Move more, hospital less

Newcastle University has conducted an interesting study which shows that middle aged people can reduce their number days in hospital by walking a little extra.

Not even the famous 10,000 steps are required

Researchers showed in a commendabley long study that, in middle aged people,  increasing the number of steps per day from 4,500 to 8,300 hospital stays were reduced between 4% and 8%. And even 1000 extra steps were shown accrue some benefit.

The study was able to be carried out for such a long period of time that participants' data was collected after the first two years elapsed. This interval removed  any short term benefits from the exercise itself and so researchers were able to look at really long term benefits.

Yeah but!
And there's always a "but" the most benefit, naturally accrued to the least active person. It makes sense:- a marathon runner is not going to be benefitting in any meaningful way from a few thousand extra steps.

Every step counts - the good news

Walking out to the letterbox, going to class, even a gentle class is more than 3,000 steps. Also aqua aerobics counts. You can even sneak in a few steps while waiting for the bus, standing in one place,  just shift your weight from one foot to the other. No one will even notice.

Here's the rub. We can't afford not to exercise

Exercise trends come and go, exercise theories come and go, but the benefits are real and measurable for the individual and for society.

A Healthy Breakfast idea - Cinnamon and Cacao Granola.

Our friend Jo brought this delicious dish to Christmas morning breakfast.  She says it is fast and very easy.  We think  we will add this to our bircher muesli. So here is the recipe.


Cinnamon and Cacao Granola

150g Coconut flakes
80g pepitas - pumpkin seeds
80g sesame seeds roughly chopped
125g pecans
80ml rice malt syrup, or honey - we're using honey
60ml melted coconut oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbs cacao powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Method

Preheat oven to 125C/255F
Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl
Combine (use your hands) to coat evenly
Line two trays with baking paper
Bake for 30 minutes turning once
Remove from oven and add goji berries or other dried fruit, as desired
Store in an airtight container.

Mobilize and Stretch, Habit of the Week, HOW

Each week we try one thing.  One small practice to implement. It is like homework.  And the more you practise the easier it gets.

This week's habit is to mobilise and stretch your joints.  This is a beneficial, especially if you sit for prolonged periods, commuting, or computing, driving, studying, sewing or doing that cryptic crossword.

As we grow tired and stiffen up, pain may overtake us. One way to alleviate the pain of stiffness, in say, neck, shoulders, or back is to do small semi circular movements of the shoulders, and ribs. These movements bring extra blood flow to the area and can help stimulate joint fluid.  And ah! we feel better.

An example may include shrugging the shoulders, or hands on the shoulders and draw circles with our elbows.  Lengthen the back of our necks and gently turn our head from side to side.
And, of course, stretching.
Three big stretches stand out, i.e. most bang for your buck.  
One of the most valuable stretch is the calf muscle stretch.
Secondly, the hamstring stretch
Thirdly, the deep hip stretch.

We talked about these in class, we do them every week.  They keep hips, knees and backs healthy and in the case of the calf muscle help to restore chronically tight muscles, and thus help our feet and knees.

Habit of the week, Stretching and mobilising,  Big impact, little effort.

A Good Night Routine

A good night's sleep is not my strong suit.  There are plenty of reasons for me to do better. Not enough that sleep colours everyday with a veil of low energy and cynicism,  but there are volumes written about the connection between good sleep, health and wellness and even weight loss.. During sleep we process mental and emotional stuff.  We dream.  And if we needed any more persuasion, good sleep assists memory and learning.

We are back from holidays and our household is putting Sleep on "project" status.

Here is the plan
    No screens for an hour before bed, that includes TV.
    I am leaving the phone and tablet in another room, not the bedroom.
    If I wake up in the night, a quick "pit stop" and then back to bed, without thinking too deeply about the world

I went to an excellent "soul discovery"  workshop  with a view to learning some better meditation techniques. It was fun and honest and surprising.  Highly recommended.

So how is your sleep?  Do you wake up middle of the night like me, or do you having trouble  drifting off?

A Great Posture Cue from Rhonda

Attend to your neck tube

Imagine that some part of your neck can be represented by a tube.  You may choose your windpipe, or your oesophagus or your spinal cord.  Picture it as a piece of tubing.  Imagine holding a piece of tubing at the top and let it drape downwards. Relax and lengthen your neck.

Now picture the tube stretching forward.  This represents the "head forward" posture. Alternatively, put a kink or bend in your imaginary tube.  This represents the posture when we tilt our chin upwards to lift our head..  No you don't.  Try not to shorten the back of your neck.

This week's habit, lengthen your own neck (tube).  It is a handy cue to better posture, therefore less neck pain.  So it keeps you looking younger, slimmer  and and smarter.

Thanks to Rhonda Ohlson, Feldenkrais Practitioner.
Im loving Rhonda's "Free you Body, Free your Voice" class

A Spada Surprise in Verona

Just a few doors from our place in Verona was a giant set of stairs the Scalone. These stairs led up to San Pietro, high up above the city.  This offered a "Florence -like" view across the river into the city. I was grateful for this walk, it was a no brainer, no maps or organization required, and if the magnificent view were not enough, then the coffee afterwards was the reward. One morning, I met a guy who was dressed in martial arts gear.  He looked pretty fit, and he had a stick.  He was practising Spada, a form of martial art.  He was from Brazil, but we could speak in Italiano.
I explained the training that I had done with Golden Canes, and how older people can use the cane for defense.  I explained how we are trained to survey our environment so as to prevent trouble, and how our tactics buy us a precious few seconds to get away
He was interested, but he was much more focused on attack.

What a surprising encounter.

Now I've got the cane, ha, I sure showed him a thing or two.

When is the best time.?

A New York Times article discusses the optimal time for exercise for weight loss.  The short answer is immediately upon waking, before breakfast.  

However, there's more.  There always is. Weight loss is only one reason for exercise.  You might exercise:-

•  To clear your head
•  To change your outlook- cheer yourself up 
•  To strenthen muscles in order to have more fun
•  To strengthen oarticular muscles for an activity, say sport, improve your swing
• Bone density increase
• Reduce the risk of falls
• Improve your memory and cognitive function.  More about this later.
• To keep well, Prevent disease
• To ease your pain or symptoms
• To slow the ageing process
• To become more flexible - mentally and physically. "Yes you can"
• To sleep better
• To have fun

So you can see from this hastily put-together list that there are many reasons for undertaking exercise.  Sure, an early exercise session might be the best for weight loss. However, it is not the only reason to exercise, and we must all read helpful articles very carefully.