7 Habits for a Long HealthSpan & Aging Well

Some say health is just not feeling sick, but wellness professionals such as chiropractors and others have always defined health as state of optimal well-being, not merely the absence of disease. Current research increasingly proves this wisdom, demonstrating how poor LifeHabit choices create long-term subclinical conditions and contribute dramatically to the onset of disease.

Wellness experts --- researchers to medical doctors, massage therapists to personal trainers, physical therapists, nutritionists, yoga instructors, Pilates teachers and even most of our mothers-- all agree on the importance of having intelligent wellness habits for life, or what BodyZone.com calls LifeHabits.

And while professionals may have different ways of describing it,  we all agree about about one very important factor:

LifeSpan is how long you live--- and your HealthSpan is how long you live healthy.

So depending on the wellness professional, the focus is usually on one of the three areas of health:

• The Physical- From muscles and bones moving us to the fluids flowing through us, everything follows the laws of physics
  • A LifeHabit most doctors of chiropractic recommend is spinal manipulation (adjustments) to restore motion and alignment.  Research shows that people who move well with good posture actually age better. Weak posture, body alignment and balance forces you compensate when exercising. Posture is not just how you look, but can actually affect how long and how well you live.  Chiropractic adjustments unlock tight links in the body's kinetic chain to relieve distortion and stress on the spine and joints as well as muscles and nerves.  When joints can move full-range, exercise is most effective exercise to keep muscles, joints and nerves healthy.
• The Chemical- From nutrition and what you eat to your environment or drugs you take, your health is affected by what you put into your body
  
• The Mental- Our mind, emotions, attitude and perceptions, plus for the purposes of discussion the acknowledgment/acceptance/belief in things spiritual
  

However, the lines separating physical, chemical and mental wellness are being blurred, as body and mind are increasingly being viewed as different sides of the same coin.

Wellness is a sound mind in a sound body, an old wisdom now being proven by numerous studies showing body and mind  work together, literally as one body-mind.   Attitude, belief and perception not only affect how you feel,  but it also affect your physical body. What you eat affects your attitude as well as how quickly a injury heals.  Exercise releases endorphins and reduces cortisol,  just two of the chemicals which affect both mind and body. So, the goal is a healthy mind-body (or body-mind), and

Wellness is how well it's all working together.

So, aging well requires having good genes and intelligent lifehabits, and our genetics are fixed before we're born.   However, we can choose our actions, so  here's:

from the book Stand Taller~Live Longer, Steven Weiniger, 2008

7 LifeHabits for a Long HealthSpan

1. Don't smoke or use tobacco
2. Eat well and maintain a healthy weight

i Minimize anything white (sugar, salt, flour)
ii. Fresh is best, frying is bad
iii. Eat more fruits and vegetables
iv. Eat balanced meals with more good and less
bad fats (more turkey, less beef)
v. Strongly avoid high fructose corn syrup.

Also known as HFCS, this form of sugar was introduced in the 1980s and has been
labeled as a culprit in adding to America's expanding waistline because of its quick conversion into fat.

3. Be happy in your personal and professional life

4. If you drink alcohol, use moderation

5 Avoid drugs Consult your doctor about minimizing your dependence on unnecessary medication.

6 Get adjusted regularly

Many older and active patients tell me one of their secrets for staying active is getting adjusted once a month.

7 EXERCISE with StrongPosture™

Numerous studies show that greater physical activity is associated with decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and obesity. 2007 recommendations from the American Heart Association and American College of Sports Medine. Lack of regular exercise can be considered a "risk factor" for the development of problems in the muscles and joints.

Exercising with StrongPosture™ can include any exercise focused on moving yoru body intelligently.  To program yourself to move well with good posture, we suggest 10 minutes a day of StrongPosture™ exercise.

This is the BodyZone.com philosophy. If you are a wellness professional and are intrigued, Consider attending a BodyZone.com seminar, especially the Posture Practice seminars, live or online. You will learn ways to incorporate and transition from AcuteCare to RehabCare to WellnessCare. And to give you some more ideas of what we talk about, here are some of the kinds of ideas and concepts we share with patients about how to move, feel and be well.