Stay Active & Keep Moving

Staying physically active is the single most important thing we can do to stay well and independent.

 

When asked what they consider to be major factors in maintaining a good quality of life as they grow older, people rank living independently and remaining active right at the top.

However to achieve this it is vital to be active and keep moving.

What can exercise do for me?

As you age, we lose muscle strength, bone mass and our sense of balance, which can lead to falls.

You may also develop problems in your muscles, joints, and bones, such as back pain, osteoarthritis, or osteoporosis.

Regular exercise slows the loss of muscle mass, strengthens bones, and reduces joint and muscle pain.

The more active we remain, the better chance of keeping our muscles strong, our joints mobile and maintaining a sense of balance, which reduces the risk of falling and suffering a serious injury, such as a hip fracture.

The key to regular exercise is to find something that you enjoy doing and do it regularly.

• Go for a brisk walk
• Work in the yard
• Go for a bike ride
• Walk the fairways when you golf
• Wash and wax your car

To reduce your risk of falling, it is important to include fitness activities that will improve your sense of balance.

These activities are important to do on a daily basis.

Activities that are particularly good for balance and flexibility include:

• Dancing
• Tai Chi
• Yoga
• Pilates
• Lawn Bowls
• Gym Sessions
• Home Exercises

At least 30 minutes of exercise per day, five days a week is required to stay active and to keep moving.

Activities to raise your heart rate and to help build fitness include:

• Swimming
• Surfing
• Brisk Walking
• Cycling
• Aqua Aerobics
• Golf

Remember always consult your doctor or chiropractor before embarking on new exercises to make sure they are compatible with any known medical conditions or symptoms.

Good Posture and Staying Active

As you get older, it is important to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle, whilst paying attention to the role that posture can play in keeping you fit and well.

Maintaining good health into later years and being aware of how to preserve one of our body’s most important assets, the back, is important in allowing us to maintain activity levels.

At Discover Chiropractic we will help correct your posture so that it is biomechanically balance.

Typically, this will involve several different methods of treatment, including gentle chiropractic adjustments, specific postural corrective exercises, in-office tractioning and the implementation of home-based spinal orthotics, such as the Denneroll.