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MOBILE "GYM" ALLOWS STRENGTH AND HIGHER INTENSITY CARDIO-RESPIRATORY FITNESS TRAINING. WHEN I SWITCHED FROM MOSTLY RUNNING FOR EXERCISE to fitness walking, I was recovering from a knee injury. The revelation that osteoarthritis was the underlying reason for the problem caused me to reconsider my fitness routine. It no longer seemed wise to pound the pavement daily and neglect other forms of exercise.
Strength training officially became more important, once it was prescribed by my orthopedic surgeon to help limit further knee damage. I knew it would extend the natural life of all joints and work to build bone. But it would not serve as a fun form of aerobic fitness training. At that time I started investigating alternate forms of cardio-respiratory exercise like cycling, swimming, rowing, and elliptical work. If I could no longer rely on putting in hours of running each week to benefit cardiovascular health, other endurance training would be needed to fill the gap. However, most of these other exercise modes were low impact and not the best for maintaining bone health as measured by bone mineral density (BMD). Walking would function temporarily as a placeholder activity for running, I thought, as it felt slow and not like real exercise. I wasn't planning on sticking with 'just ' walking permanently. Lifelong walker and hiker friends offered encouragement with personal testimonials, but I was not to be easily consoled in this first, cold weather season without running. Walking wasn’t the same as running. With the first winter thaw I discovered that fat tire biking would help break my total-walking funk. It proved to be an exhilarating way to cover more miles in less time and experience a tougher workout. That riding allowed enjoyment of more varied scenery almost made up for the fact that it provided only low impact physical activity. I took up snowshoeing too and loved it; still it was no substitute for running. With the advent of spring I played more golf with my husband, using a pushcart to transport my clubs over the course, as was his preference too. We both wanted to get more exercise from the activity than would come from riding in a cart. My arms fatigued more easily though, with the added effort of cart pushing. I wondered how, other than golfing more, I might train to finish 18 holes without tiring by hole number 8. Because our first, and at that time only, grandchild wasn’t yet old enough to upgrade her ride in a jogging stroller that spring and summer, ours was rarely used and sat gathering dust in the garage. One day, as I maneuvered it out of my way during cleaning, I noticed the position and feel of the stroller’s push bar was remarkably similar to that on the golf pushcart. After that, I had another reason to eagerly await our darling granddaughter's visit - to train for golf with her in the stroller. The brilliant idea of pushing the stroller without a child in it for a harder aerobic workout than plain walking came to me much later that fall. With heart-healthy endurance exercise as a goal I took it out for a spin once the number of visitors to the area dwindled to the point that very few would share the bike path on my early morning walks. Before long I decided to load a few weights in it to increase the intensity of these aerobic sessions. The initial 22-pound load increased to 35 pounds, then by small increments to 71 pounds. During that time, I began swapping out the added items (ankle weights and weighted vest) that was just, well, “weight” with functional workout equipment: dumbbells, a kettle bell, and sand balls. Winter set in, though and my routine switched again to mostly walking, lap swimming, and indoor gym strength training. The stroller waited in the garage. When the snowy bike paths cleared enough to resume stroller pushing, I tested walking/jogging with it to create a HIIT (high intensity interval training) session. The very short intervals at higher jogging rather than walking speed did not bother my knees and seemed to provide just the right amount of higher-impact exercise to help with bone strength. With the arrival of lovely warm weather in late spring, I began experimenting with walking/jogging to pre-determined walk stops (‘stations’) to perform strength exercises using the equipment loaded in the stroller. Soon pushups and triceps dip sets were added to the weight work. It was a summer win-win. With a stroller I was able to embrace walking as my go-to aerobic exercise and I could carry equipment for strength sets and spend more time out doors in the nice weather. Once weekly hill repeat sessions behind the buggy added yet another type of workout to my fitness regimen. My child-less stroller pushing on the nearby bike path was initially embarrassing. Neighbors and friends knew I had a grandchild and expected to see one riding in it. Eventually the mobile gym stopped eliciting comments and surprised looks. After the birth of a second granddaughter this spring the routine also became a way for me to connect with the new mommy-daughter. It was easy for us to converse on the phone as we both pushed strollers simultaneously on daily walks, she being hundreds of miles away with a real baby on board! Now that autumn is on the horizon, I hope to create a one or two-month challenge for myself utilizing the stroller gym. An Earned Runs challenge will be introduced in the next week or so, designed for those who may also wish to strength train and at the same time increase the intensity of a walk or run, by pushing a weighted stroller. I think the physical work of weighted stroller pushing is like fitness-sled pushing.* Unfortunately, a search of the scientific literature did not generate articles that might support or refute this opinion. An earlier investigation of the fitness and scientific literature, reported upon in a previous Earned Runs blog post, found that running behind a stroller with a child-size weight (about 16 kg/35 pounds), while maintaining normal non-stroller running pace, would increase calorie expenditure by about 5-8%. The 2-handed technique was most energy efficient (easiest for maintaining performance and reducing the physiological burden) and the “push/chase” technique burned the most calories per minute (a bit more difficult and better for cardiovascular health or physical fitness purposes). The scientists involved in the research concluded that “implementing different pushing methods may allow individuals to adjust their running routine to meet specific fitness objectives.” Those who don’t have children to push may find, like I did, that walking or intermittently jogging while pushing a weighted stroller can boost energy expenditure and cardiovascular effort, plus permit incorporation of strength and HIIT training into a single exercise session. I was also able to easily transport water, rain gear, and an extra phone battery. I discovered a way to replace running with walking, and love it. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! Excerpt from “PUSHING SLED EXERCISES” BY KIM NUNLEY for Chron.com: “Pushing a weighted sled requires the contribution from an array of muscles in your lower body, core and arms. Driving the sled forward are your hip extensors, which include your gluteus maximus and hamstrings, your quadriceps, which extend your knees, and your calves, which handle movement at the ankles as you push off the ground. Your abdominals and obliques isometrically contract to keep your torso in a static position. Your shoulders and triceps help out by keeping your arms in a locked out position.” https://livehealthy.chron.com/pushing-sled-exercises-8717.html https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26497800 https://alcantarar.github.io/projects/p99_stroller/ https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0180575
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FOR THOSE WHO HAVE COMMITTED TO INTRODUCING STRENGTH TRAINING INTO A FITNESS regimen there’s a simple but challenging exercise that could jump start that resolution. It could potentially be performed at work or school for a quick session during a break in the day’s action. A resistance band or tube is required, that can easily be stowed in a backpack or large purse.
Mary Anderson presents this exercise in a very brief shape.com article. It combines a static lower body exercise- a backward lunge - with two upper body moves – an overhead press with one arm and a bicep curl with the other- using a resistance band. The coordinated body action naturally tests balance. The exercise, called a Static Lunge Shoulder Combo, is demonstrated by its creator, fitness professional Alexander Charles at the New York City Equinox gym. Charles shows how to make the move a bit easier to perform (regression) and how to step it up (progression) too. Mastery of just this one exercise might motivate additional attempts to take on strength training later in the month. Resistance band/tube manufacturers generally include an exercise guide with their products when purchased as a set (different colors denote different strength levels). Exercises are can be found online as well. The Anderson article provides some explanation and links to more information about this equipment. Now is a great time to experiment with new forms of exercise, fitness equipment, and routines that will fit busy fall schedules and increase the likelihood of following though on self-improvement promises. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.shape.com/fitness/videos/one-perfect-move-resistance-band-static-lunge-shoulder-combo https://www.power-systems.com/shop/category/resistance-bands https://greatist.com/fitness/resistance-band-exercises SAY GOOD-BYE TO SUMMER AND GET READY TO WELCOME FALL. In advance of the astrological change of seasons later in September, today the USA begins to look forward to leaf color changes, crisper and cooler air in some locations, a sun that sits a bit lower in the sky, and other subtle indications of the coming autumn.
RUN & MOVE HAPPY! RUN WALK-BIKE ACROSS AMERICA: WEEK 15, THE END OF OUR VIRTUAL ROAD TRIP
Segment 39 North Conway NH to Portland MAINE (Updated from 2018) The LAST segment of travel on the entire route from Astoria OR, then Portland OR, to Portland ME will be completed this week, possibly on Monday by some of you, which is Labor Day in the USA. The route courses in a southeastern direction from New Hampshire toward the coast of the Atlantic Ocean to the state of Maine. The easternmost point of land in the contiguous 48 states is near Lubec, Maine. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s summer vacation home on Campobello Island, where it is thought he contracted the poliovirus infection that left his legs paralyzed, is not in the US but in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, east of Lubec off the state’s Atlantic coast. The only highway access to Campobello is a United States road bridge from Lubec. Maine has nearly 230 miles of famously rocky coastline! Scenes of Maine that are most familiar to Americans are likely to feature lighthouses, jagged cliffs, bays and inlets, beaches, offshore islands, and fishing villages. However, farther inland there are lakes, rivers, and mountains with “forested slopes sweeping down to the sea”. Blueberry farming and lobster fishing are traditionally listed as mainstays of the state's economy but tourism, shipbuilding, and other industries are also strong. Maine is home to Acadia, near Bar Harbor, the only National Park in New England, which is about halfway up the coast from Portland, north and eastward. The city of Portland lies on a peninsula in Casco Bay on the Gulf of Maine. As a real tourist, you would probably wish to visit it's charming and historic Old Port District, with its views of the Atlantic Ocean along Portland Harbor. If this endeavor wasn’t virtual, the next scheduled stop on your itinerary might be at one or several of the many restaurants and drinking establishments in the area that make Portland a foodie attraction. A relaxing dinner may be the perfect way to celebrate reaching the end of the ACROSS AMERICA route. Regardless of actual location, perhaps a Maine-inspired dinner that included lobster in the main course and a blueberry dessert would be a fitting way to finish to this challenge. YOU HAVE REACHED YOUR DESTINATION! CONGRATULATIONS to all who completed this cross-country running, walking, or biking “trip” of 3730 virtual miles over the summer. My personal journey was accomplished while pushing a jogging stroller around my neighborhood course, which allowed stowing keys and an ID, water, an extra battery backup for my phone, and rain gear for unexpected showers. I pinned by Earned Runs bib to the sun visor. Each year of this challenge I have discovered something new about the geography, history, and ways of the people in the lands traveled. There’s still a lot to learn, however, portions of the spaces in America previously unknown to me have become more familiar as a result of repeatedly researching and writing about the route. Often times the revelations have been AWE INSPIRING! What about you? Were you sometimes surprised at what you read in the weekly blog postings? Take some time to bask in the glow of accomplishment that comes with attaining a far-reaching goal. You would have covered anywhere from 37-3730 total miles in 14+ weeks IN THE COURSE OF ASSUMING THIS EARNED RUNS SUMMER CHALLENGE. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland,_Maine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campobello_Island https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maine THE IMPORTANCE OF ADEQUATE SLEEP TO HEALTH IS RECEIVING MORE AND MORE ATTENTION these days. Insufficient sleep duration has been tied to the development of several common chronic diseases, indicates the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the same conditions that many have turned to exercise to help prevent.
The CDC says, “sleeping less than seven hours per day is associated with an increased risk of developing chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and frequent mental distress.” This last summer version of the Earned Runs’ Science Friday post might be just the thing to jump start a back-to-school and -work effort to improve sleep this weekend. An Elemental+ article from Robert Roy Britt for Medium.com discusses that researchers think taking a hot bath 1-2 hours before getting into bed has the effect of lowering body temperature to the point that time to falling asleep is shortened by 10 minutes, and that sleep quality is improved. Bath temperature must be 104-109 degrees Fahrenheit and the activity should extend to at least 10 minutes, Britt reports. Hot showers might offer the same benefits but, according to the cited expert in the article, more scientific study is needed. There’s no mention whether sitting in a sauna will have a positive effect on sleep. The article is a quick read, especially for those with bathtubs who would like to give it a try and who don’t have medical conditions that discourage spa sessions (by law spa temperatures can only reach 104 degrees). BUT... However appealing it is to believe that science has proven this tactic works as a “sleep hack”, the research study referenced by Britt tells a slightly less exciting, headline-grabbing story. The scientists did not conduct original research but reviewed the results of pre-existing research in a meta-analysis. Of the 17 reviewed research articles, 10 had studied only footbaths, not whole-body baths, and one only studied warm showers. Participant numbers in each were mostly small, and age was quite variable; many subjects were greater that 40 and even 60 years old. The finding that time to falling asleep was lessened by a hot bath was “based upon data from only two investigations that entailed a total of 36 subjects- elderly insomniac subjects with moderate vascular dementia whose average age was 77 y in one study, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients who average age was 36 y in the other study.” This last study involved footbaths. The research paper’s conclusion cautions that more work is needed because the findings “are limited by the scarcity of reported research, especially its optimal timing and duration plus exact mechanisms of effects.” So, the evidence suggests that taking a hot bath can help with sleep if it allows enough time for body cooling to occur before bedtime. That it definitely must be at the whole body bath at the temperature (104-109 degrees) discussed in Britt’s article seems uncertain, considering footbaths are among the studied body-warming methods. Testing whether the enjoyment of a 10-minute, warm-to-hot temperature soak roughly 90 minutes before sleeping, by those in whom it is not a health risk, is an easy personal research project to undertake. Perhaps individually we can determine which conditions are optimal for our own body temp cool-down before sleep, until further scientific direction is provided. Seems like a wonderful but luxurious, science project to start over the Labor Day weekend. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://elemental.medium.com/the-ultimate-sleep-hack-a-hot-bath-ccb737f7b090 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1087079218301552 http://rhtubs.com/resources/why-hot-tub-temperatures-max-out-at-104-degrees/ https://psychcentral.com/news/2019/07/22/hot-bath-90-minutes-before-bed-may-help-improve-sleep/148852.html https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/ https://www.verywellfamily.com/when-can-grandchildren-hot-tub-spa-1696192 https://www.thermospas.com/blog/hot-tub-temperature-guide-how-hot-should-your-spa-water-be/ THE WEDNESDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING DAY IN THE USA* IS 13 WEEKS from today. If you hope to run or walk your very first 5K or other distance race on this holiday weekend, it’s time to start planning. Or, if traveling home, you’d like to beat your cousin who perennially has bragging rights to the best finish time at the family’s annual event. Possibly there’s a certain someone who might be at the race and you would like to show good running form and possibly improved body composition.
There’s enough time to begin a 12- week training plan, but not everyone needs or wants to spend this much time in training. Jeff Galloway wrote an article that promises to get those who are already running as little as 1-2 times per week in shape in 5-6 weeks. However, if you wish to incorporate some wiggle room into a training schedule to accommodate travel, vacation time, crunch time at work, or an illness, it might be wise to add an extra week or two to an 8 or 10-week program. Need a bit of inspiration to commit? In the autumn of 2016 Lydia Estes, a student at Wofford College, wrote a charming article, for Oddysseyonline.com, “10 Reasons Why You Should Run In Your Town’s Turkey Trot.” You don’t need to be a college freshman to relate to the experience she described as a participant in the local community Turkey Trot. It was so refreshing to see that the expected reason at the top of most such lists, being able to eat an extra serving of pumpkin pie or other favorite food at Thanksgiving dinner, was last. What if there is no local race that you and your loved or liked ones can join as walkers or runners? Create your own. This is one reason why Earned Runs provides free bibs and resources for training. Request bibs now; they’ll help motivate you to take action. I am considering running-walking a 2019 Turkey Trot; my go-to local race is the Zeeland MI 8K. Last year I placed third in my age group after speed walking the entire race. However, plans may change and it may be our turn to travel for Thanksgiving celebration. I will start training early to accommodate a 5k, 8k or 10k distance anywhere in the United States. My motivation to start penciling workouts into my calendar the next month and begin training early is to be ready for whatever my family's traditions demand. Earned Runs will post a 11- to 12-week plan preview in early September that beginners or those just getting back into running can follow. A walker plan will also be offered. Will 2019 be the year your Turkey Trot tradition starts or continues? RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.theodysseyonline.com/reasons-to-run-in-the-turkey-trot https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a20846738/how-to-run-a-turkey-trot-race/ https://www.calendar-canada.ca/holiday/thanksgiving2/10-14-2019/ https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1047687/thanksgiving-2018-does-uk-celebrate-thanksgiving-usa-where-to-celebrate https://www.countryfile.com/how-to/food-recipes/british-harvest-how-long-does-the-season-last-when-is-harvest-day-plus-history-and-traditions/ https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/thanksgiving-around-the-world/ * Thanksgiving Day in Canada falls on October 14, 2019. That's a bit over 6 weeks from today. The United Kingdom celebrates an autumn holiday, Harvest Festival, near the time of the autumnal equinox, about September 21-23 each year. Other countries around the world have similar themed holidays, which may not be on the calendar in November each year. The date of the US event can be an excuse for a race regardless of country of residence, and thus provide a reason to train over the preceding weeks. Check out the plans even if , where you live, November 28 is not a special day this year. WEEK 14 RUN-WALK-BIKE ACROSS AMERICA STARTS
Segment 36 Speculator NY to Ticonderoga NY Segment 37 Ticonderoga NY to Fairlee VT Segment 38 Fairlee VT to North Conway NH Traveling onward through the eastern Adirondack Mountains, the first day of this week takes runners, walkers , and cyclists through New York State from Speculator to the town of Ticonderoga. The town is near the site of the famous fort (of the same name) involved in both the French and Indian Wars and the American Revolutionary War. Before researching this route, I had heard of Lake George and Lake Champlain but had no idea that were near each other or in some way connected to Ticonderoga. A map and a Wikipedia entry reveal that these two lakes are longitudinally-oriented along a waterway that partially forms the borderlinebetween New York State and Vermont, and that courses north into Canada. Lake George is southern-most and Lake Champlain lies north of it. The town of Ticonderoga, and the two-mile long La Chute River, represented a historically natural portage crossing between the two large lakes, which when combined with rivers, allowed a direct travel route between NYC and Montreal, in Quebec, Canada. Ticonderoga is located on the route segment that extends from Lake George’s north shore to Lake Champlain’s south shore. According to Wikipedia, the city’s name is derived from a Mohawk word, “tekontaró:ken”, which means "it is at the junction of two waterways". As detailed in the itinerary of the Trek Travel bicycle tour on which this virtual route was based, a ferry will transport us from Ticonderoga, across Lake Champlain to Shoreham, VT. The route then makes its way into Vermont’s Green Mountains through the Brandon Gap (elevation 2170 feet). This time of year, the autumn colors of the forested hillsides might not yet be developing. A check of a website that follows and attempts to forecast the New England Fall Foliage Season predicts that early signs of the color to come will not be seen until late in September 2019. The small town of Fairlee VT is near New York’s border with New Hampshire and Lake Morey. It claims to have the longest groomed ice skating trail (4.3 mile network) in the US, when winter conditions permit its full operation. Next the route courses through the White Mountains to the village of North Conway, NH, which is about 60 miles from the last destination of the trip, Portland Maine! You won’t be climbing it, but not too far north of the route is Mt. Washington, at 6288 ft. the highest peak in the NH and most the prominent east of the Mississippi River. The mountain summit is famous for its erratic and sometimes treacherous weather (highest wind speed recorded was 231 mph in 1934); a non-profit observatory there researches Earth’s weather and climate. North Conway is in a year-round, outdoor recreational resort area, well known to climbers and hikers. Only one more day left of moving your legs!!! RUN & MOVE HAPPY! http://trektravel.com/trip/cross-country-usa-bike-tour/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ticonderoga,_New_York https://www.jeff-foliage.com/2019/01/fall-foliage-forecast-for-2019/ https://www.trailfinder.info/trails/trail/lake-morey-ice-skating-trail https://www.mountwashington.org/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Washington_(New_Hampshire) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Conway,_New_Hampshire breast support FOR FITNESS: opt for control to boost ATHLETIC effort, even DURING LAP swimming8/24/2019 IN AN ARTICLE FOR SHAPE.COM Mary Anderson discusses research findings that confirm what many women suspect or know because of personal experience in, “How Your Breast Size Can Affect Your Fitness Routine”.
Anderson indicated that study results from research conducted by Dr. Celeste E. Coltman and colleagues from the University of Wollongong in Australia showed that “breast size has affected the amount and level of activity” performed by women with larger breasts compared to those with smaller sized breasts. The research publication’s abstract explained that not only did large breasted women tend to perform “less total physical activity per week”, they were also apt to lower the intensity level of that activity “compared to their counterparts with smaller breasts.” The scientists studied the issue because they suspected some Australian women were avoiding healthy doses of physical activity because of exercise-induced breast discomfort or embarrassment. An expert Anderson consulted for her article agreed that in addition to the physical pain of excessive breast motion, psychology may also determine the circumstances of exercise performance in women with larger breasts. Feeling uncomfortable around others who would be observing their moving breasts can lead some to avoid exercising in public, it seems. That same expert, from the Champion Bra Lab, encourages such women to find the “right sports bra”, because doing so can “reduce movement by up to 74 percent”. She recommends wearing more than one bra, if necessary. Although I don’t currently have much of an issue in the size category, I did in my younger child-bearing years. Now my concerns are due to age-related motion and appearance changes because of loss of natural support. It can still discourage my participation and enjoyment of sport. Lap swimming presented such a situation for me until a couple years ago; it kept me out of the gym pool. Modern tank suits seemed to be designed for young competitors who cut through the water like dolphins, without need for much support or coverage. However bathing apparel for non-competitors appeared to be made for fashion and camouflage than for vigorous aerobic exercise. Then I accidentally discovered a fix. I must have left my swimsuit behind on an earlier vacation but needed one for stand-up paddle-boarding at home. I retrieved an old, ugly dark green, chlorine-damaged suit from a forgotten gym bag that was a good fit everywhere but through the shoulders; the straps were stretched and couldn’t reliably stay put. There was a neon green Nike sports bra in the same bag. I decided to try wearing them both; the bra’s presence under the suit kept the top in place so it wouldn’t fall off. Anyway, if it did I was covered. This ‘fix’ also addressed the breast support issue that was keeping me from swimming laps; it worked perfectly! After that I separately purchased 2 new items to wear together as a tank-sports bra combination. The next combo was blue/black. I shopped to find a few more brightly colored sports bras under different tank suits to flaunt my unique style, which included wearing a bubble-gum pink cap with gray goggles. I should have tumbled to the swim support solution much earlier because in my 20’s- 40’s I had worn 2 sports bras for running. It was easier and less expensive to use two different types of bras to limit excess motion than one perfect bra. Back then I figured that is was better to place fashion-appearance lower on my list of priorities than running performance. Is body part movement holding you back when it comes to participation in athletic activities? Mentally, Anderson’s bra expert suggests women embrace the fact of movement as natural in addition to finding the right motion-control sports apparel. Earned Runs agrees. After all, there are other “wobbly bits” of the body that can show some jiggle and bounce during physical activity. The backs of arms, soft bellies, ample thighs, and even neck tissues. We should utilize appropriate support gear but try not to let mental pictures of imagined unattractive body parts keep us from striving to achieve healthy levels of athletic participation. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/how-breast-size-affects-your-fitness https://www.jsams.org/article/S1440-2440(18)30875-2/abstract https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-7i7-KjkiE Bridget Jones in movie Edge of Reason JOHN F. CARTER TELLS A LONG TALE OF HIS JOURNEY FROM UNBEARABLE SCIATICA PAIN TO PAIN FREE HEALTH. Much of the telling of his ordeal is spent relating the series of mental and attitudinal changes that occurred when relief did not appear to be in sight. How he adjusted his approach to work, life in general, and most frightening, a future enduring near-constant pain.
“It was that futile search for answers that led me to write this article and share my experience with others” he explains in the Medium.com article. It’s a lengthy story, and it’s not about the specific exercises that ended his ordeal; he recommends the books he read but spends very little time describing the physical therapy that helped him. This brief Science Friday blog provides a link to the exercises he may have been performing. The reason for this supposition is that I had a much milder form of sciatic nerve compression about a decade ago. I had endured progressively worsening right lower leg and foot pain, especially when driving long distances for a couple years. My remedy was to stop every 20 minutes, get out of the car (or desk) and walk around for 5 minutes. Finally, after also suffering left knee bursitis that prevented walking and having been prescribed physical therapy for that problem, I mentioned the issue to a therapist. She insisted on obtaining permission to safely treat this additional problem from the orthopedic surgeon who diagnosed the knee. I got it, and she provided me with some exercises, the same moves demonstrated in a PDF from the Orthopaedic Specialists of North Carolina. Incredibly, the pain subsided with a week or so! I felt I had been handed a life-saving device. The effect on the quality of my daily activities had been incredible. She explained that likely multiple hours of sitting hunched over a computer preparing lectures as an associate professor in a medical school and looking through a microscope as a research pathologist, and then leaning forward in the driver’s seat with the back set straight up during my 2 hour commute each way each weekday was compressing the anterior portion of my lumbar spine; and it required stretching exercises to extend it and lessen nerve compression. Her intervention worked. I’ve not seen much written about this issue since that year. John F. Carter’s article hinted that he had a similar problem, but much more severe and debilitating symptoms, and was helped by at least one of the moves I was prescribed and performed. Clearly, any type of significant leg pain should be investigated by a medical doctor to determine it’s cause and treatment. The purpose of this blog post is to share lumbar spine extension exercises that might prevent this problem from occurring in those who may be prone to developing it. Frequent, prolonged upright or hunched-over sitting for hours at a time was key to my foot/lower leg pain. Check them out. The prone extension on pillows was my go-to exercise. I still perform it every night before sleep! RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://medium.com/@johnfrederickcarter/the-5-things-that-fixed-my-soul-crushing-sciatic-nerve-pain-a1a1a61ea30f https://orthonc.com/uploads/pdf/Lumbar_Extension_Exercises.pdf GUIDELINES FOR EXERCISE Meghan Rabbitt has advice for fitness enthusiasts who wish to adopt the latest trend in dieting in a short article the for MyFitnessPal.com blog, “The Do’s (and Don’ts) of Intermittent Fasting and Fitness”.
Rabbitt, with the help of experts, first defines the practice and then alternates describing best practices with those to avoid with regard to working out. She explains how to ease into and then extend the part of the day when food is not eaten, ranging from 12 to 16 hours in duration for most plans. Rabbitt also offers recommendations on how best to introduce fasted workouts and “break” a fast. She differentiates this type of “intermittent” plan (a daily reduced window of time in which eating is permitted) from that which requires abstaining from food for more than 16 hours, sometimes as long as 48 hours (2 full days). Her do’s and don’ts represent sensible guidelines for safe exercising while dieting; recreational athletes interested in coordinating workouts with IF would likely find this short article a quick, first-step read. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/the-dos-and-donts-of-intermittent-fasting-and-workouts/ NOTE: If fasting to achieve weight loss is not of interest to you, but dieting as a strategy to increase longevity is intriguing, check out the science-heavy article by Dr. Jason Fung posted on Medium.com, “Longevity and Diet” https://medium.com/personal-growth/longevity-and-diet-9b5011afc22 WEEK 13: RUN-WALK-BIKE ACROSS AMERICA STARTS TOMORROW
Segment 33 Bradford PA to Corning NY Segment 34 Corning NY to Cazenovia NY Segment 35 Cazenovia NY to Speculator NY This week we will make our way from the Keystone State of Pennsylvania into the Empire State of New York, first to a city known for its manufacture of glass and ceramic products, Corning NY. The city is south of the Finger Lakes (FL) region, which is skirted on this trip. The region is famous for beautiful woodland scenery, vineyards, and wine making. Officially there are 11 long, narrow, sometimes very deep lakes in this central part of the state. The Finger Lakes were carved by glacial action, as are many of the geographic features of the Great Lakes states. This area of New York is also a main part of the homeland of the Iroquois, a Native American nation that was one of the most powerful in colonial times. The village of Watkins Glen NY, north of the route at the south end of Seneca Lake, is well-known by nature enthusiasts for the nearby State Park, with its beautiful rushing streams, waterfalls, and gorges. Race fans know it for the Watkins Glen International racetrack, which is on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule (in 2019 the race will be contested on August 11.) The route passes from Corning through Ithaca, which lies at the southern end of Cayuga Lake, then east of the city of Syracuse to the historic village of Cazenovia in the town of the same name. Ithaca is the home of Cornell University, which is both a private Ivy League and a public land-grant educational institution. Syracuse is home to its namesake University. Cazenovia Lake lies at the northeast edge of the town, and although it is situated at the far eastern end of the FL region and not officially included with the eleven Finger Lakes, sometimes is called the 12th Lake because it seems to have similar glacial origins. The last stop this week is Speculator NY, deep within the Adirondack Mountains. The route runs eastward from Cazenovia and enters Adirondack Park, the boundaries of which correspond to the dome-shaped area comprising the Mountains, about 160 miles wide and a mile high. If you stayed at an inn you might enjoy relaxing in wooden Adirondack reclining chairs that derive their name from the area. You will have earned it! Only a relatively few more days of effort remain, about 300 miles of road. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finger_Lakes http://www.fingerlakes.com/about/historywww.fingerlakes.com/about/history https://parks.ny.gov/parks/142/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watkins_Glen_State_Park https://www.cbssports.com/nascar/news/2019-nascar-at-watkins-glen-picks-predictions-fade-chase-elliott-back-clint-bowyer-at-go-bowling-at-the-glen/ IT’S POSSIBLE TO THINK THAT BECAUSE A FOOD IS ‘HEALTHY’, NOT HIGHLY PROCESSED, AND FULL OF NUTRIENTS THAT IT CAN BE EATEN WITHOUT MUCH THOUGHT ABOUT PORTION CONTROL. Julia Malacoff, in an item posted on the MyFitnessPal.com blog, reminds us of delicious items that make for wonderful snacks, especially when consumed every so often, in relatively small amounts. She warns dieters who are striving to lose weight, that certain unmindful indulgences could sabotage their efforts.
In “8 Healthy Whole Foods That Could Slow Weight Loss” Malacoff has built a list containing some foods that shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s enjoyed them (high-in-fat oils, nuts, and nut butters), and others that taste so great we’ve suspected they might make it onto such a list (high-in-sugar smoothies). But to find whole wheat baked goods, granola, and trail mixes (protein bars should be in the same group, I think) included might be eye-opening. Malacoff explains that all the foods she has identified in her article are calorie-dense and for this reason, unless consumed in small quantities, can sneak too many healthy calories into a meal plan. It will take less than a minute to scroll down through the full piece and a few more minutes to back up and read each short explanation. But potentially, it’s time well spent if doing so raises awareness that these scrumptious foods must be eaten with attention paid to the small sizes that constitute a single serving. Many are measured only in tablespoons. Filling a snack baggie, gulping a large cup, or making multiple passes at a guacamole bowl without careful consideration isn’t a smart approach with these foods it seems. Earned Runs does not focus on weight loss, but the flip side of taking fat off is putting it on. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is a take home message we can find in this article whether weight maintenance or reduction is a goal. Savor these foods, but do so mindfully RUN & MOVE HAPPY https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/8-healthy-whole-foods-that-could-slow-weight-loss http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/philadelphia/fire.htm https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/ounce+of+prevention+is+worth+a+pound+of+cure WANT TO START TRAINING WITH WEIGHTS? Consider trying just one exercise, the Incline Farmer’s Walk, from this celebrity workout designed by Gunnar Peterson. The full workout is highlighted by Brett Williams in his MensHealth.com piece of March 6, 2019.
Peterson has the athlete demonstrating the workout use sophisticated gym equipment but suggests carrying dumbbell weights on an incline treadmill rather than this fitness machine. Interspersed with taking forward walk steps the Beverly Hills trainer has his subject perform shoulder shrugs that are used to time the exercise:
It seems reasonable to assume the treadmill incline can also be adjusted down from the 11% used in the demonstration. WHY THIS EXERCISE? According to a Livestrong.com article written by Sara Lindberg and reviewed by Aubrey Bailey, this exercise “targets the muscles in your upper body” and also “strengthens your lower body”. The list includes muscles of the shoulders and upper back, the biceps, triceps, and forearms, as well as the quadriceps, abductor, adductor and posterior chain (gluteals, hamstrings, and calf) muscles. In my experience it works on hand grip and core strength, and benefits balance too. Beginners may wish to learn more about the specific muscles worked in the Farmer’s Walk and be educated about correct performance by first reading their article. Injury prevention should always be a concern when attempting new exercises, especially in novices or older/younger individuals. A search of the medical literature did not produce much information on the topic of safe performance of the farmer’s walk. An article discussing methods of strengthening the gluteus medius muscle incorporated this move in an exercise program. Physical therapist, Richard Haynes, published a blog item discussing recommendations for its use in patients wishing to recover strength after surgery. As with any exercise program, obtaining medical clearance prior to attempting this move is a good idea. The European Institute of Sports Physiotherapy published an item from Alex Bell Moratto in the Pierre Louis Denaro blog, “Clinical Spotlight”, which recommended the Farmer’s Walk for a variety of strength building purposes. More complicated and difficult variations of this one simple exercise, also called a LOADED CARRY, which involves walking while toting heavy objects like barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, rocks, and logs, etc., are demonstrated in a MensHealth.com article by Lou Schuler. [Half gallon or gallon plastic jugs filled with water or sand might work too]. Utilizing proper form, this single functional exercise promises strength gains that may encourage additional training. Give it a try if you’d like an introduction. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a26678062/gunnar-peterson-celebrity-trainer/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4890828/ https://www.eisphysiotherapy.com/post/2017/10/09/clinical-spotlight-the-farmers-walk#! https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19548559/best-loaded-carries/ https://www.livestrong.com/article/533901-the-muscles-used-in-the-farmers-walk-exercise/ https://totaljointfitness.com/2018/07/14/functional-exercise-for-the-older-adult-the-farmers-walk/ NOTE: A few of the other exercise in Peterson's workout can be easily performed without the equipment demonstrated, by substituting more commonly available items Lateral lunge with chop
Interactive plank Use a Swiss ball or a Bosu instead, move arms to introduce side-to-side movement
HIIT cardio any aerobic activity
DON’T OVERTHINK IT; CONSIDER FOAM ROLLING THIS AREA ANYTIME, INCLUDING FOR COMFORT Julia Malacoff instructs how to perform an abbreviated foam roll session in which only the neck and upper body receives self-massage, in her article for the MyFitnessPal.com blog.
She starts off by announcing that there is controversy regarding the safety of this practice. I have noticed that most how-to demonstrations do not caution against rolling involving the neck or back, but simply do not mention doing so. Malacoff has asked experts, including an orthopedic physical therapy specialist and clinical exercise physiologist, to describe the proper, safe techniques for foam rolling the neck (region of the cervical spine) and areas of the thoracic spine (back) and lumbar spine (lower back). The main points:
Years ago I found that foam roll sessions which concentrate on the upper and lower back to be a totally enjoyable morning OR evening habit. It's relaxing. Many fitness lovers associate lower body foam rolling with pain and shy away from it altogether. Perhaps those who read Malacoff's article may be tempted to utilize the self-massage technique at least for upper body and neck comfort. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/the-right-way-to-foam-roll-your-entire-back WEEK 12: RUN-WALK-BIKE ACROSS AMERICA STARTS TOMORROW
Segment 30: Bowling Green OH to Strongsville OH Segment 31: Strongsville OH to Meadville PA Segment 32: Meadville PA to Bradford PA This week, from Bowling Green Ohio we’ll travel south of Put-In-Bay, a historic vacation resort town on the shore of South Bass Island in Lake Erie and Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, which is a must–do destination for roller coaster ride enthusiasts throughout the world. The area surrounding the route is fertile farmland; you’ll see soybeans and corn as well as other field crops, dairy cows, beef cattle, and sheep among other livestock. The most important livestock product is milk; wool is also a leading product. The route continues south of Cleveland, Ohio, the site of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum on the south shore of Lake Erie. The city is home to the 2016 NBA Champion Cavaliers basketball team, Indians MLB baseball team, and Browns NFL football team. If there were time to take side trips on our journey, a visit to Cleveland would be well worth a delay for the reason of stopping at the amazing West Side Market. It doesn’t receive as much attention as Seattle’s Public Market, but surely is equally as wonderful, if not more, in my experience. Then we’re on to Strongsville OH, a suburban city on the Ohio Turnpike, to which the family of John D and William Rockefeller, later co-founders of Standard Oil Company, moved when JD was in his teens. The first oil refineries of their pre-Standard Oil Company were built in nearby Cleveland. Beautiful Rockefeller Park in Cleveland is part of the vibrant city’s Emerald Necklace of metro-parks, an extensive system of nature preserves, which has long served as a resource for area runners. The road from Strongsville to Meadville, Pennsylvania takes runners, walkers, and cyclists through rolling hills, past horse farms east of Cleveland into the quaint village of Chagrin Falls, Ohio on the powerful Chagrin River. From there you’ll pass through Ohio and Pennsylvania Amish country areas with its lush farms, horse-drawn buggies, and plainly dressed folk. Middlefield Ohio, just south of the route, is famous for its fine Amish Swiss cheese. Meadville, located about 40 miles south of Lake Erie and 90 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, known for its steel mills and bridges. The Drake Well is nearby, the site of the first commercial oil well in America. We will continue on through the Allegheny National Forest to Bradford, a city in the Allegheny Mountains very close to the border of New York State. This city, like Meadville, experienced booming growth in the country’s oil rush years. It is also known as the home of the Zippo Manufacturing Company, which has produced the iconic windproof lighter since 1932. Before cell phones were around, lighters like the Zippo (also Bic) and matches had been used to light up the night at concerts. A wonderful Beat.media article explores the history of this practice, for those who wonder how it began. The past several weeks journey will have taken us along the relatively flat and green glacial plains of the Great Lakes region, and then up into the wooded heights of the Allegheny/Appalachian Plateau. With little more than two weeks remaining of this challenge, next week we will soon enter upstate New York and the Finger Lakes region, then move on to New England and our final destination! RUN & MOVE & VACATION HAPPY! *Full disclosure, Michigan is my home state; West Michigan my favorite place in the world! I've loved times lived in the Cleveland area too, frequently traveling on the Pennsylvania Turnpike to Maryland. That's why there's a bit of insider detail in these last 2 weeks posts. YOUR insider information on places the route passes through or near, would be amazing to include. Please share. https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2019/04/rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-2020-who-will-be-nominated.html https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2019/04/rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-2020-who-will-be-nominated.html http://westsidemarket.org/vendors/ https://greatruns.com/cleveland-emerald-necklace/ http://www.experience-ohio-amish-country.com/middlefield-ohio.html https://www.tripsavvy.com/charming-northeast-ohio-753143 https://beat.media/history-of-the-lighter-at-concerts |
BRIDGE TO PHYSICAL SELF
Running, walking, and fitness activities enable us to experience our physical selves in a world mostly accessed through use of fingers on a mobile device. AuthorEARNED RUNS is edited and authored by me, runner and founder. In 1978 I began participating in 10K road races before 5Ks were common. I've been a dietitian, practiced and taught clinical pathology, and been involved with research that utilized pathology. I am fascinated with understanding the origins of disease as well as health and longevity. Archives
November 2023
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