Believe it or not, even on my own honeymoon in Barbados; I was unable to stop thinking about this office, you, and the purpose by which we operate. Fortunately, my wife is just as excited as I about Maximized Health Chiropractic, and understands my commitment as a Doctor and Educator.
We noticed a dramatic difference in how the people around us moved and carried themselves. There were two distinct categories of people. The tourists, who were mostly from England, and the local Barbadians. The majority of tourists had horrible posture and seemed to waddle about as if their arms and legs were the only moving parts. The natives actually had surprisingly good posture, and moved about rather gracefully.
On the plane ride home I wondered… why such a distinct and obvious difference between these two groups of people. Several minutes later… the theme of this newsletter took form. Two key points of discussion to elaborate upon, and then the conclusion:
- Healthy posture is a function of habit and lifestyle. The Barbadians that I observed were always working and playing upright – it seems as though their way of life left little time or desire for sitting in front of the television, computer, etc. Their upright posture was a reflection of their habits and lifestyle. It was actually normal, upright, and healthy!
- Barbados is not nearly as “well developed” as much of America is. As a result the peoples’ activity level is incredibly high in comparison, i.e. walking to the store, manual labor, outdoor recreational activities, etc. In other words, they actually get daily exercise as a result of daily living. The majority of Barbadians we observed were strong, healthy and in seemingly great shape.
So, no evidence of gyms, fitness centers, Chiropractic offices, hospitals, diet programs, weight loss/fitness supplements, and yet most of the people had great posture and appeared very healthy. There must be something to learn from all this, right?
My point is this… these people live a more normal, natural, healthy lifestyle. Now consider your lifestyle and that of those you know and interact with. Consider the habits (posture at work, home, etc.) that are literally damaging the structure of our bodies from the inside-out. Consider your daily dosage of exercise/physical activity… is it really enough to promote health and longevity?
Long story short… you may not be able to change some things like your job, but you can change your habits and lifestyle choices. Remember this… if the balance of your habits and lifestyle choices is not promoting health and longevity- it is probably promoting discomfort and disease.
The average American lifestyle is changing, i.e. we sit at work, in a car, on the couch more than we should; and we exercise or engage in physical activity far less than we should. Yes, we have invented and created a lifestyle that is very efficient, but not very healthy. Where their habits and lifestyle promote health and fitness, our typical lifestyle does the opposite.
There is a solution to this problem. That is why Maximized Health Chiropractic exists.
Speak up and educate others,
Dr. Craig
