Change is Healthy, Especially When It Comes to Your Fitness Routine
A new patient came into my chiropractic clinic the other day, and in the course of our “patient history” conversation, the 61 year old told me proudly that he’d been doing the same exercises for almost 20 years. It wasn’t difficult for me to understand why he was having current joint pain. My task was to help him to understand as well. I began by telling him that even when a person is happy with their fitness practice, it’s a good idea at any age to periodically rework some of the routines. Because the brain thrives on new stimulation, variety is beneficial both mentally and physically.
Then I got into the specifics for someone his age. I explained that as a person gets older, certain age-related issues almost imperceptibly enter into the fitness equation, and that it was important for him not to “push” himself as hard as he did 20 years ago, even though he may feel that he still can. I told him that moderation would take him a lot farther health-wise than his going at his routines no-holds-barred as he did when he was younger. I explained that it was also important for him to spend as much of his workout time building strength, flexibility, and balance as he did on general aerobic fitness because maintenance in these three areas would help his body to better deal with such age-related changes such as loss of muscle and balance problems.
I’d suspected all along that his joint pain was likely due to 20 years of repetitive stress, and I suggested to him that after chiropractic therapy had gotten him out of his current pain, it would be beneficial for him to do cross-training and add variation to his aerobic routine in order to prevent overuse problems in the future. And, I warned him to start any new activity slowly, not to overdo it, and to stretch often.
We, humans, are meant to stay active through every phase of our physical life. But, it’s important for us to respect our body at each phase, and to vary our approach to good health as our body changes.
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