Wow, it’s hard to believe that January is over already!! Time does fly.
This week we are going to cover the third and last leg of our New Years Promises to ourselves: STRUCTURE!!
As a brief review, let’s just cover the first 2 health focuses that we have covered already. Endurance was the first focus. Without endurance it’s hard to get through the day without relying on doses of sugar or caffeine. Not good for your long-term health.
Second was Strength. Strength is of course needed to both ensure against injury and also to improve our calorie burning abilities. Who doesn’t look better with a little less flab and a little more muscle?
The final focus is Structure. What kind of physical shape is your body? Pear? Apple? Some structural abnormalities to check are:
1. ‘Waist to Hip Ratio’. High waist to hip ratios, above 0.8 for women and 0.9 for men are associated with higher rates of high triglyceride levels, high blood pressure and insulin resistant (Type II) diabetes. These symptoms develop as a result of sugar burning, fat storing eating habits. Carbohydrate intolerant, insulin resistant individuals tend to deposit fat in the waist area. This is a fairly easy home measurement. If interested in how you can measure and monitor your own waist-to-hip ratio, just email us and we will email you a 1 page, simple set of directions.
2. Your posture is also a good indicator of your health and mental disposition. Are you all hunched over and round-shouldered? Does your head stick out like a goose neck? Do you have your grandmothers ‘hump’ starting in your upper back already?
3. Balance is necessary for any weight bearing exercise program. If running, walking, hiking or biking ‘hurt’ when you do them, check your balance. Stand with each of your feet on a different scale and look straight ahead. Your weight on each scale should be 0-3 pounds different. If you weigh more than 3 pounds different on one side of your body, that is an indication of a problem you don’t want to stress with exercise until it is resolved.
Okay, you now have all 3 focuses to help you get healthier this year than you have in the past. There are no excuses left!!
If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail us and we will be happy to help. We have gotten wonderful questions and feedback from our patients who read this blog, as well as hearing from non-patients about their questions. Don’t hesitate, your health depends on you!
Sincerely,
Dr. Cynthia Glendening
Dr. Andrew Gottlieb
Eagle Chiropractic, P.C.
http://www.eaglechiropractic.net/