5 Ways to Stay Mobile as We Age

5. Eat right

Sounds cliché but it really is true. Knowing what is "right" however, can be a very individual and difficult process. One of the things we have started to notice in the lab is the toll chronic constipation can cause. It is not unusual now to see an unhealthy colon that is from someone who suffered from constipation. It can then lead to systemic inflammation which is now known to underlie all autoimmune diseases. So get plenty of fiber!

4. Exercise

Adapting the types of activities is very important to consider based on the health of your joints. Seeing the toll high impact activities take on the knees and SI joint have been quite evident when looking at the lifestyle of our donor gifts. As we age it is important to tailor our execise regiment to our needs and desires.

3. Get up and move

Nerve impulses need to be exercised as well. Moving around requires an interaction between your brain and muscles. Sensory input motor output. Simply getting up to go for a walk in your home or outside, will facilitate nerve pathways and keep them communicating. It is important to facilitate nerve pathways to keep them strong. Just getting up and moving around is important to maintain good clear communication between the brain and our musculoskeletal system.

2. Stretch

Gil Hedley does the fuzz speech on YouTube and that is the best description of why we need to stretch. As we define individual muscles, we see how lack of movement allows layers of muscles begin to "stick" to one another. Layers of connective tissue need movement to keep them from adhering to one another. It is easy to see in the donor gift, how restricted one can become based on immobility.

1. Hydrate

When we are born we are 75-80% water. By the time we die we are less than 60%. Our spinal discs need water to stay healthy. Our joints, muscles, internal organs, nerve conduction, and our brain and more all need water. We are beginning to see effects of lifestyle on muscle tissue and some viscera so it will be interesting to gather information about people's drinking habits. The largest organ in the body is the skin and we all know how important hydration is to healthy skin.