New Year, New Life

It’s 2026. We all think about our past and future on this occasion.  Let’s make our future better.  I’m turning 65 myself in a couple weeks.  I’ve got a lot of past.  But, with grandchild number 1 on the way any day now… I’ve given thought to what that may look like when I’m 75 and 87 when she graduates college.  Will I be able to be there for those occasions?  Getting married? 

I’m not talking about being dead.  There’s worse things that can happen at my age.  Being dead is bad at any age.  It’s really bad if you don’t make to 70 or so.  I’m not thinking about death.  That’s not a risk for me for quite some time.  I’ve collected some injuries and that is a concern.  Mobility is on my mind.

Like you, I have broken some things, strained this and sprained that over the decades. Research shows your ability to move quickly and with strength is what predicts your life years. This is more accurate than your cholesterol, blood pressure or blood sugar numbers.

In later years, people start falling and injuring themselves.  After age 65 if you fall and break your hip, almost 1 out of 3 will die in the next year.  The reason for that is blood clots and complications of healing and secondarily, loss of mobility.

Why are older people falling?  Sometimes balance, but it’s mostly the loss of quickness and muscle strength.  You’ve been tripping on stuff your whole like, but you don’t fall on your face.  That’s because you quickly move your other foot or reach out to grab something fast enough to prevent the fall.  When you lose your quickness or strength in your legs, that little ripple in the rug at the store can trip you up and down you go.

The trick is to maintain your muscle strength and speed.  Keep active. And I don’t mean walking at the mall. Research shows you’ll need to do that at least 8 times as long as an intense workout.  So, 1 minute of intense equals 8 minutes of mall walking.

Also, you need protein to keep those muscles strong.  Over 65 years and you need 1.2 grams per kilogram of protein.  (a kilogram is roughly 2 pounds) So, if you’re 200lbs, you need 100 grams or so of clean protein.  Clean means not factory farm, feed lot, grain fed animals.

And, to coordinate the whole system, you must be getting adjusted.  At the lowest common denominator, you are losing range of motion of each joint in your spine, arthritis in other words, because the segments, once injured, will not regain their former range of motion without help.  So, if you can’t turn your head to see traffic and are relying on your mirrors, it’s getting late.   Now, this orthopedic benefit in chiropractic isn’t the reason people stay healthier, it’s just a side effect and a nice one at that.  The real reason people who get adjusted stay healthy is the brain is connected to the body.  The brains run everything. Coordinate digestion, bone density, blood pressure, blood sugar, kidney function…. Everything. People who get adjusted live far more actively and as a result, they live longer as well. Not just longer disabled in a care facility. Longer in their own homes. Longer out on vacation, visiting relatives out of state and doing the fun things we've always wanted to do.

Let’s make 2026 the year to get your family dialed in and healthy so that your years in your 80s and 90s can be active and Vibrant.

Dr. Barrett

Vibrant Life Center

6070 50^th St. N.

Oakdale, MN 55128

651-777-3611