Space travel, aging, and exercise

This article about the effects of space travel on human bodies makes an intriguing statement: “Many relate the effects [of space travel] to accelerated aging.”

Key points for the purposes of this blog post:

  • “Weightlessness causes muscles to atrophy and bone mass to decline.”
  • "Even the body’s most important muscle — the heart — loses mass and becomes more spherical."
  • "To combat this deterioration, astronauts have individual medication regimens, which can include drugs commonly used to combat bone density loss and osteoporosis."
  • "They also exercise a couple of hours each day."

This sure sounds like everything I've read about what can happen when we don't manage our aging as well as we should. Like the astronauts, we should consider exercise as a natural part of our lives so we can enjoy a high quality of life.
Nordic walking meetup in Jefferson County on 4/7

Join us on Saturday at 10 AM to find out what Nordic walking is all about! No charge; poles provided. Look for the white Nordic walking sign.
  • When: 10 AM; April 7
  • Where: Wald Park, 1973 Merryvale Road, Vestavia Hills, AL 35216

Instructor: Leroy Hurt, ANWA-certified Advanced Nordic Walking instructor

Why Nordic walking?
  • Full body, low impact
  • Increase weight loss
  • Improve cholesterol
  • Improve blood pressure
  • Facilitate rehabilitation
  • Maintain stability and balance
  • Maintain posture
  • Facilitate stress relief
  • Support muscle toning
  • Improve cardiovascular function
  • Improve lung capacity
  • Support immune system
  • Socialize with walking companions
  • You determine the intensity of your workout


Learn more about Nordic walking at my Nordic Walking Guy blog and Nordic Walking Guy Facebook page.


Can't make it to a meetup? Contact me via the blog or Facebook links above, and we'll arrange a small group orientation with you and some friends.
Good reasons to walk

Imagine the benefits when you add poles to the activity.

Join Nordic Walking Together on Facebook!

An easy-to-join group to build the Nordic walking community by:

  • Coordinating your own group walks with each other.
  • Sharing your Nordic walking experiences and ideas.
  • Sharing tips with each other.
  • Sharing walking routes.
  • Sharing nutrition experiences.
Nordic walkers down by the riverside


Nordic walking for Parkinson's patients

Notice the different kinds of terrain they're navigating.

 
A filling meal for the cold days still with us



Unrealistic expectations

Is there an unhealthy side to fitness? It can come about when we look at images that create unrealistic expectations. For example, how seriously do we take the images of physical perfection? One article describes how images of hyper-fitness can create those unrealistic expectations. The article argues such images work against the aspirational messages they communicate. One study cited described "women who viewed a set of Instagram fitness images reported lower levels of body satisfaction than women who viewed a set of Instagram travel images."

Such images are the result of extensive preparation and don't depict day-to-day appearance. According to the article, "'after'" images can encapsulate only a single moment — and are often augmented by ideal lighting, posture, clothing, filters, and flexing."

Another article describes how to prepare for a photo shoot, and the preparation can be extensive. It starts at least several days out (all this after much dedicated time in the gym), and the photo shoot itself includes getting photos taken while working out, standing around, and just plain being in the gym. The idea is to have a wide variety of photos magazines and other media can use. I suspect there's a similar routine for fitness videos as well.

The normal person probably doesn't have the time to do the kind of work that leads to looking like those models. In fact, do a search of action movies and how actors prepared physically for them.

That's a lot of time and effort. Instead of thinking about appearance, how about thinking about function?
  • Are you strong enough to pick up your grandchildren? To move furniture and appliances around the home?
  • Do you have the endurance to walk around the amusement park with your family? To enjoy your favorite activities?
  • Are you able to keep pursuing your calling well into your golden years?

As one design philosophy states, "Form follows function." If we stop thinking about appearance and more about being able to stay well over the course of our lives, appearance will follow.

Nordic walking fun on St. Patrick's Day in Tupelo, Mississippi


Nordic walking meetup in Tupelo, Mississippi on April 12!

Join us on Saturday at 10 AM to find out what Nordic walking is all about! No charge; poles provided. Look for the white Nordic walking sign.
  • When: 10 AM; April 12
  • Where: NMMC Wellness Center Walking Track 1030 S Madison St, Tupelo, MS 38801

Instructor: Leroy Hurt, ANWA-certified Advanced Nordic Walking instructor

Why Nordic walking?
  • Full body, low impact
  • Increase weight loss
  • Improve cholesterol
  • Improve blood pressure
  • Facilitate rehabilitation
  • Maintain stability and balance
  • Maintain posture
  • Facilitate stress relief
  • Support muscle toning
  • Improve cardiovascular function
  • Improve lung capacity
  • Support immune system
  • Socialize with walking companions
  • You determine the intensity of your workout


Learn more about Nordic walking at my Nordic Walking Guy blog and Nordic Walking Guy Facebook page.

Can't make it to a meetup? Contact me via the blog or Facebook links above, and we'll arrange a small group orientation with you and some friends.
Population health

The linked article describes population health as working with the population of a community in creative ways. The 3-part goal is:

  • Improve quality of care
  • Improve health outcomes
  • Lower per-capita costs

It means all sectors involved in health care have to "work together to determine the best outcomes for each patient, taking their daily lives into account, which in turn leads to better outcomes for a population overall while driving down costs and improving individual patient experiences."
Kitchen hacks to help with those nutritious meals

Integrating walking into fitness and wellness programs

From an abstract about how to integrate walking into fitness programs (I looked up the article in a library data base), a common dilemma for fitness instructors and venues: "By mid-March, most of the 'New Year's resolution members' have vanished."

From the rest of the article, why walking should be among the portfolio of programs:
  • Reasons for walking.
  • Not dependent on location.
  • Everyone knows how to walk. When it comes to Nordic walking, the skill to learn is synchronizing use of the poles with one's stride.
  • Low impact.
  • Low cost.
  • Physical benefits, e.g., "...weight and blood pressure management, decreased risk of heart attack and stroke, higher HDL levels, reduced risk of breast cancer and type II diabetes, relief from arthritis and back pain, and stronger muscles, bones, and joints. Walking may also contribute to reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia."
  • Psychological benefits, e.g., "…Stress reduction and improvements asleep, endorphin production, problem-solving capabilities and self-esteem.