Dr. George L. Dixon - "Talking Fitness"

I think I have figured out this aging thing. Whatever parts used to be firm, smooth and straight are now bent, sagging and wrinkled. Whatever parts used to be supple, flexible and soft are now hard, stiff and wrinkled. (with some exceptions).

These changes can be delayed and sometimes reversed through nutrition, stretching and exercise.

The basis cause is slow physical-chemical changes in connective tissue. What in the world is that? Well, you know about liver, bones, skin, heart, brain, muscle, kidneys and other organs. Connective tissue is what holds the whole works together, it connects stuff to things. It allows things to move normally a little and be supple and soft. Connective tissue is built like little ladders all connected to each other with strands, end to end, side to side, back to front. As these strands and ladders get older and older they get stiffer or droopy and allow organs to move too much or too little.

What you can't do is change your parents which have already decided the destiny of 30% of your connective tissue.

What you can do is control the other 70% of your connective tissue destiny by stretching your parts, keeping your muscles stong, eating a great healthy mix of foods, doing weight-bearing exercises and keeping your good brain thinking.

More help is available in "Exercise a la Carte", here, at your bookstore or call 800-624-4952.