Touring for 40+ years, the band Kiss is the poster band for Rock and Roll. How do they do it? How do any of the legendary musicians do it? Watching Kiss, or Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, or Bill Joel perform for 2+ hour concerts doesn’t happen without preparation. I’ve learned that the most important factor is their health and fitness.
Last month I had the privilege of providing chiropractic care to Paul Stanley, aka “Starchild”, of Kiss. I did some “intel” before I arrived at the Xfinity Center to learn more about the the band. Luckily, I still had my April 2014 issue of Rolling Stone Magazine which had a feature story about the band and their recent induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
All this preparation did not prepare me for my wonderful experience. Prior to meeting Paul I waited in the bands private dining area. The food looked delicious and would rival any 5 star healthy oriented spa.
Paul Stanley is in his mid-60’s. He is soft spoken and was a pleasure to spend time with. He was in great physical shape. His changing room looked like health club. His exercise ball, dumb bells and elastic tubing were lined up ready to be used. I asked him a few questions about what I needed know before I adjusted him. Like…when he got adjusted last, what I need to know about his health and if he had a preference of chiropractic techniques . The details of course are confidential. The key is that Paul gets adjustments regularly when he is on the road. To make room for my portable chiropractic table (and his 6+ foot frame) I needed to move his boots- you know the one with the 7” platforms. They were heavy- and I later learning the pair weighs 30 lbs.
I gave him an adjustment, he thanked me and he told me that he was going to work-out for an hour before getting ready for the “meet and greets” and then the concert.
A few hours later, I got to experience the concert. It was an amazing production. Yes it was loud and was high energy throughout. Paul ran, jumped and slide across the stage, and then literally flew over the audience to a small stage at the rear of the orchestra area. It was non-stop action for 2 hours. I was so impressed by the show and my experience with Kiss that I did some research. How does a band, besides stay together for 40+ years, how to they stay healthy so they can perform to the standards their fans expect from them?
An interview with Paul from Men’s Fitness, and a few other searches gave me some of the answers. Kiss lived the Sex and Rock and Roll Lifestyle (but not the drugs) until the 1980s. (2 of the 4 original band members included the drugs and are no longer in the band}. Around that time good nutrition and exercise became part of the routine, so that they could perform their physical concert night after night. Today Paul exercises regularly with a trainer when home. He ramps up his training to prepare for touring. When on tour he continues his good nutrition and exercise routine. Otherwise he could not give the best show possible. In addition to his activity level on stage, he does it wearing a 30 pounds costume, in boots which have 7” platforms and playing a guitar which weights 15+ pounds. With all this extra weight he still jumps around the stage like he did when he performed in his 20s. The only way he can do it is with preparation and conditioning. This includes the quality of food he puts in his body and keeping his aging body as fit as possible.
What are you doing to keep yourself healthy? You may not be a rock and roll legend, but you are a superstar to someone- Everyone has that “ah-ha” moment when they say I’m going to live a long time. How healthy do I want to be? Obviously the earlier in life you realize this the better. Life expectancy keeps increasing. Quality of life doesn’t happen without your conscious choice. Yes, there are people who are lucky enough to have the right genes, but that is the exception. The truth is that 75% of longevity is lifestyle related. You can live a long time, but if you want quality of life and the ability to do what you what to do physically, for as long as you want, you need to prepare.
At Performance Health Center we offer the services you need to keep your body at its optimal function. Whether your goal is to rock all night on stage, run a marathon, play a set of tennis, or just to be able to walk around the block holding your grandchild’s hand you need to get healthy and then stay healthy. If you haven’t had a “tune-up” adjustment in a while, what are you waiting for? Be pro-active to be healthy!