The question of where to turn for a healthier lifestyle, one which is based on sound practices, together with the elimi­nation of pain and reduced sickness eludes many, many people. Yet, the solution is staring Americans right in the face daily.

The answer lies in Chiropractic.

A chiropractor, by training and experience, offers a great deal more to the public than merely skeletal system adjust­ments and increased function of the nervous system of the body. This alone is a tremendous service, but it is only part of a chiropractor’s many skills which could help to put an entire nation back on the track to better health and fitness.

There was a time in the United States, not long ago, that the call went out from President John F. Kennedy to in­crease the fitness level of America. This occurred in the early 1960s when the President’s Council on Physical Fitness helped to set standards for both the youth and the adults of America to achieve a better state of well-being. Strides were nicely being made in this direction, but that was over 40 years ago, and now the nation has lapsed back into a state of physical apathy and decline.

Chiropractors, by training, know a great deal about physical fitness, in addition to a lifestyle enhanced by wellness and a more healthful living that is free of drugs. A personal visit to a chiropractor may not put an entire nation back on the track to better health, but it would help one person, you, and that is a great start!

Here are just a few of the benefits of getting more fit under the guidance of a chiropractor: A chiropractor will act as a personal counselor on health and wellness. An overall exercise program that fits a person’s lifestyle and interest will be discovered and encouraged. By the way, overall fitness is known to increase a person’s well-being and do wonders for a person’s back, which is often the source of pain for many people. Finally, improving fitness can help to impact a person’s life and society as well through reduced healthcare costs, visits to physicians, dependency on pharmaceutical drugs and even lost time from work.

There is a study that points to how this individual effort on a small scale could impact and entire area. It is reported that if one sedentary person out of 20 in the state of Michigan were to get on a regular exercise program, the filter down cost savings in the state would total over $575 million annually.

How do you turn the fitness of a nation around you ask? The answer is one person at a time. The solution starts with a low-cost Chiropractic consultation. It’s a visit that could add years to your life, increase your productivity, make living more fun and help out the physical fitness level of a declining nation – all at the same time.

Source: Dynamic Chiropractic. ‘The High Cost of Inactivity.” August 2008. http://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=53375

This continues the rising trend of life expectancy in the United States over the past 50 years. Back in 1955, the life expectancy for Americans was only 69.6 years. By 1995, it had increased to 75.8 years. Now, for 2005, life expectancy is up again over just a decade ago to 77.9 years.

These figures are complied by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) of the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. It is based on approximately 99 percent of death records reported in all 50 states and the District of Columbia for 2005. This research documents the latest trends and the leading cause of death and infant mortality rate.

“This report highlights the continued reduction in deaths from the three leading killers in the United States – heart disease, cancer and stroke – which is most likely due to better prevention efforts and medical advances in the treatments of these diseases,” said Hsiang-Ching Kung, a survey statistician with NCHS and one of the report’s authors. “If death rates from certain leading causes of death continue to decline, we should continue to see improvements in life expectancy.”

Several statistics were of particular interest in the report. The life expectancy for the white population is a bit higher than for African Americans. Whites can expect to live 78.3 years, while the expectation for African Americans is 73.2 years. While deaths from the top 3 killers – heart attack, cancer and stroke – dropped, deaths from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease both increased by approximately 5% in 2005 over 2004 totals. Alzheimer’s is the 7th leading cause of death and Parkinson’s ranks 14th.

Increasingly, individuals and the companies they work for are pointing in the direc­tion of taking full advantage of health and wellness programs. A higher awareness of the benefits of a proper diet, reduced smoking, vitamin intake and exercise can all con­tribute to longevity and to putting more life in people’s years. With more public uti­lization of good health programs, attention to personal fitness and wise choices offered through alternative medical treatment, it may take only a couple more decades for life expectancy to top the 80 year old mark.

Source: The National Center for Health Statistics of the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Press Release. “U.S Life Expectancy Hits New High of Nearly 78 Years.” February 2008. http://www.cdc.govinchs/pressroom/07newsreleases/lifeexpectancy.htm