Science confirms what we knew already......again

This definitely goes in the "thought so" category.  

First some background.  We live in a particularly verdant place. Whenever I say where I am from, people nearly always say how beautiful it is. A friend just said that it is  a pleasure to come home and it is truly a pleasure to have visitors come.  Everyone breathes a beautiful sigh when they arrive and they are refreshed.

It is the colour green. 

Many scientific studies have shown that people are less anxious and more creative in the midst of the green of nature.

I am listening to an audio book by Julia Baird, (yes, Julia from the ABC's the drum) She has written a beautiful book " Phosphorescence"  a note from the cover best summarizes -"On awe, wonder and things that sustain you in dark times"

She refers to the quiet healing properties of nature - the forest, the sea. ........ 

Julia says " a small mountain of studies in the field of nature science has confirmed that the mere sight of green -plants, leaves, trees - views from windows can make us happier and healthier"

Of course, she refers to the Japanese practice of forest bathing Shinrin Yoku..You heard it here first. See the blog 26th July.

Do we need a little more wonder?  I just heard Robin Williams (The Science Show) says that a big handful of rich soil contains more microbes than the number of humans that have ever been on earth.

Wonderful

    

Lengthen our mid-section

An easy way to improve just about EVERYTHING * is to lengthen the spine between ribs and hips.

It is a great way to improve our walking.  It lengthens the muscles of our spine and puts the hips in the optimal position.  In fact, in the Posture Course I did earlier in the year, pre Covid,  they suggested lengthening the spine is like a self-correcting massage.

Lengthening the mid spine also allows room for the inner organs of digestion and breathing.  

We can lengthen the mid section even while we are sitting......even milking a cow. Matter of fact, I am doing it now. 

So 100 times per day lengthen your breadbasket.  You will train those muscles, look better and slimmer.

*Actually not EVERYTHING  neither your mortgage or baldness.

KIdney Health

 Last week, coincidentally, two people spoke about kidney health.  It got me thinking about drinking - water, that is. 

I have tracked down the ABC radio program that was drawn to my attention. It is pretty comprehensive, well worth a listen. Search for this link:-

https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/overnights/kidney-disease/12681010

(you to need to click this  then click redirect)

I did some digging of my own and looked at my nutrition bible Rosemary Stanton's "Eating for Peak Performance"

She talks about the "Odium of Sodium"

One of the kidney's jobs is to control the amount of sodium in the body.  Sodium being an essential mineral.  She says if we eat  a salty meal. we excrete more sodium and if we say, sweat too much, the kidneys simply re-absorb a little more sodium.  

"The kidneys are perfectly capable of cutting down on the amount lost in urine.  The big problem is disposing of excess."  We eat between 10 and 20 times too much.

So, in excess, salt levels can affect blood pressure and other organs such as your liver. 

 Yikes!

The second kidney conversation happened with someone with a case of renal failure, albeit a slow decline.

She is putting the two litres of water on the bench where she can see it.  

Great Idea.

Could Exercise be the Cure? Well I would say that!

 "The Exercise Cure" by Jordan D. Metzl, MD 

Here is a long quote. Persevere, it is worth it.

"Exercise can be very effective in helping you prevent and overcome the symptoms of stress. Vigorous exercise busies the brain and gives it a break from mulling over the stressful situation.

Exercise also causes cortisol levels to drop acutely reducing symptoms of anxiety and restlessness and helping you to focus. If stress is affecting sleep, regular exercise can also help restore the normal circadian cycle, leading to better sleep at night and more focus during the day. Some hard-charging, stressed-out types engage in physical activities they feel they should do for their health or appearance. Exercise can thus become another obligation on a never-ending to-do list. So, select a form of exercise based on preference and enjoyment.”

 

As a matter of fact, there were sessions on Stress and Exercise in the Fitness conference, Filex, that I attended last weekend.  Speakers did discuss this very thing.  – Exercise is a stress, and to come to the gym and to do a big program when a person is stressed, will mean a less than optimal performance. One lesson for me is that on “off” days, it is okay not to do the hardest workout.

The second point of interest from the conference was Motion and Emotion.  The mood-changing power of exercise. 

Anyone who exercises regularly already knows this.  For me, I just have a better day on the days I exercise.

We can consider three different stresses. These are all manifested in our bodies.

Eustress is the way we want to feel, stimulated, provoked in a positive way, the sense of flow. We get things done.  We enjoy the challenge and succeed.  YES. 

It is the opposite of Distress, from say a sudden mishap or bad news…

Worst of all is Chronic stress. We are bathed in the inflammatory hormone cortisol. It affects our mood, our sleep, our weight. 

The book “The Exercise Cure recommends:-

 

• TAKE A BREATH.  

Modalities  that include attention to breathing-yoga, tai chi, Feldenkrais, and Pilates, among others—may be particularly helpful in relieving the symptoms of stress, as focus on breath helps slow respiration and heart rate.

Ann's note:-  Remember to breathe through the nose to reduce stress and inflammation

    • GO AEROBIC. A 2008 study indicated that a lunchtime aerobics class lasting from 45 to 60 minutes was an effective stress reducer, improving the mood and focus of white-collar workers, as well as the ability to get along with their coworkers. The mood-boosting effects of exercise only accrued on days when the workers exercised—so when you’re facing a challenging day, it may be all the more important to get that workout in.

 

    • GO OUTSIDE. If the weather cooperates, exercising outdoors may be more effective  in reducing stress than working out in a gym. A 2011 review of studies published in Environmental Science and Technology found that people who exercised outdoors experienced “greater feelings of revitalization, increased energy, and positive engagement, together with decreases in tension, confusion, anger, and depression,” compared with people who exercised indoors.

Let's take the weight off and think about sitting down..

 

This is part one of a whole lot of sitting down.

Here is the link to a great Radio National program about sitting:-

https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive/are-chairs-fit-for-purpose/12618592

Let's sit up - the stack sit. A handy way to sit if there is no  back rest on your chair.

Here is how.  

• Sit at the front of the chair or bench
• Sit with your "behind" behind you.
• Arrange your spine so that your alignment is a vertical line.  The 'J' spine. not the 'S'

   For me, I  have  a sway in my back, so this means I must imagine a bar across my lower ribs to cancel the sway. 
The top of the ribs, the collarbone, gently  rolls upward
This all allows the neck to be in neutral and the head is free to move.


Let's lean back into the stretch sit, it is a yummy back massage.

• Sit back in the chair,
• 'Behind' behind, but lean back - you may need cushions or the ball here.
• Using arm strength, grab the chair lift your upper body forward
• Keep hold of the chair
• Scoop backwards with your upper body onto the cushion or ball
• Hook yourself there,
• Relax your back.  You are stretch sitting.

I'll show you the stretch sit in next week's classes

Bad Habits - Remember that song

There are lots of people telling us what to do, but what should we avoid?

One of the most common injuries occurs in the back, especially the mid or lower back.

In fact, nine out of ten of us will hurt our back sometime in our lives and it can be a long road to recovery.

In general, to avoid "ANY injury during movement - be that exercise, or daily living - we need to set ourselves up properly first. This means good alignment and posture before we even start.  This helps ensure we don't twist, too much, during a lift. 

• knees and feet pointing the right way i.e. in line with the load
• Back straight
• head up
• You know the drill

However, the back requires a little more attention.  Some say we must brace our back as we lift.  Note that a lot of bracing may happen automatically, subconsciously.  By all means, if the load you are going to lift is heavy - BRACE. All the bracing in the world may not help if you are in poor posture.

So to avoid disaster DO NOT BEND FROM THE WAIST. Bending from the mid-back puts strong, harmful forces through the spinal discs.

•     Hinge from the hip. So when you do bend, the bottom sticks out the back 
•       Keep the whole waistband, broad and straight. 

We should learn this in school, it is so important.  

So when you want to lift something heavy, think of squatting in good form and in the correct sequence. Bend from the hips using the big muscles of the legs and hips, they are gluts, hamstrings and quads.  Use your "rump " rather than the little "eye fillet" muscles that run down your spine.