Spring Lake Rotary Scribes Report: Friday, March 23, 2018
Dr. Levi Pulver: A Healthier Way to Live
Last week’s meeting featured Spring Lake Chiropractor, Dr. Levi Pulver. Dr. Pulver’s message that he wished to convey to us was “Move More, Live Longer”. There are a number of basic and common medical tests and exams to evaluate one’s health, such as blood pressure exams, cholesterol tests, body-mass index measurements, etc., however, there is not enough attention given to mobility testing as a general gauge of health.
There are three main tests that Dr. Pulver recommends to help assess mobility, and ultimately, how healthy we are. Those tests are:
1) Frequent Falls – Falling a lot indicates that your body is being hindered in some way, and the body may be in need of a tune-up. Young children and the elderly are particularly prone to frequent falls, usually due to an imbalance in the feet or spine. These imbalances can be addressed by a chiropractor and/or other medical specialists to help correct some or all of the problems.
2) Grip Strength – Grip strength is a greater predictor of longevity than a blood-pressure test. The reasoning is that those that have a stronger grip are more active, and use their hands more in daily life to assist with various activities. If you are tested for weak grip strength (electronic grip-strength devices will score you), you can address that by being more active with regard to your hands, by simply choosing to carry your children (or grandchildren) instead of pushing them in a stroller, raking the lawn or using hand tools in your yard, and by either practicing pull-ups on a pull-up bar, or simply hanging from a bar for an extended period of time. Hanging also serves to open up your airways, and improves blood flow and circulation.
3) Poor Mobility – Use the Sitting-Rising Test (SRT) as a way to see how mobile you are. Beginning in a standing position, seat yourself with legs crossed over one another without using your hands to do so, then move back to a standing position, again, without using hands. The test is scored in two parts; five points on the way down, five points on the way back up. You get penalized a point if you use your hands, knees, forearms or sides of your legs for either part of the test, and you also lose a point for rocking to sit or rise. If you score three points or less, your risk of dying is five times greater over the next 5-6 years.
Test yourself in these categories to see where you measure up, and take action to improve your mobility if needed. Mobility is directly related to longevity and the more you move, the longer you will live.
50/50 Winner: Rich Jones
P.E.T.S. Hat Winner: Gordon Gallagher