Dem bones
A fascinating article about exercise and your skeleton. The bottom line is to stress your body with heavier loads.
Best news for Nordic walkers: “Even walking, Econs says, is enough to preserve the skeleton.”
Points:
Phase
|
Begin
|
End
|
Stance (60% of the
gait cycle)
|
Heel contact of 1
foot
|
Toe-off of the
same foot
|
Swing (40% of the
gait cycle)
|
Toe-off of 1 foot
|
Heel contact of
the same foot
|
Component
|
Begin
|
End
|
Heel contact
|
Heel contact of 1
foot
|
Toe-off of the
opposite foot
|
Mid-stance
|
Toe-off of 1 foot
|
Heel lift of the
opposite foot
|
Active propulsion
|
Heel lift of 1
foot
|
Heel contact of
the opposite foot
|
Passive propulsion
|
Heel contact of 1
foot
|
Toe-off of the
opposite foot
|
Ways to motivate yourself to walk regularly
Walking and your body: Good numbers
Two hours per week reduces stroke risk by 30%.
40 minutes three times per week protects the brain regions associated with planning and memory.
30 minutes a day reduces symptoms of depression by 36%.
3500 steps per day lowlowers diabetes risk by 2975 minutes per week
75 minutes per week in an almost 2 years your life.
1 hour per day can cut obesity risk in half.
4 hours a week can reduce hip fracture risk by up to 43%.
30 to 60 minutes most days of the week lowers heart disease risk.
Who you calling old?
Wired Magazine has an intriguing article about aging. For example, what people call old gets older as they age: “If you’re under 30, studies show you’re likely to say old age begins at 60. If you’re in your 40s and 50s, you might say 70. If you are 60 or 70, your definition of ‘old’ might be 74 or above.”
Key point: “Thanks to advancements in science, medicine and technology, we may be living longer – well into our 70s, 80s and even 90s – and accordingly we will need to continue to redefine what it means to be ‘old.’”
Main points:
Think of it this way: You have unfinished business. If we take Victor Frankl to heart, we can break out of what we perceive as the bonds of old age by finding our purpose and pursuing it.
A philosophy of posture
A fascinating article about how posture is the defining characteristic of being human.
Main point: “The very notion of what in the ancient world defines the human being in contrast to all other living things is simple: upright posture.”
Key points:
Who knew history’s great thinkers took posture so seriously? What about us ordinary people? Let’s look at Nordic walking. Nordic walking begins with good posture and helps resurrect good posture if you haven’t done it in a while.
Here are some thoughts from my experience:
And the level of exercise intensity and the walker’s ability to control that intensity makes it possible to engage in that most human of activities: carry on a conversation with fellow Nordic walkers.
