| Copyright (c) 2010 Stephen Lau | | | | have never experienced major debilitating aches |
| All centenarians have one thing in common: they | | | | and pains throughout their lives. The possible |
| are all mobile. Mobility holds the key to longevity. | | | | explanation is that they have lived a healthy |
| Prevent disability with mobility. If you are | | | | lifestyle. Hence, it is never too late to mend your |
| physically mobile, you can maintain your bones, | | | | ways of living. Given that pain is mainly due to |
| joints, muscles, and ligaments in their optimum | | | | inflammation, always eat an anti-inflammatory diet, |
| conditions. If you are immobile, on the other hand, | | | | which is essentially low in animal fat with plenty of |
| they start to decline and deteriorate. Their | | | | fruits and vegetables. Remember, loading up on |
| degeneration often leads to a host of health | | | | junk foods, high-fat meats, sugar and fast foods |
| problems, including aches and pains, which only | | | | will increase inflammation in your body. An |
| further aggravate the lack of motivation to move | | | | anti-inflammatory diet eliminates all high-sugar |
| around. Always prevent disability with your | | | | foods, such as sodas, soft drinks, pastries, |
| mobility. | | | | pre-sweetened cereals and candies, from the diet. |
| Falling is the most common cause of death | | | | Good body balance can be impaired, due to |
| among the elderly population. In fact, falling is the | | | | circulatory problems. Again, diet plays a pivotal |
| 2nd leading cause of death in women aged | | | | role. What is good for the heart is also good for |
| between 65 and 85, and the leading cause of | | | | the brain, which monitors your body balance. In |
| death for most individuals over 85. | | | | addition, strengthen your inactive muscles that |
| Falling, ironically enough, stems from the fear to | | | | may cause body balance problems, contributing to |
| fall, which is built upon the past experience of | | | | falls. Maintaining good posture and good body |
| falling. The more worried you are about falling, the | | | | balance can avoid falls, thereby preventing |
| less you would want to be mobile, and the more | | | | disability. |
| prone you would become to falling -- and thus | | | | Lack of concentration may cause you to fall. You |
| forming a vicious cycle. Immobility only leads to | | | | can overcome this by training your mind to |
| disability, which is often self-imposed. Only mobility | | | | become more focused through guided meditation. |
| can prevent disability. | | | | Also, Qi Gong, the 3000-year-old anti-aging |
| Remember, falling is not a part of growing old; | | | | exercise from China, not only promotes muscle |
| you fall because you have lost your muscle | | | | flexibility, body balance, and clarity of the mind |
| flexibility, which constitutes body balance, without | | | | through enhanced internal life energy, but also is |
| which you may easily fall. | | | | instrumental in reversing bone loss due to |
| Therefore, to maintain muscle flexibility, especially | | | | osteoporosis. |
| in the bones and joints, you must move them | | | | Do not conserve your mobility out of fear of |
| and become mobile at any age. Of course, aches | | | | falling; instead, fully utilize your mobility to your |
| and pain can deter you from moving in the first | | | | advantage. Over-caution only constricts your |
| place. Again, it is a myth that arthritis and | | | | muscles, making them more tense and inflexible, |
| rheumatism come with age. The truth of the | | | | and thus impairing your body balance. Prevent |
| matter is that there are many individuals who | | | | disability with mobility. To live long, be mobile! |