The article on falls aired on Radio National ABC and is included below. Here is a link.
Falls can be prevented. Falls are costly to the individual, to society and to the economy $2.3billion. Ouch.
People who fall, lose confidence, stop volunteering and can become isolated.
Here is the radio piece, have a listen:-
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/falling-costs-over-2-billion-per-year/101691692
There are things we should know about ourselves. Lots of things for our peace of mind and our health. There are four important numbers that are indicators of our health.
Blood Pressure
Blood Sugar
Cholesterol
Bone Density.
I am prompted to write about this because of renal failure in a close friend. There were no symptoms, still aren't. The only way that this diagnosis came to light was by way of blood tests. So now my friend is closely monitored. She keeps a two litre jug of water on the bench in her kitchen.
Even though the numbers can be pointers to potentially scary problems, it is so important to know. Then, if we know, we can take steps. Information is power.
Be brave, find out your numbers. You have two months.
Habit of the week
Start making the appointments necessary to find out this bio-marking numbers.
They call osteoporosis the silent thief and hypertension, the silent killer. No thanks. Information is power.
Nordic Walking Australia says
"Using Nordic Walking poles combined with the correct technique engages all muscles from head to toe, which makes for a very effective aerobic activity, easier than regular walking and a perfect way to enjoy the great outdoors."
Why is Nordic Walking beneficial?
Using the Nordic walking poles:-
Here are some tips from Bob and Brad to help prevent and manage back pain. It starts with Posture. A sore lower back is a terrible thing - every move you make seems to hurt. So check out the You Tube link below, or show it to someone with a bad back.
When we slump forward reading or looking at a screen, or just out of habit, we can aggravate our lower back. No thank you.
So let's reset our posture:-
I am enjoying Daniel Lieberman's "Exercised". He is tackling the myth that our joints wear out. He says if inactivity were good for arthritis, the lack of physical activity in the western world today should mean that arthritis should have just about disappeared. Instead, it is the opposite.
I think that people with wear and tear issues with their joints have probably had injuries and trauma to the joints, which may not have recovered well or perhaps. people didn't get the rehab or physiotherapy they needed.
Arthritis Foundation says "if we don't use it, we lose it" and I say "if we do use it, we get it back".
Exercise is the best anti-inflammatory there is.
By the way, we were away for the weekend. I had access to an indoor heated pool. I had four sessions in the pool........ah, bliss.
My sore knee is a LOT better. I can't wait for the aqua season.
Comfort vs Struggle
Humankind has always sought inactivity, not movement. We conserve our calories. We take a short cut; we take the lift, not the stairs; we love to get a handy carpark. As well, up until quite recently, calories were hard to come by. Think, hunter gatherers or subsistence farmers. Have you ever had to fetch water. It is heavy. One litre of water is one kilogram. Some women still have to fetch water every day.
It is correct, we are predisposed to sit down. But on the other hand, here is a contradiction, every society has danced. It is like running, but more fun. Exercise to music in class is great. I like to say that the music drowns out the suffering.
Keeping our strength up keeps us young. As our muscles waste away and we become frailer. We don't grow old and slow down, we slow down and grow old.
Where do we find the motivation for exercise. Daniel Leiberman is his book "Exercised" says we have two choices:- We can make it necessary, or we can make it fun.
I am reprising this great habit. We discussed this in class today.
For Our Homework,
Let's imagine having a soft weight on top of our heads, like a small beanbag. Firstly, we must draw up the golden thread, so we have good alignment, and then press the top of your head upwards - imagine that weight up there. This puts the head and neck in good alignment AND switches on the "core" muscles of the neck. It should feel pleasant. If this action hurts, back off a little and straighten up more.
Here is the earlier post with the all-important graphic. May I say the graphic graphic.
Our heads are very heavy. Even heavier when we look down. When we have our head forward or buried in a phone, we can't see our periphery very well either. Mary Bond says watching for the bigger picture improves our posture and helps make us be more creative.
The Guardian , 25th November 2014 had a great article Homa Khaleeli:- " Tech Neck, How smart phones are damaging our spines".
