I was reading the other day that Americans had over 300,000 knees replaced last year. This same author said that the predictions for knee replacements would be 3.4 million by 2030. He believed the reason for such a dramatic increase was all about the technology. Knee and hip replacement have become routine. In fact they are so routine that many people I speak with have just accepted that they will have at least one knee replaced in theirr lifetime. Why? I believe it is because doctors have made it sound so easy to replace the knee instead of rehabbing the knee. So people have decided to not correct things in their life to rehab the nknee back and just wait until it completly goes out, then replace it. This is the most expensive way to practice medicine in the world. It is easier for the doctors, hospitals, and the patients because it requires no effort from the patient and has become a routine surgery for the healthcare staff.
Let’s first take a look at why joints are failing. First, more than 60% of Americans are listed as obese. Our joints were not designed to carry that musch weight. Second, Americans are more sedentary than ever in our history. Third, the Americans who are working out are usually working out wrong. And fourth, our diets are atrocious!
As a perons who has lost 105 ilbs in 18 months, I am well aware of the work it takes to bring your body back. I can tell you that exercise alone will not do it. Diets alone will not do it. Yoga alone will not do it! For you to be successful at losing weight and keeping it off, you must do all 4 steps to better health. Here they are:
1- Strength training- This does not mean go to a gym and kill yourself to have bulging muscles. You want to lift a weight that works your muscles to gain endurance and help your bones. Less weight and more repetitions.
2- Stretching- Don’t run and join a yoga class if you haven’t stretched in years. Try Active Isolated Stretching to lengthen those short muscles, then join any class you want.
3- Massage- I am not talking about a relaxing swedish massage. You will need a deep tissue massage that will probably hurt at first. Your muscles are clogged up from years of little activity.
4- Nutrition- garbage in, garbage out. Eat locally grown foods as mother nature has desigend foods from moru regions that best suits our needs. In other words, if you live in Florida, you cannot eat like you would in Chicago. You will get fat. You need more watery vegetables instead of meat and potatoes.
If you lose weight to where you need to be and exercise your body the way it should be, your pain nwill likely stop on its own. However, if you think new joints are the way to go, talk to people who have had them down and look at how much improvement they have had in their lifestyles.
