Triathlete Imaging- Supporting active care.

To view the original, well referenced blog post look here, from Toronto physiotherapist Laura McIntyre.

So is active care and exercise important?  (Yes, this is rhetorical.)

• Compared to the top image… which do you like the looks of better?
• Image 2: Sedentarism?
• Image 3: Active lifestyle?

You will see the active triathlete with significantly more muscle mass, less fatty (adipose) tissue, and denser bones.  More muscle, less fat, & stronger bones. Sound like something you might want to be part of?

I once heard Craig Liebenson, DC say that we need patients to ‘fear inactivity, more than they fear activity’.  To add context this includes having someone knowledgeable helping them choose appropriate movements, exercises, and activity.

With this being said, there is another side.  Elite athletes and extreme performance are not exactly the best examples of healthy living.  While there are clear benefits to remaining active, at the extremes there is some negative consequence as well.  These feats of athleticism place a toll on the body as well.  This was very clear to me after completing my first marathon. I was convinced by personal experience that there is another extreme.  Another example is the shortened average lifespan of the NFL player.

To summarize:

• What happens as you age is partially (& significantly) your choice? (see images).
• There’s a middle road between the couch and ultra-marathons.  Maybe the focus should be on long term athletic participation.
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