Whenever I see the title "men's health", it conjures up a couple of images in my mind, and as far as most of the articles I see on the subject, they fall into one of two distinct and very different categories. It's either a sort of bodybuilding bust-your-buns biceps and washboard abs type deal with the fake tan and the body oil and the ubiquitous smile or it's the serious senior, Alan Alda persona doctor advising on the necessity of enduring an examination with a latex glove and all the guilt you have to endure if you don't.

Who needs to be reminded that there is something slowly going wrong with you inside and it's your duty to identify it and do something about it? Hey, leave me alone, I'm feeling pretty good and who wants to rush to diagnosis? And as I said, the other extreme is the in-your-face body that only took thirty hours a week at the gym for the last three years and a basin-load of creatine to realise. I don't think there is much point in writing about "pumping iron" workouts, when every gym in the land will counsel you on how to get those pecs bulging like they're on steroids.

No, for me men's health is sort of like the Cresta Run or the Luge at the Olympics, you hurtle down an icy slope flat on your back and try to steer clear of the sides; that's the part that I think is like men's health, try to steer clear of the sides and slip on through to the finish in one piece.

Anyway, here is my content part as opposed to my comment part: Chiropractors. They are a staple in my team to get through to the end and they can help you and me make it to the finish line in much better shape than we would without them. But, heavens, you would not believe the number of guys I run across complaining about some part of their body and how incapacitated they are and how they can't do so many of the usual things and then, when I suggest that a chiropractor could fix that problem in about fifteen minutes flat, they shy away shaking their heads, "oh no my brother-in-law was screwed up by a chiro" or, "no I don't trust them " or simply, "no I've been through this before, it only lasts about four weeks", hey, oh great, only four weeks!!

So I incorporate a regular chiropractic adjustment every five to six weeks into my schedule, just to keep my spine limber and supple and no I'm not going to him because I have a problem, but maybe that's why I don't have a problem. So with the medical professionals it's sort of like having a team of specialists, each one taking care of a particular aspect of your overall health. And, seriously here, I genuinely feel that chiropractic care is a plus especially for anyone with athletic aspirations; these guys are not just for the sore backs, they can be a definite asset in your athletic arsenal. Funny thing is that if they deal mostly with athletes, I think they seem to call them Sports Kinesiologists; much more palatable to the athlete and sounds so much more "formula one" type stuff, right?

So consider getting yourself organized with a good chiropractor and see how it goes, I bet you will not believe the kinds of problems you might get solved by a chiropractic adjustment; again it's not just about sore backs and slipped discs. I certainly put them high on my list, and when I may have overdone it a bit here and there, it does impart a certain amount of confidence knowing that there's a pretty good chance that my chiropractor can respond to my slightly irreverent request, "OK, now put me back in the game, doc." Some even have a sense of humour: I was complaining to mine the other day about getting older and he just said, rather wryly, "hey, the alternative is not so hot either!"

Gordon Black is a world-ranked Master swimmer and Canadian national record holder. A member of the British swim team in the late '60s, after thirty years out of the pool, last year Gordon returned to competitive swimming in the Masters forum. He offers an online weight loss, fitness and motivational coaching service through his web site www.gordonblack.com where his competitive comeback is chronicled. Gordon is currently working on a book based on his own weight management and fitness system - publisher's enquiries welcome!

gordon@gordonblack.com