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The following article was published in Your Health Magazine. Our mission is to empower people to live healthier.
Jonathan C. Nou, DC
Getting Fit At 50 and Beyond
AllCare Chiropractic, LLC
. http://www.allcarechiropractic.com/

Getting Fit At 50 and Beyond

What if you used to be really fit and now you're not? What if, as the years have gone by, you've added a couple of pounds here and there, and you suddenly notice you're 30 pounds heavier than you were at your tenth high school reunion?

Or, what if you've never enjoyed the idea of exercising, exercise was never part of your world-view, but you're not feeling as good as you'd like to feel and think that exercise might help improve your overall health and sense of well-being?

Most of us need guidance in the process of getting fit. It would be a serious mistake for someone older than 50, and even older than 40, to simply go out and try to run four miles if he had never run before. Muscle strains, shin splints, or even a stress fracture of one of the bones in the foot would be a likely and unwanted result.

The best way to get fit or return to fitness after a long period of inactivity is to start slowly, progress in small increments, and gain an authentic, long-lasting level of fitness over months and years. Being a smart exerciser means not doing too much too soon, in other words, respecting your body's capabilities.

Also, smart exercise involves engaging in a blend of activities, usually on alternating days. Persons who only bike or run and persons who only lift weights will never be as healthy and fit as those who do both aerobic activity and strength training. Developing a two-week schedule will provide a thorough, balanced fitness program.

In week A you do aerobic exercise (walking, running, biking, swimming laps) on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. You do strength training on Tuesday and Thursday.

In week B you reverse activities, doing strength training Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and aerobic exercise on Tuesday and Thursday.

This alternating pattern ensures you are getting the full benefit of your valuable time spent exercising.

It is important to remember that what works for you, works for you. Each of us needs to find his or her best way forward. Some methods of exercise will be experienced as intuitive and enjoyable. Others will be experienced as the opposite. You probably won't want to continue any of the latter.

Your chiropractor is an expert in healthy exercise and will be able to recommend fitness activities that will be right for you.

Chiropractic Care and

Returning To Fitness

Chiropractic care is an important component of any exercise program and is especially important for those who are beginning a fitness program or returning to exercise after a long absence.

Regular chiropractic care helps ensure spinal fitness, which is the starting point for all aspects of health and well-being.

Your spinal column is the mechanical center of your body. Major muscle groups involved in strength training, such as the latissimus dorsi and rhomboids, and major muscle groups involved in aerobic exercise, such as the quadriceps and hamstrings, attach directly or indirectly to the spine and pelvis.

Regular chiropractic care helps ensure optimal functioning of your spinal column, which in turn helps ensure a full range of motion and mechanical availability of muscles critical for successful exercise.

By helping you get the most out of your exercise, regular chiropractic care helps you achieve your long-term goals for good health.

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