Lack of exercise – As we age, we often get sedentary. It could be a result of other age related issues like arthritis. Movement is difficult so we stop moving altogether. When you don’t exercise the muscles of the body begin to atrophy (weaken). In this state, sudden jarring movements can stretch those muscles leading to sprains and lots of pain after that. A prime example is doing too much exercise after living a sedentary life for years. You may get more than simply run-of-the-mill soreness out of the deal.
Solutions lie in getting active again. You don’t have to hit the weight bench just yet. Start with walking. Put your muscles on alert that it is time to buff up. A personal trainer can design a program for you that include weight lifting and cardiovascular work to improve endurance and build stronger muscles one fiber at a time.
Stress – As we touched on before, stress can kill – literally. It can lead to poor choices such as bad eating habits and lack of sleep. When the body doesn’t have time to repair itself at night while you snooze, the machine begins to break down. Small aches become big pains. The immune system falters and even normal everyday activities can lead to injuries leaving you with a backache.
Stress management is the key. Learning how to manage stress, through diet, exercise and instruction, gets stress under control. You are better able to handle problems at work and at home without destroying your body. Meditation is a useful tool in stress management that puts the mind back in control over the body.
Obesity – It has become an epidemic in the United States and other developing countries around the world. Even our kids have not been spared. Poor eating habits, stress and lack of exercise have led to more weight on the frame than the frame was designed to bear. Just walking around with extra pounds puts three times more pressure on the knees for each pound. For the back, which has to hold all of “you” up, it is even easier to slip a disc or injure the vertebra.
Lose weight. It is easier said than done, but if we do nothing, things won’t change. Success begins with small steps. Before your back begins to hurt chronically, start a walking program. Change the foods you eat so that your body becomes a fat burning powerhouse instead of a fat storage unit. Enlist the aid of family and friends to help you reach your goals.
