One Body One Life

One Body One Life, Don't Screw It Up! by Andrew C E Green, Panoma Press 2018

My belief, after 18 years in chiropractic practice, is that the vast majority of people take their health for granted.  Andrew C E Green

When it becomes clear - in the mirror or in the gym - that things around your health and stress levels have changed, maybe ratcheted up to nearly uncontrollable levels - it might be THAT time, time to rethink how you're doing, how you feel, how you look, and most important, how you're functioning.  You know, climbing stairs, getting in and out of a car, or even dealing with extremely boring or annoying people - or work.  Our lives seems to be filled with distractions and unhealthy challenges, and really, the only people who can truly get down and fix it is.... us.  Not Mom, not the psychic hot-line, and definitely not social media.

So let's look at what Andrew C E Green, author, chiropractor, coach and a member of the 2012 London Olympic Games medical team, says is important.  His assessments and practical start-up advice come next.  But first, let's see what we've got - Stress, lots of stress, and real challenges managing it.  But, says Green, stress isn't just a temporary mood challenge.  Rather, uncontrolled sustained stress leads to bigger problems later on.  It's interesting hearing a true believer back up this charge with specific references to body and mind physiology - and genes - modifying under stress.  Does the word "cancer" come to mind?!

Daily life, and the choice of whether to follow a regular exercise routine, can, says Green, make all the difference.  Here are some of his most striking specific examples:

1.  Knee Arthritis - a group that exercises three times per week for one hour each time reported a 47% improvement in their knee pain.

2.  Hip fracture - in post-menopausal women regular weekly exercise reduced the risk of fracture of the hip by over 40%!

3.  Depression:  even with very low levels of exercise, levels of depression were reduced by about 30%

4.  Risk of Death:  ... those who regularly exercise have a significantly lower risk of early death than those who are sedentary

5.  Diabetes -  regular exercise shown to reduce risk of developing frank diabetes by 50%

6.  Overall Quality of Life: regular exercise is the single most powerful contributor to improving an individual's quality of life.

I'm sold - Green talks about how important everything that I currently care about and work on are - stress, social groups, work, sleep, nutrition, posture, even trauma.  A perfect starting point is his "The One Body One Life Quiz" in Chapter 8 - scary, but  solid.  What he tells us about muscles and the fascia, and stiffness, is going to change some of my exercises.

Mill Girl Verdict: A+,  short but sweet, one of those books to read and re-read over your lifetime. 

Patricia E. Moody

FORTUNE magazine  "Pioneering Woman in Mfg" 

IndustryWeek IdeaXchange Xpert

A Mill Girl at Blue Heron Journal, on-line resource for business thought-leaders and decision-makers,  patriciaemoody@gmail.com