Former 49ers running back Roger Craig, trimmed down a bit from his playing weight of 221 pounds, stretches before a training run near his home in the Bay Area.
Since he was in the 5th grade, Roger had made chiropractic care part of his lifestyle. He grew up in Davenport, Iowa, which is the home of Palmer College of Chiropractic, where Roger and his family would go for their regular chiropractic adjustments to keep their bodies aligned and balanced. He continued the structural element of his training at the University of Nebraska, where he was named an Honorable Mention All American.
When he got to the NFL, Roger became a pioneer by bringing chiropractic to many of his teammates, including superstars Joe Montana and Jerry Rice. Their visits to Chiropractor Dr. Nick Athens were initially met with resistance by the 49ers medical staff. The players knew the importance of the care they were receiving, as it kept their bodies aligned and balanced and their nerves firing on all cylinders. Just like we saw in Terry Schroeder's example at the Olympics, chiropractic has now become a key component of the majority of professional sports teams and athletes' lives.
From the day he stepped away from the NFL, he continued training like an athlete, running 30-35 miles and lifting weights three times a week. He's a morning runner, up by 5:30, out the door no later than 6:30.
Said Craig matter of factly, "I don't know what it's like to be out of shape."
The marathon idea long lingered in Craig's mind. His sister Brenda Martinez, who died in a car accident, ran five of them. He made his 26.2-mile debut at the seventh annual Suzuki Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, joining about 18,000 runners and walkers.
The balance of the ESS, "was definitely a key reason for my durability as an athlete and I believe it is a key reason why I am still healthy and in the best shape of my life today, even after football," says Roger. When I mentioned to him that Jack LaLanne had endorsed The 100 Year Lifestyle Workout, Roger jokingly said, "I'm going to be the next Jack LaLanne."
Eric Plasker, D.C., is the author of The 100-Year Lifestyle book and media correspondent for The American Chiropractor magazine.
www.amchiropractor.com