It’s true. Our healthcare system is a mess.
First they passed Obamacare, then they said they will repeal it, then they didn’t.
Only one thing is certain…Nothing is certain.
The only way to look at this system and maintain your sanity is to know that you are doing everything in your power to stay healthy.
As hard as insurance companies and the government try, the focus of our entire healthcare system is still on treating the sick and not on maintaining health. If you really give it some thought you will realize our system would be better called a sickcare system!!
- You notice that you are walking a little slower and occasionally feel off balance. BUT, you haven’t fallen. You figure the problem is probably not that serious so you keep going about your daily routine.
- You have a nagging pain in your knee. It’s not excruciating but…you feel your knee. No need to do anything at this point.
- You are walking to shul every day. It used to take 5 minutes. Now it takes 10 minutes. But you haven’t fallen so… no need to worry.
While this is common, it is totally misguided!
The time to begin taking care of yourself is BEFORE you have ANY of these issues. Or, if you already have some concerns address them IMMEDIATELY! Why wait until you fall, have muscle weakness, balance/walking issues, pain or other concerns to start taking care of yourself? Why not start the process while you are healthy so you can prolong your health?
Think of a car. Every few thousand miles you need an oil change. You don’t wait for your car to breakdown and then get towed to the mechanic only to find out you needed an oil change. You get your regularly scheduled maintenance and barring any unpredictable circumstances your car rides smoothly.
In the example of the car think of the high cost of towing your car and paying the mechanic vs. the relatively low cost of an oil change. In your body you have the same option. You can do nothing to maintain your health and then dedicate all your time and resources to healing your illness, OR, you can spend some time on maintaining your health and enjoy life!
OK. You probably agree that everyone should do some exercise. So you start walking every day. That should be enough. Right?
Wrong.
Walking every day is great aerobic exercise which is good for your cardiovascular system but it won’t help you build muscle. Strengthening exercises will.
You might be thinking that your goal isn’t really to build muscle anyways so why do you need to do strengthening exercise?
Beginning at age 40 your body begins to lose muscle mass. This process accelerates as you age so the older you get the faster you lose muscle. (The technical term for this is sarcopenia.)
Losing muscle mass and strength not only robs you of the ability to perform even the most basic tasks of daily living over time, (things like getting out of a chair or walking up stairs) but also increases your risk of suffering devastating injuries, or worse, from sudden falls and other accidents.
Resistance training (using weights, machines, bands, other devices or body weight) is essential for increasing muscle mass. In addition to building muscle, strength training can also promote mobility, improve health-related fitness, and improve bone health. Since it is far easier to prevent or slow the progression of muscle loss than it is to treat it later in life, it makes sense to begin your strength training program today.
Are you concerned about injuring yourself while exercising?
You are not alone. Too many people avoid exercise due to fear of injury. Unfortunately, this is not without merit. Many people do in fact hurt themselves because they do exercises incorrectly or they simply do the wrong exercises.
This is why having appropriate guidance in your exercise routine is critical. Learn what to do…and how to do it. Then you can continue doing it on your own.
People always ask me…how long will I have to do exercises for after therapy.
My answer is simple…Only as long as you want to be healthy.
This quote from Jim Rohn really sums it up nicely…“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”
Wishing you good health.
