That is how we roll at ACN, all killer, no filler, results, not theory.
For many years, I have been drawing a diagram on my white board at work, and trying to explain to patients that in order to age well, and effectively, to have a slow decline, they are gonna have to work hard to maintain their physical, biochemical and emotional health.
Most people believe that aging is a slow linear process, with death at the end.
But that only occurs if you work really, really hard at it (unless you are incredibly genetically blessed).
For most people, the decline in health is curve linear.
Squaring off this decline in health is known as “squaring the morbidity (as opposed to mortality) curve” or “compression of morbidity”.
Across Europe, people are living longer, but not necessarily better. While lifespan has increased steadily, quality has not kept pace.
Patients are accumulating more years with pain, metabolic dysfunction, frailty, and reduced mobility. This widening gap is the morbidity curve.
For chiropractors, helping patients square the morbidity curve, remaining strong, mobile, and high-functioning until the final years of life, is completely aligned with our core purpose: facilitating function and movement, strength, recovery, and nervous system resilience.
Health span Matters More Than Lifespan:
Most age-related decline in Europe is not driven by age itself but by:
- Years of inactivity
- Reduced muscle mass
- Chronic stress
- Sleep disruption
- Low protein intake (or low absorption of protein and thus amino acids, the building blocks of the body)
- A sustained low grade inflammatory response
- Micronutrient insufficiency (vitamins and minerals)
The EPIC and UK Biobank studies show lifestyle factors, when applied consistently, can reduce major disease risk by up to 80%.
As chiropractors, we are uniquely positioned to modify the behaviours and biomechanical patterns that determine long-term health trajectory.
There is no doubt, exercise is the Single Most Effective Intervention
Strength Training: Your Patient’s True “Longevity Drug”
Strength declines rapidly after 40 unless actively trained.
Proper resistance training = building your hill. The taller you build your hill, the further from the bottom you will be once you are over it.
Weakness contributes to postural collapse, joint degeneration, low back pain, falls and fractures, plus less ability to engage socially because of poor mobility.
Strength training:
- Improves spinal stability
- Preserves joint integrity
- Enhances proprioception
- Boosts metabolic rate
- Improves mitochondrial health
Recommend:
2–3 sessions/week of full-body strength work. Short bursts of resistance training, to TOTAL FATIGUE is ideal.
If you want to grow muscle and get strong, you have to stress them, and then your body will release growth peptides.
Doing light resistance training with generic repetitions of X3 10 reps, does not work well.
Personally, I have used the X3 bar system for several years and have never been stronger.
One set, to total fatigue with full ROM, then shorted ROM to fatigue again and then again, in one set is amazing.
It is a banded system, that means the resistance changes throughout the range, which is more stimulatory AND even better than that, I get zero DOMS.
By going to total fatigue with the bands, I max out before lactic acid builds up.
I can do deadlifts, front squats, split squats, chest press, biceps, triceps, standing row and more, in one session lasting 12-15 mins.
With the heavier bands double looped, you can get up to 200 kg of resistance.
Plus, it packs down to a rucksack size, so no huge gym kit.
The best fitness equipment I have ever invested in. Get the basic bar £310, plus a carry case, make total £345.
Check it out:
https://www.jaquishbiomedical.com/products/x3-bar
Clinical pairing:
Consider supporting bone health (remember bones are collagen plus mineral stuck on it), recovery, tendon repair and collagen turnover with Evolved Collagen (grass-fed collagen peptides andglycine) to support connective tissue renewal and sleep quality (glycine is a calming neurotransmitter).
Cardiorespiratory Fitness: VO₂max as a Longevity Biomarker
VO₂max is one of the strongest predictors of mortality. Improving it even modestly reduces risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, cognitive decline, and frailty.
Recommend:
- Low CV training (fast walking, cycling, rowing) 2–3×/week
- Higher-intensity session as per above
Not only is physical exercise crucial for quality of life, it is also incredible for mental health.
Movement Hygiene: Reducing the Sedentary Load
Encourage:
- 8,000–10,000 steps/day
- Breaking sitting every 45–60 minutes
- Posture variety rather than “perfect posture”
Optimal daily movement is the foundation for pain reduction and long-term spinal resilience.
One thing I noticed is as patients age, they begin to avoid protein rich foods. This leads to dependence upon simple to digest carbohydrates and an overall inadequate intake of protein in order to maintain not only muscles but also overall health.
Amino acids the building block of protein, are essential and must be eaten in order to maintain physical health, immune health and mental health.
One of the key things I believe is a gentle decline in the ability to produce hydrochloric acid in the stomach as people age.
Symptoms of this include
- Feeling full early in a meal
- Meat another protein rich foods sitting heavy in the stomach
- Bloating after protein rich foods, and in general
- Reflux and heartburn (ironically, low stomach acid means delayed gastric emptying, hence the symptoms above. Thus, the food stays longer in the stomach, increasing the pressure within the stomach, which then opens the oesophageal valve, allowing the food contents and acid, into the oesophagus. There is no mucosal protection in the oesophagus from the acid. The patients thus they get feelings of heartburn and reflux).
For adults over 40, protein needs to rise significantly. Most patients are under target.
Recommend:
1–2 g per kg bodyweight daily (or 6.5 g -13 g per stone).
If you want to make it really simple, as least two palms of protein per meal.
For those who really struggle, recommend essential amino acids.
Protein must be broken down, partly from HCL activating pepsin, and then into individual amino acids.
So, even with meat, eggs, or dairy, the protein must still be broken down.
An essential amino acid powder, they are already 100% broken down and thus digestion is 99%.
Note here in this research, the exercise alone did increase strength. But exercise plus amino acids resulted in a huge improvement.
Better protein = better muscle retention, collagen repair, immune function, and overall recovery.
Food as medicine:
Mediterranean-style diet, rich in oily fish, red meat, colourful vegetables, legumes, olive oil, nuts and whole foods reduces inflammation and supports health.
From 2020 👇
Blood Sugar Stability
Glucose spikes increase inflammation and pain sensitivity. Plus, they lead to Advanced glycation end products (AGE’S).
These are the mechanisms that lead to diabetic complications. Glucose bonds to protein and fats, changing its structure and hence nerves and capillaries can no longer function, leading to a loss of feeling and blood flow.
Encourage:
- protein with meals, and eat the carbohydrates last
- Add in apple cider vinegar before each meal.
- Reducing refined carbohydrates
- Brisk walking after meals (no dawdling)
Better metabolic control equates to better chiropractic outcomes.
Pair up with META -BOOST, for more energy (from carnitine for fat burning and alpha lipoic acid) and better blood sugar balance from ALA.
Sleep, and Recovery: Sleep as a Longevity Multiplier
7–9 hours of consistent quality sleep improves:
- Tissue repair
- Pain threshold
- inflammation
- Neurological recovery
For patients struggling with sleep, magnesium and B6 (MAGNEISUM DUO PLUS) and Glycine can improve sleep depth, temperature regulation and nervous system calmness.
Put another way, poor quality sleep or not enough leads to inflammation and hypersensitivity.
Supplements That Support Squaring the Morbidity Curve