One of the primary benefits of ActivAided is that it allows its user to remain active and mobile while also guiding them towards better posture and reducing chronic back pain. This problem is quite prevalent, too: Up to 85 percent of Americans will experience some form of back pain in their lives, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.
Although back pain can certainly be a hindrance for people of any age, it doesn’t have to render you sedentary. As you age, remaining active is crucial to living a long, fulfilling life. According to the New York Times, chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease are more prevalent than they’ve ever been, particularly among the non-elderly. This trend, in conjunction with longer average life spans, means that people are spending more of their lives living with chronic disease than ever before.
If you’re currently living with back pain, it can be tempting to abandon your exercise routine entirely in favor of a lifestyle that doesn’t exacerbate the problem. However, studies suggest that remaining fit and active, especially in middle age, can alter the aging process for the better.
Preventing Chronic Diseases
Back in 1970, researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center began studying the medical records for nearly 20,000 middle-aged men and women. At the time, these folks were free of chronic diseases and were given an aerobic fitness test to determine their fitness level. Then, from 1999 to 2009, when the participants were in their 70s and 80s, they were screened for eight serious, chronic conditions common among the elderly.
The results? Those who were most fit back in the ‘70s were less likely to suffer from heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, as well as colon and lung cancers. In addition, the aerobically fit middle-agers only lived with chronic illnesses for the last five years of their lives on average; those who were less fit in middle age typically lived with chronic illness for their final 10-20 years.
…And It Doesn’t Take Much!
More recent research suggests that individuals suffering from knee osteoarthritis in middle age are less likely to become disabled as a result of the condition—if they perform regular, light physical activity.
Said the University College London researchers in their conclusion:
Our findings provide encouragement for adults who may not be candidates to increase physical activity intensity due to health limitations. Greater daily physical activity time may reduce the risk of disability, even if the intensity of that additional activity is not increased.
With these studies indicating significant health benefits for the active middle aged, it’s clear that consistent exercise can do wonders for longevity—and the quality of that longevity. But if you’re suffering from chronic back pain, how can you remain fit and reap these benefits?
RecoveryAid allows you to naturally improve your posture and more easily exercise with proper biomechanics. By stabilizing core muscles and using tactile cues to improve your posture, our patent pending design helps condition your muscles to maintain proper form—allowing you to remain active and healthy at any age.
Click here to learn more about how to relieve lower back pain with ActivAided, or click here to browse our online store.