvine, California- at 949.857.1888 or visit our website at ADJUST2IT to learn more about Functional Fitness Chiropractic, Sports massage, Myofascial Release, Corrective Exercise, Non Surgical Spinal Decompression, Class IV laser, and Functional Nutrition.
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