Chiropractic & Natural Healing

CHIROPRACTIC CARE AND THE BENEFITS OF REGULAR EXERCISE

People who consistently exercise do so for a variety of reasons. These reasons change as we get older. Science is discovering more and more reasons to work out. The impact of exercise on our health is far beyond a trim body and hard muscles. There are some obvious health reasons to exercise: lower blood pressure, increased resting heart rate, lower body fat, etc. These are all important to improving overall physical health.

Living longer is another reason to exercise. A recent study suggests that men can live 14 years longer if they exercise, keep their waist size down and don't smoke. Together, these three behavioral modifications reduce a man's risk of coronary heart disease events by 59 percent, risk of cardiovascular disease mortality by 77 percent, and risk of all-cause mortality by 69 percent compared to their less-healthy counterparts. ¹

Exercise can also play an important role in reducing cancer risk. Another recent study has shown that exercise can help reduce the level of certain hormones in women that contribute to their risk of breast cancer. ²

Perhaps the most motivating reasons to exercise is not physical benefits, but those associated with a person's mental wellness. One study that examined the cognitive development of teenagers revealed that "(c)ardiovascular fitness changes between age 15 and 18 y(ears) predicted cognitive performance at 18 y. Cox proportional-hazards models showed that cardiovascular fitness at age 18 y predicted educational achievements later in life. These data substantiate that physical exercise could be an important instrument for public health initiatives to optimize educational achievements, cognitive performance, as well as disease prevention at the society level." ³

These findings tend to negate the "dumb jock" stereotype. Certainly the guys down the line on the treadmills have better cognitive skills than they would have if they watched TV all morning instead of working out.Exercise also has a very positive impact on people at the other end of the age scale. It can actually reduce cognitive impairment. One study in particular discovered that "twelve months of once-weekly or twice-weekly resistance training benefited the executive cognitive function of selective attention and conflict resolution among senior women." ⁴ Another study noted that "moderate or high physical activity is associated with a reduced incidence of cognitive impairment after 2 years in a large population-based cohort of elderly subjects." Moderate physical activity is defined as physical activity less than three times a week, high physical activity is three or more times a week. ⁵

At the recent annual meeting of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, one of the papers presented to attendees reported: "[H]igher levels of physical activity objectively measured by an accelerometer are strongly associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms and a lower prevalence of depressive disorders." The physical activity required for this benefit was only 12 minutes of moderate exercise a day. ⁶

references

1. Lee CD, Sui X, Blair SN. Combined effects of cardiorespiratory fitness, not smoking, and normal waist girth on morbidity and mortality in men. Arch Intern Med, Dec. 14, 2009;169(22):2096-101.
2. Friedenreich CM, Woolcott CG, McTiernan A, et al. Alberta Physical Activity and Breast Cancer Prevention Trial: sex hormone changes in a year-long exercise intervention among postmenopausal women. J Clin Oncol, Feb. 16, 2010. [Epub ahead of print]
3. Åberg MAI, Pedersen NL, Toren Kjell, et al. Cardiovascular fitness is associated with cognition in young adulthood. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (U.S.). Epub ahead of print, Nov. 30, 2009.
4. Liu-Ambrose T, Nagamatsu LS, Graf P, Beattie BL, Ashe MC, Handy TC. Resistance training and executive functions: a 12-month randomized controlled trial. Arch Intern Med, Jan. 25, 2010;170(2):170-8.
5. Etgen T, Sander D, Huntgeburth U, Poppert H, Foerstl H, Bickel H. Physical activity and incident cognitive impairment in elderly persons: the INVADE study. Arch Intern Med, Jan. 25, 2010;170(2):186-93.
6. "Higher Physical Activity Levels Strongly Linked to Lower Levels of Depression in Older Adults." Medscape Medical News, March 11, 2010.

Chiropractic is one of the foremost and basic methods of natural healing. Chiropractic is a philosophy, art and science that recognizes the relationship between the nerves, muscles and skeletal system. Nerve and muscle disorders and diseases can often be cured without the use of drugs.

As one of the most experienced Santa Monica chiropractors with more than over 32 years of professional practice, Dr. Dean Goodman offers comprehensive chiropractic care for neck pain, lower back pain and stiffness, headaches, pain in the legs, hands, joint pain and stiffness. Chiropractic care can also help patients with asthma, migraines and injuries caused by accidents and falls, as well as bad posture and stress.

Chiropractic care is not only for the relief of pain and the treatment of injuries, but also deals with prevention of injuries, natural health and fitness and natural healing to promote longevity.