by Kathleen Christ
Anti-Aging Health Care promises to be one of the most significant medical specialties of the future, one that will influence human life for generations to come. With a better informed and practicing populace in nutrition, exercise, lifestyle changes and adjustments, along with the added advantages of biomarker testing and treatments, the next few years could hold amazing possibilities.
Many people assume that getting fatter, weaker and stiffer is inevitable with age. A growing body of research, however, suggests that much of the decline attributed to aging actually comes from being sedentary, and that regular exercise can help people remain healthy and independent as they get older. So, one of the first recommendations for “anti-aging” is exercise.
One of the most intriguing studies documenting the “anti-aging” effect of physical activity comes from the adult exercise research program at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, where exercise physiologists collected data on nearly 1,000 adults who have undertaken regular exercise programs. The results show a dramatic decrease in the biological aging process that occurs in the normal population that does not exercise.
As many gerontologists and researchers have found, exercise is the closest thing to an anti-aging pill that exists. People who are physically fit, eat a healthy, balanced diet and take nutritional supplements can measure out to be 10 to 20 years younger biologically than their chronological age. This is what makes a person “immortal.” An immortal doesn’t necessarily live forever due to this healthy lifestyle, but can be free from mental and physical disease and degeneration for years longer than an unhealthy individual. Exercise is an extremely important part of achieving this “immortality.”
It doesn’t matter if you were once physically active in your younger years. If you’re not currently engaged in a physical activity program on a regular basis, your body is not receiving the innumerable health-related benefits of exercise.
• Improves immune system functioning.
• Helps you lose weight — especially fat weight.
• Improves survival rate of myocardial infarction.
• Improves body posture.
• Reduces risk of heart disease.
• Improves the body’s ability to use fat for energy
during physical activity.
• Helps the body resist upper-respiratory tract
infections.
• Helps relieve the pain of tension headaches.
• Increases maximal oxygen uptake.
• Increases muscle strength.
• Helps preserve lean body tissue.
• Reduces risk of developing high blood pressure.
• Increases density and breaking strength of
ligaments and tendons.
• Improves coronary heart circulation.
• Increases levels of HDL cholesterol
and reduces LDL cholesterol.
• Helps improve short-term memory.
• Sharpens dynamic vision and controls
glaucoma.
• Reduces risk of developing Type II
(non insulin dependent) diabetes.
• Reduces anxiety.
• Assists in quitting smoking.
• Slows the rate of joint degeneration
(osteoarthritis).
• Enhances sexual desire, performance and
satisfaction.
• Helps in the management of stress.
• Improves quality of sleep.
• Reduces risk of developing colon, prostate
and breast cancers.
• Reduces risk of developing stroke.
• Reduces susceptibility to coronary thrombosis
(a clot in the artery that supplies the heart
with blood).
• Helps alleviate depression.
• Helps alleviate low back pain.
• Improves mental alertness and reaction time.
• Improves physical appearance.
• Improves self-esteem.
• Decreases resting heart rate.
• Helps in relaxation.
• Helps prevent and relieve the stresses that cause
carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Helps relieve constipation.
• Protects against “creeping obesity” —
slow weight gain that occurs with age.
• Improves blood circulation, resulting in
better functioning organs, including the brain.
• Increases productivity at work.
• Improves balance and coordination.
• Helps to retard bone loss as you age, thereby
reducing your risk of developing osteoporosis.
• Improves general mood state.
• Helps in maintaining an independent lifestyle.
• Increases overall health awareness.
• Improves overall quality of life.
Anti-aging or youthing will continue to take front and center stage as the boomers have no desire to repeat the sad and sometimes dreadful scenarios of their parents ‘ end of life procedures, surgeries, meds and processes. There is a lot of talk about “Quality of Life,” and with the anti-aging movement, the meaning of that phrase is becoming more rich and full.
At the St. Louis Aquatic Healing Center, through the use of various passive exercise machines and technologies, we are not only helping people to feel better, but in some cases, moving past the need for canes, walkers and even wheelchairs. We are making a difference at the Center, but you can also achieve these results within the comfort of your own home – using the machines regularly and daily is proving to provide the best results. The interest and commitment to ‘working out’ has taken a new turn. All the traditional exercise machines are fine as far as they go, but as people age, have health issues or injuries, those same machines can cause more pain and difficulties. The passive machines for exercise do far more in a shorter time, are incredibly effective and don’t cause pain or injuries. So, just a suggestion: Convert your exercise room to your healing/wellness room – you will age and heal better while experiencing so much more energy!
DID YOU KNOW…?
The Rand Institute has calculated that for every dollar spent on making the body healthier, the person saves $40 in drugs, surgery, and hospital expenses, to say nothing of the pain and quality of life, which are truly immeasurable!
For more information, call 314-432-5228 or visit www.watsu1.com.