The underlying theme of this blog is that by making strategic changes in your daily routine, you can save yourself a lot of pain and dysfunction now and later on in your life.  And it’s my desire to share with you some of these simple changes.

Isn’t this a simpler and smarter way to live, rather than being indifferent or oblivious to the fact that your body slowly loses its resiliency as you age, and not taking appropriate, protective measures?  If you perform regularly scheduled maintenance to your car, it will last a lot longer than if you do not.  The same goes for your body, but the stakes are a lot higher.

One Popular Reason Why People Develop Pain

The problem I see is that most people forget that when you are in your 20s and 30s you can get away with things like prolonged sitting, staying out late and eating unhealthy things like burgers and fries frequently.   At that age your human growth hormone is still giving you that fountain of youth energy and your musculoskeletal system, especially your joints, is still in good working order.

However, through your 40s-60s, your job and/or family responsibilities increase and you have less time for yourself, and you think you can take the same abuse that you took in your earlier years.  This is where problems start to manifest.

You see, health problems such as degenerative disc disease take years to develop.  Take an x-ray or MRI of your neck or low back, and all those nasty osteophytes, thinning discs and crooked spines you see didn’t start yesterday.  They started perhaps ten or more years prior.

So, you are either in a situation where you can do lifestyle modifications to reduce the chances of disorders like this from affecting your health and quality of life; or, you already have the disorder, but need to find ways to stop it from progressing and/or reduce its impact on your health and quality of life.

You see, as long as you are alive, your cells have the capacity to regenerate or transform.  Depending on the current state of your health and therefore your body’s recuperative capacity, it could take a long time or a relatively shorter time to see results.

For example, if you are overweight; a smoker and drinker and have a negative impression of life, those serve as extra barriers to healing.  Get rid of them, and you’ve got a better chance.

A Simple Exercise to Do Daily if You Sit a Lot

Back to those “lifestyle modification” tips that can help you avoid a life of pain.

Here is today’s example, an exercise called Wall Angels.  If you find yourself having a slouched upper back, rounded lower back and forward lunging neck, you’ve got to try these.  When done regularly, they can help restore and maintain good posture.

Posture affects your spine, joints, muscles, breathing, energy levels and sometimes even mindset.  It is critical to have good posture if you expect to achieve optimal health in your life.

Give it a try; all you need is an empty wall with no obstructions: