Anti-aging has become quite the buzzphrase. From the moment we jump out of bed in the morning and put our feet on the ground, gravity has its way with our skeleton, imposing degenerative and postural changes on us every single day. Think of the astronauts when they return from several months in space. When they come back down to Earth’s atmosphere, their legs are jelly. This is because they have not been exposed to gravity for an extended period. We need gravity to stay strong, but it also breaks us down over time. Aging happens whether we like it or not, BUT… there are things we can do to slow it down!
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Our bodies are a temple we take for granted.
Chiropractic adjustments are underrated because most of the population doesn’t realize their power. Chiropractic is often reduced to treating neck and back pain. While lessening neck and back pain is certainly a benefit of care, it is the icing on the proverbial cake when the scope and power of the chiropractic adjustments are put into perspective.
When it comes to aging, it is the most overlooked, natural, and preventative route one can take to slow down this process. Not only do chiropractic adjustments slow down the aging process, they also have a ton of health benefits that add vitality. We say, “Chiropractic adds years to your life and life to your years.”
It is the difference between a game of tag with your grandchild and being strong enough to embrace every moment, or being locked up in pain unable to engage due to physical limitations. The first is the vitality path – you are alive on the inside. The second is the fast track to mortality – you are rotted on the inside.
What do your last ten years look like? Will you grow old with vitality? Or grow old with disease?
How Our Chiropractic Care Works
1. Be Heard and
Understood
Sit down with one of our doctors to discuss your health, your concerns, and your vision for the future.
2. Learn the Underlying Cause of Your Problem
Our doctors use the most advanced science and technology in spinal biomechanics to understand and explain your condition.
3. Get a Customized Spinal Rejuvenation Program
If accepted as a practice member, our Chiropractic BioPhysics approach allows us to tailor care to your specific condition.
4. Regain Confidence in Your Body
Use this new, stronger structure to live a life free of limitations, knowing your body is able to function at its full potential.
3 Things You Can Do to Slow Down the Aging Process Right Away
1. Chiropractic Care!
Our spine has 33 stacked vertebrae that form the spinal canal. The spinal canal is the tunnel that houses and protects our spinal cord. The spinal cord and the brain are the only two organs in our entire body that are completely encased in bone, which is indicative of just how important they are!
Each vertebra has four joints that connect it to the other vertebrae above and below. Each vertebra also connects the discs in between them. And depending on which vertebrae, they may have joints that connect your spine to your ribs, skull, sacrum, or other bony structures. In total, your spine has 364 joints to give you an idea of just how many joints are in the spine alone!
Most vertebrae move to allow for a range of motion. This means there is a certain capacity for movement, albeit different ranges for different joints. Joint range of motion refers to both the distance a joint can move and the direction in which it moves. There are established ranges that are considered normal for each of them.
A reduction in a normal range of motion in any of the joints is known as limited range of motion and naturally declines as you age. It also can occur with a number of different conditions. And sometimes the lack of range of motion causes these conditions!
The best way to counter natural decline of joint play and onset of various conditions is to be sure to get regularly adjusted. There is a huge health price to pay if spinal segments in your back or neck fuse together due to non movement of the vertebrae. A chiropractor is trained to locate areas that may have stuck joints.
Go get adjusted! It is the best kept anti-aging secret on the planet.
2. Get Moving!
The body loves movement. It especially loves contralateral, less traumatic movement, like walking. You can walk or power walk to slow down aging! A better example is swimming. These are both easier on the spinal joints, which are all involved in stability, or, keeping the body upright and in proper balance and posture.
There are discs in between each of those 33 vertebrae. These discs are like shock absorbers for the body when it is under stress, like the aforementioned gravity. Aging causes discs to lose water and nutrients, which then causes disc shrinkage, reduced sponginess, and thinning in height. This means the vertebrae become closer together, limiting range of motion and even causing pain with different movements or activities.
The nerves that come off the spinal cord can become compromised with stuck joints. Since these nerves innervate and communicate with everything else in your entire body, healthy daily movement helps to hold your chiropractic adjustments.
Overall, thinning discs show less shock absorption, especially with walking, running, or jumping. The best thing to do for disc health is to choose an activity that is least harrowing when coupled with gravity. Box jumps or marathon training will leave more of a lasting aging residue and effect than a daily swim, power walk, or hike.
So keep moving! Living a sedentary lifestyle could be the new smoking…
3. Work On Your Grip Strength!
Why is grip strength so important?
Grip strength has a direct correlation with mortality. New and existing evidence suggests that grip strength is a biomarker of your biological age. It can be the difference between aging in place, in your own home or spending your final years in an assisted facility.
Lack of hand grip strength can indicate premature aging. Grip strength aligns with your epigenetic clock, which is an indicator of the age of your DNA. The word “epigenetic” suggests we can change the aging trajectory by changing our lifestyle. So, in other words, a healthier lifestyle equals a better trajectory for our health.
Generally, grip strength peaks between the ages of 30-40, then gradually decreases as you age. Muscle mass is also lost faster after the age of 40. A recent study showed that “for each 11-pound decrease in grip strength, there is a 16% higher risk of death from any cause.”
Grip strength can be measured using a dynamometer. This tool measures strength in kilograms by squeezing it.
Not only can grip strength predict your overall strength and health, but it can also decrease your risk for cardiovascular disease and improve your chances of surviving diseases like cancer.
Combined with motioning of the joints throughout your life by getting adjusted regularly and daily movement, these three things work together to increase proprioception in the brain. The brain needs to know where you are in space and time to tell your muscles where to move your body. If the brain isn’t getting the information it needs due to decreased proprioception, things like imbalance, bumping into things, and falling are all likely results.
The good news is you can improve grip strength quickly. First, establish your baseline so you can track improvement. Then consider these exercises on an ongoing basis:
- Farmer’s Carry
- 90° Kettlebell hold
- Ball Squeeze
- Dead Hang
These build strength in all three grip types – support, crush, and pinch grip.
To recap, get adjusted, move your body every day, and improve your grip strength! Doing these regularly will help you to slow down the natural aging process and live longer with vitality!
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691 Mill Creek Rd #5, Manahawkin, NJ 08050