So, what if you could decrease your workouts to 20 minutes and reap greater benefits? With today’s demands I think many of us would be open to any ideas that increase our efficiency. Lets face it, if time in the day gets short, exercise may be one item on the “to do” list that doesn’t get done. Maybe you have a regular routine, but are looking for new ways to challenge yourself. So…..I introduce to you the Peak Fitness Program.
I have met many of you who are aware you have osteopenia or osteoporosis and know you need to exercise to promote bone density. I am asked by many what exercises to do and why. You are not alone. Osteoporosis has become a serious public health problem. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation 10 million Americans over the age of 50 have osteoporosis and 34 million have low bone density or osteopenia. One in two women and 1 in 4 men over 50 will sustain an osteoporosis related fracture.
or… If I Had Known I Was Going to Live This Long I Would Have Taken Better Care of Myself.
In the course of my 27 years in practice I have had a chance to work with some amazing people. As a group, some of my favorites are my geriatric patients. That group of wonderful people have shown both the good and the bad in demonstrating how to age gracefully. I have met those who are quite honestly waiting to die. They are suffering with various pains and conditions and are on several medications. I can’t blame them when they tell me that they don’t want to live much longer as they are truly suffering. I have also met those in their late 80′s and early 90′s who are still active and living on their own. They are not just waiting to die, but are living fully for today. So I began to ask myself, “What’s the difference?” Over my next few blogs I want to share some of the things I have learned along the way. Hopefully, if we follow this direction, we can all be in great health in our 80′s, 90′s and beyond.
I was shocked by a recent article that stated the top selling group of medications are the antipsychotics in the amount of $14.6 billion per year. This group includes such medications as Ridperdal, Zyprexa, Seroquel, Geodon, Abilify, Haldol and Compazine. These medications are especially dangerous in the elderly and in children. In geriatric patients they can cause death often due to cardiovascular complications. In children there is an increased risk of suicide. Each of these has an additional list of 25-30 “serious reactions” that inclued stroke, seizures, diabetes, hypertension, anemia, pancreatitis and other blood problems.
There are plenty of people who love winter and snow. I’m one of them. There is nothing more beautiful than a landscape of freshly fallen snow. But there are plenty of you who have a difficult time getting through winter. By this time of year, cabin fever, crankiness, and mild depression are common.
The holidays are generally a green light for eating what you want without guilt. It’s a time for family gatherings, sentimental traditions, neighborhood and work parties. Specialty foods are prepared and served. It’s cookie season. There are temptations around every corner!
As a mom of 3 young children I know what it is like to be very busy. I often find it hard to fit in a good chunk of time for exercise. Other moms and dads I know feel the same way. We are often an “all or nothing” society and feel we need at least 30 minutes to 1 hour in order to get a good workout in or it is not worth our time.
In the late 1980′s, I was in a car accident. I was a passenger in a vehicle that got broadsided by a driver who ran a stop sign. I had no idea at the time how that one incident would forever change my life. For the next year, I suffered terrible back pain and headaches every day. I had been to the doctor off and on and was given a number of pain killers and muscle relaxers. They didn’t help other than to dull the pain a bit. One day my doctor asked me what activities aggravated my condition, and when I told him, he said “Well stop doing them.” Guess what they were? Ordinary household tasks- vacuuming, lifting objects, cleaning floors, carrying grocery bags. Talking on the phone (which is what I did a great deal of my day at work), driving (also for work) and sitting at my desk for long periods. In other words, LIVING. That is not an option for a 30 something year old with a career and a household!
No this is not a blog about my house, but my house makes for a pretty good analogy when I talk about chiropractic. Since 3 of us in the clinic are chiropractors I wanted to spend some time talking about how chiropractic fits in with everything we do at Team Health Care.
In my previous blog, I mentioned obesity and weight loss as the focus of National Chiropractic Health Month. This week I’ll discuss the need to initiate exercise to turbo charge your weight loss program, especially after first losing some body fat.
