Hey Boomers, I just figured it out. We’re doomed!

Think about it. The more we learn the more dire our circumstances. A used-to-be good friend who is a Baby Boomer as well, once told me, “Dillon, there’s a book out there for every (creative language deleted) who can read.”

This was after a heated debate about some long since forgotten subject, where I used the latest written research as proof that my theory was the correct one. I never forgot that. She was right then, and it carries through to this day.

Don’t Believe Boomers are Doomed?

I’ve read books, magazines and articles that will explain in great detail how sugar, butter, tobacco, salt, tv, cell phones, laying down, sitting up, running, swimming, weight lifting, church, crowds, solitude, commuting, airplane seats, etc., will take you out.

Then I’ve read books, magazines and articles that will explain in great detail how, sugar, butter, tobacco, salt, tv, cell phones, laying down, sitting up, running, swimming, weight lifting, church, crowds, solitude, commuting, airplane seats, etc., are not harmful and as a matter of fact are good for you.

Okay, some of that was tongue in cheek, but you should get my drift.

Some Boomers abuse themselves daily with booze, tobacco, cholesterol-laden foods, illicit drugs, over-the-counter drugs and pretty much anything else they want to do, and will live to be 100.

Other Boomers . . . never took a drink of alcohol, watched what they ate, exercised daily, did all the so-called “right” things, and died of “natural causes” before they reached the age of 30. Go figure.

Now there is a study out (that aforementioned book) that says you can do all the right things like, exercise daily, eat right and get plenty of sleep, But guess what? You are still no doubt going to die of a heart attack, or as they stated, “clutching your chest.”.

You know why Boomers Get the Raw Deal?

Because we’ve had the nerve and tenacity to try to do the right thing and take care of business.Now, if you are lucky enough to be gainfully retired you can remember when . . .

You worked hard for your education, whether formal schooling or on the job. You did what it took to get a job and be gainfully employed. You went to work every day. You put in eight hours, six or more sitting at your desk, diligently performing your duties. If overtime was offered, you volunteered. More desk time.

So The Problem Is, We Gotta Do What It Takes To Get Off Our Asses!

Look at the normal routine. We’d get up in the morning and go sit (you know where.) We got dressed and grabbed something to eat. We sat in the car or in mass transit. We got to work and sat at the desk. We sat at lunch. Sat on the way home. Sat at home. Then went to bed and started all over again the next day.

Simple as that. You’re doing (or did) the “right” thing. Chasing the American Dream. Now I can tell you, ’cause I read the articles, (that aforementioned book, again) if you are still doing the same routine, and many of us are, you are Sitting yourself up for a heart attack.

Why Should Boomers Incorporate Exercise As A Lifestyle?

Because there’s that “book” out there now that proves it. If you sit at your desk (or just sit period) for hours on end, you are killing yourself slowly.

Here is the article.  http://bit.ly/BoomersStandTall and by the way, this excludes no one. Short, tall, skinny or fat . . . we are all in this.

Read it, follow the instructions, Stand Up, and let me know what you think.

Good Health and Success is a Lifestyle you deserve, Live Well.

CK Dillon

Charles@CreateVitality.Com

Tweet This Post

By Contributing Author: Kyle Dillon a.k.a. (*Nado P.)

Wow! What a Difference

To my surprise I began to feel  different, less pain. Something was working. His adjustments immediately brought me temporary relief. For you who knock chiropractors, I say, try it before you pass judgment.

My Dilemma . . . Insurance or the Lack thereof

At the time I was attending school, unemployed and about to turn 22 years old. At 22 I’d no longer be covered by my parent’s health insurance; a remedy was needed.

My chiropractor suggested an MRI, because prior X-rays hadn’t shown any obvious causes. The MRI showed exactly what he expected, a disc herniation in my L5/S1 disc. In my opinion . . .

Until I was removed from my parent’s insurance, the chiropractic adjustments worked wonders. I was able to move around pain-free, but nothing lasts forever. I still needed a plan in case I, like too many Americans, ended up without insurance. And no, even though I have my feelings about it, I won’t get into the politics of national health care.

Fast Forward to Now

Several  years have passed and I’m still living with the disc herniation challenge, and basic health-care, which does not cover pre-existing conditions. Over that time I’ve had several employers, none of whom  provided full coverage insurance for pre- existing injuries.

Self Care #1: Relieve Stress

I had to make changes.  Some negative stresses have come and gone and I’m sure they have contributed to the ups and downs I’ve experienced with this injury.

Today I am happy to say that intensely stressful days are a part of my past. No longer do I worry myself silly about  little stressful  situations. And I try to mentally make them all “little.”

In an attempt to control stress I took things into my own hands. Number one, I moved to the North Carolina foothills, to meet and be around family. That was a great move. Being around family works!

Self Care #2: Do Something You Love

I’ve started my own independent record label, and yes it is stressful being in my own business, but the stress is different. I welcome it. I no longer work for someone else just to struggle to make ends meet. If I am going to struggle, I’ll do it for myself.

A much less stressful  life is what I live now, filled with health and wellness. I strive daily to keep negative stress to a minimum.

It is like the domino effect. I did one thing and others soon followed.

Self Care #3: Check the Nutrition

I take a daily liquid multivitamin provided by GBG, a company I market. It is amazing how much better I felt, almost immediately after my first sip. Next  I cut way back on the unhealthy foods I was eating. I called them “survival foods.” I read labels now.

Self Care #4: Exercise for the Health of it

And finally, I have gotten back to regularly exercising. What a difference a year makes!

The Moral of My Story

At one time I felt surgery was going to be my only option, however, once I changed my lifestyle and bad habits,  I rarely experience any pain or negative tension.

I’m not saying it is easy to change and it may not work for everyone. It is surely not a quick “fix,” but I can attest to the fact that due to the way I’m currently living, it’s working for me.

My suggestion? Consult with your doctors first. If they agree that you can go without immediate surgery, try improving your quality of living before opting for the last straw.

My research suggested that having a single back surgery won’t always solve the problem. Often a second and/or third surgery is needed. So I made a decision to . . .

“Try Nature’s Way First, ‘Cause You Never Know!”

See Part 1: Herniated Disc?

K. M. Dillon (Nado  P.)

Molten Rock Music

http://moltenrockmusic.com

This Article was Submitted by Contributing Author Kyle Dillon. Thanks Kyle.

CK Dillon

Support@CreateVitality.Com

Tweet This Post

By Contributing Author: Kyle Dillon a.k.a. (*Nado P.)

Several years ago while playing basketball on an outdoor court I experienced a bad fall.

My Life Changed in an Instant

It all happened in an instant as I jumped up for a rebound, was undercut by another player,  and fell to the concrete, causing my ankle, knee, and hip to twist painfully. In that moment my life changed forever.

Over the next few days I sat around home applying home remedies with my leg raised, such as applying ice and using a heat pad. Within a few weeks my knee and ankle were pretty much healed, however, the worrisome pain in my hip had begun to migrate into my lower back and didn’t seem to be going away.

Home Remedies to the Rescue

In an effort to relieve that pain, I began to rest by laying down with both feet raised above my body; this technique helped to an extent and did relieve the tension at night, somewhat.

I have always been athletic so just as I had done in the past when dealing with minor injuries, I felt that icing, resting and stretching would help in the healing process.

Not This Time

I had never had an injury that didn’t heal in a matter of weeks, so this was a new experience for me.

Another month went by with no improvement. I became concerned that this was a bit more intense than I first suspected so I made an appointment with my physician.

Doc looked me over, prescribed pain pills, and said, “Continue what you’re doing and eventually proper rest will cause the pain to go away.”

But I’ve Got Things To Do!

At the time my life was moving full throttle and I was transferring  to a new school, relocating from the San Francisco Bay Area to Long Beach, CA. Suddenly my athletic future was, like San Francisco, a little bit foggy.

After settling in Long Beach, I was about 45 minutes from school on a good day. If you are unfamiliar with Los Angeles traffic, a 45 minute ride can instantly become a 2 or 3 hour nightmare commute.

Daily driving for several hours, pushing a clutch and brake, in stop-and-go traffic, caused more stiffness in my back muscles. The pain became worse by the day.

Stop What You’re Doing

On more than one occasion I experienced such excruciating pain that I literally fell to the floor where I had to lay for hours until the pain alleviated itself.

After one such event, I couldn’t take the pain and called for another appointment with a doctor.

This time I was referred to a physical therapist who basically did nothing for me, but charge my insurance. I went to him for a few weeks and came away with absolutely zero positive results.

Back to the doctor I went. This time I was referred to a chiropractor! Chiropractors have gotten such a bad rap, I immediately knew this too would be useless. But I had to try something. Anything.

The Prognosis

After describing the pain I was enduring to the chiropractor, he told me, “What you seem to be experiencing is known as [i]Sciatica.”

I asked, “How did I manage to get Sciatica?” He said, “It could be multiple reasons, but I think your  problem may be due to a disc herniation.”

I’m thinking, “I’m an athlete, a student, and I don’t have time for this.” This news to me was very discouraging.

After discussing my situation and helping me understand what was going on, the chiropractor convinced me that he could give me a few adjustments that might help.  With nothing to lose, I agreed.

See Part 2: Wow! What a Difference

This Article was Submitted by Contributing Author Kyle Dillon. Thanks Kyle.

CK Dillon

Support@CreateVitality.Com

---

[i] “Sciatica is inflammatory pressure against the nerve endings of your Sciatic nerve that causes pain in the hip and leg to extend from the back of the hip down to the calf. It is usually caused by a disk sticking out and pressing on the roots of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is a large nerve fiber that begins in the lower back and runs through the buttock and down a lower limb. It is the longest and widest single nerve in the human body.”

Tweet This Post

Hello Fellow Baby Boomers

Today I’m changing gears so to speak. I’m going to add something to my exercise routine that I have wanted to do for years, but never took the initiative to put into action.

I’ve always been active, sticking to a specific exercise regimen at every stage of life. Over the past few months, however, I have had some challenges that were totally unexpected.

Due to those challenges I spent the majority of the last six months rehabilitating my shoulder and not much else in the way of exercise.

Most of my life I have concentrated on strength training by lifting weights. Within the last few years, however, I’ve added swimming for the aerobics, which according to my doctor played a big part in my set-back not being as intense as it could have been.

So being in fairly good condition aided me in my rehabilitation and I consider myself at about 75% of where I was pre-November.

Hurry Up and Wait

In November, after I was diagnosed, my physician told me to lay off the weights for awhile. That was a bit of a shock.

You see, I began weight training around the age of 14 after earning my first-ever paycheck of $21.67 as a dishwasher at a local restaurant. With the proceeds I made an initial investment of $21.14 in my health; a 110 lb. Joe Weider weight set. Probably the best investment I ever made.

Until five years ago that set was still complete. I mistakenly loaned all but one 20 lb dumbbell to someone whom I considered a friend. To shorten the story, he was evicted and disappeared. So did my weights. Lesson learned.

For the next phase of life I want to take advantage of what I have heard referred to as the “life-enhancing benefits” of yoga?

Yoga Is Healthy Living

Since I write a blog about healthy living for baby boomers, I thought I’d, once again, practice what I write about. One of the aspects I research and write about is relieving stress and everyone I know who practices Yoga regularly seems to have their stress levels under control. They seem to be so at peace. I want to taste that.

My shoulder requires gentle stretching exercises for rehab and it appears Yoga is the key for me to create vitality, strength and flexibility.

Baby Boomers and Yoga

Baby Boomers, myself included, can benefit from Yoga as a well travelled path to health and vitality, by staying involved in life and taking action to stay healthy.

By making yoga part of my daily routine, I hope to develop and maintain fitness and a relaxed attitude that will have me enjoying every minute to the fullest.

I’ll keep you posted from time to time on my progress. Wish me luck.

Namaste,

CK Dillon

Support@CreateVitality.Com

Tweet This Post