Thinking about Motivation

  Motivation? I could use some. 

The will to exercise is not automatic

When we all know how great we feel after exercise, but how come we don’t look forward to it, as much as looking forward to a chocolate?

The answer comes from David Leiberman’s book “Exercised”.  There are physiological reasons.  The answer lies in our caveman ancestry.  We evolved not wanting to waste energy.  Our energy was a precious resource so we try to conserve it – we need it to find food and to ‘reproduce’.  The rest of the time our ancestors saved their energy and rested.

Whereas modern humans have energy (and calories} to spare.  We have access to a lot of spare calories in our readily-available food and let's face it, life is physically quite easy.  (When was the last time you got up to change the channel?)

Instead, we need to be smart about it.  Our knowledge of the workings of the human body is helpful here.  We know that dopamine is the reward hormone and that even the thought of that chocolate or the holiday can get our dopamine levels to move upward.  The anticipation of the chocolate is, itself, fun.  However, the dopamine pathway is different for an exercise.  There is no reward in the anticipation phase, but instead, we get the reward after we have finished. There are so many benefits from just one session of exercise – improved circulation; less pain; clearer head; less stress; more flexibility.  I could go on and on. 

There is not necessarily any joy in a ten km walk, we might even dread the thought.  However, because we know the benefits, we need to encourage ourselves to do our exercise. Maybe figure out a reward for exercise.

Let me know what you think.  How do you motivate yourself?

ONLINE CLASSES

During this lockdown, I offered a free 60-minute class online. These online classes need only a very small space.  I exercise in my lounge on the rug that measures about 1.5m x 1.5m.

You would need  the internet at home to connect up. We use a chair, no arms please, weights, ball and cord. 

Your privacy is safeguarded.  I cannot see you, if prefer . And once the class starts, I mute everyone.  Don't you wish you had that super power sometimes.

These classes are not opened to the public, it is only for those on my email list, namely former class members. To take part in these classes, you must email me and request a link.  I will send you the link and a passcode.  If you are new, I recommend that you join up at least 5 minutes early so that we can sort out any technical difficulties.

I will send Don's phone number along with the link, because once the class starts, I won't be able to answer the phone.

Better Walking Part Three

 

Better Walking Part Three

Gentle initial heel contact

Follow by a controlled roll of the foot to a flat foot position.

This part of the story discusses the heel strike.  We have been “trained” by shoe companies to strike the ground hard with the heel. However, when we do this, a strong impact force goes through the front of the body. It is unnecessarily jarring.  In addition, the force is amounts to a “stopping” force, and therefore, we require more energy, again, to move forward.

What is the remedy?.
An easy way to remember this tip is to tread lightly with your feet as you walk or run. 

An excellent video, but fast forward straight to tip no. 8.  It occurs at 10 minute 33 seconds. A video called

How to Walk Properly -Top 10 Tips with Todd Martin MD.

Filmed in Balboa Park.  By the way, we have been to this amazing parkland.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1A9zwvvskw

So, let’s not strike the ground too hard.

Let’s control the decent of the rest of the foot.

Tread lightly, but carry a big stick. And speaking of big sticks.

Stand by for another blogpost about exercising with sticks.

Weights and Weight Loss .....What?

The clever ones* are beginning to understand how lifting weights can help with weight loss.  During my training and over the decades, it was always said how aerobic exercise burns fat. 

Now, we understand the way the cells talk to each other. Specifically how a muscle cell communicates to a fat cell.  

I've been reading the New York Times, again. In Gretchen Reynolds's article 22nd July:- "Lifting weight? Your fat cells would like to have a word", she says that the inner working of the cells are changed when we lift weights which sends messengers that shrink fat cells.

Here is a quote

"In recent experiments, weights workouts goosed energy expenditure and fat burning for at least 24 hours afterward.  .......In another study, (that she covered) people who occasionally lifted weights were far less likely to become obese than those who never lifted." 7th July, 2021

So what is there for us to do?.  

In this miserable cold weather, don't go outside for a walk, but rather pick up the dumbbells, do those squats. 

I've just had a brainwave.  Why not join a class. You will feel great and your cells will talk to one another.

* Ivan J Vechetti, Bailey D. Peck et al. FASEB Journal Volume 35 Issue 6.

Better Walking - Part 2 Habit of the Week HOW

Last week, our habit of the week, was "let's walk a little differently". Push off from the back foot. How did you go?

This week's habit is much easier.  Swing our arms while we walk.  

We do naturally.  The exciting part is the mechanical advantage the arm swing gives us, costs almost no energy. It delivers an anti-torsion assistance.  This means the arm swing switches on our core muscles in such a way that we can leverage the hitching of the leading hip. 

Note - when we walk, we have to lift the hip of the leading leg, so that we don't stub our toe as we step forward. 

Take another look at last week's You Tube "Better Walking"  Here is the link

https://youtu.be/-fD2TSL2s7I

 

Attachments area

Preview YouTube video Physical Therapist Shows How To Walk Correctly

Physical Therapist Shows How To Walk Correctly

The human body is amazing

Why meatless?

Yet another reason to cut back on the red meat.  I've seen various news bulletins this week saying that the beef producers are getting record prices for there beef - $10.00 per kilogram off the farm. 

Wow the price of meat for the consumer will probably skyrocket. 

So, here is a recipe for meatless spaghetti sauce.  I found it on a You Tube of America's Test Kitchen.

I have just made this and it is looking good.  The secret ingredient is mushroom.  Because of the chiton cell structure, mushrooms can be cooked and cooked and do not lose their form. 

Here is the recipe link.  This link even has calories. It is a winner. 

https://recipekeeperonline.com/recipe/tIgdm6So2kKpd6A5IhZm3A

I am excited.

Better Walking

 

So you think you know how to walk.  After all, we have been at it for a few decades now.  

Incorrect walking pattern matters precisely because we take so many steps per day, any problem we have with our gait becomes amplified.  

For the next few weeks, I am giving attention to how we walk.  As usual, I will be presenting an item that we can focus on for each week. One we can easily master, then next week, we focus on another.

This first week's aim is to propel ourselves from the back leg.  We would assume that the first action would be kicking out the front leg. This is a problem. If the front leg is the focus, we are walking by falling forward and catching ourselves with the front foot, knee and hip. 

Let's aim, instead to use the gluteus med. muscle at the side of our hip joint to push from the back leg forward. Think "launch" This muscle, they say, goes to sleep. In other words, it doesn't do its job. 

There are glut exercises and stretches in the classes I teach.  I encourage you to take a look or join a class. 

Meanwhile, on my morning walk, I pushed forward from the back leg.  I found that it was easier to walk taller. 

Please let me know you find it. 

Here is the link to a short video that explains the hip action.

https://youtu.be/-fD2TSL2s7I

 

Attachments area

Preview YouTube video Physical Therapist Shows How To Walk Correctly

Physical Therapist Shows How To Walk Correctly