Posture affects thoughts

Whenever I see an old person who is very hunched over, to the point where they are only looking at the floor and can't look forward at all,  I always wonder if they've had a very hard life.

The saying "you look like you have the world on your shoulders" is so true.  When we're troubled, worried, depressed or lacking in motivation we tend to hunch forward.  Sedentary lifestyles and the fact that many people spend 8+ hours a day chained to their PC's, leads me to believe that kyphosis caused by bad posture, will soon be endemic and start to affect people at a younger and younger age.

I found this interesting article on MassageMag.com which says that posture also has an affect on thoughts  - it says "body posture can affect not only what others think about us, but also how we think about ourselves".

Learn more here.

This ties nicely into the holistic concept that the body affects the mind and vice-versa.   If the problem originates from bad posture there are many ways to reverse the problem:  yoga, Alexander Technique, Pilates, Rolfing  and massage to name but a few.

Does Exercise Boost Immunity?

I love the New York Times - their articles on health and fitness are second to none.  I've just read this really interesting article on reasearch done into exercise and the immune system. 

For many long distance runners, footballers and rugby players autumn heralds the start of training for the season ahead.  This coincides with an increase in seasonal flu which strikes horror into the heart of any athlete. 

Find out how you can keep healthy here.

Do you think exercising has an impact on your immune system? Leave a comment - go on!

Glossary of bodywork and complementary therapies

Ever wondered what some of the more obscure bodywork and complementary therapies are all about?  Then look no further. 

The MassageTherapy.com have produced this excellent online glossary.

Self massage for athletes - a podcast

I spend many a happy hour browsing for free podcasts on the i-tunes store.

I recently came across a video podcast called self massage for athletes.  They say athletes but don't let that put you off if you aren't one.  These massage techniques will benefit everyone. 

You don't even need an i-pod that supports video, you can simply watch it on your computer screen.  You will need to download i-tunes onto your computer if you don't already have it.

The "episodes" consists of short videos aimed at different body parts.  I have a peek at a few and they look good and easy to do.

So have fun!

In praise of sleep

I love sleeping - always have and probably always will.  Sleep is now being attributed with improving fitness, marriage and the immune system.

This article in the New York Times, explains how research has shown that athletes who sleep 10 hours a night improve their performance and go on to say that "sleep loading" may be just as important as carbo loading before an endurance event.

Music to my ears!

What sort of exercise can make you smarter?

Regular readers of my blog will know that I regularly expound the virtues of group exercise.  I can never understand people who do the same gym circuit over and over again, sometimes never increasing their time or reps.  What's the point?

Needless to say I was delighted to read that research has shown that a particular sort of exercise makes you smarter and here's the important bit - pushing yourself further than you normally would makes you even smarter!  I'm always pushed a lot harder than I might normally push myself in an exercise class, thats why I love them.

Here is an excerpt take from a New York Times article:  "For some time, researchers have known that exercise changes the structure of the brain and affects thinking. Ten years ago scientists at the Salk Institute in California published the groundbreaking finding that exercise stimulates the creation of new brain cells. But fundamental questions remain, like whether exercise must be strenuous to be beneficial. Should it be aerobic? What about weight lifting? And are the cognitive improvements permanent or fleeting?"

To find out which exercise is best for the braincells click here

Eddie Iz Running

Update:  Eddie has finished the challenge CLICK HERE for full story

I listened to the Chris Moyles Breakfast Show on Radio 1 yesterday and he was talking to comedian Eddie Izzard, who is doing an amazing challenge for Sport Relief.

He's running 6 marathons a week for 7 weeks!

I baulk at the idea of running a mere one [snivel] and he's doing this?  I didn't even think he was remotely sporty.  Just shows you what the human body is capable of.

To follow his progress click here.

To sponsor Eddie click here

Follow Eddie on Twitter

Why we ache after exercise

Did you know:

"The culprit for delayed muscle soreness is not, as some people used to think, the buildup of lactic acid, a byproduct of exercise that dissipates from the muscle tissues within an hour. That kind of soreness is considered acute. As soon as someone stops exercising, or shortly afterward, the burn goes away".

I've read about this "new" discovery over the last few years but never really found an article which explained this phenomonon really well. Until I found this excellent article in the New York Times from 2004.

It goes onto to explain:

"No one knows for sure exactly what does cause muscle soreness. But many scientists now think that the delayed pain is caused by microscopic tears in the muscles when a certain exercise or activity is new or novel. These tiny tears eventually produce inflammation, and corresponding pain, 24 to 36 hours later.

The good news is that as these little tears repair themselves, they prepare the muscles to handle the same type of exercise better the next time.

"The muscle gets more resilient, meaning the next time you do that same exercise you won't get damaged as much," said Dr. Priscilla Clarkson, a professor of exercise science at the University of Massachusetts and a leading researcher on muscle soreness. "That doesn't mean you are stronger, or mean you can lift more weight. It just means your muscle fibers are likely stronger so they won't tear as easily. Over time they'll build up and become a stronger fiber to lift more weight."

The article goes on to explain which exercise will guarantee soreness and how to limit stiffness and soreness with the right nutrition.

To read the article in full click here

So, if there's no accumulation of lactic acid to get rid of, then how does massage help with stiffness?  Well, microtears and the resultant inflammation causes the muscle fibre to swell slightly and this causes stiffness and nerve sensitivity [pain].  Massage reduces the swelling through improved blood and lymphatic system cirulation and assists in the removal of metabolites and other toxins.  Plus, it feels good!

Fitmix

I find exercising without music really difficult. Often, if I'm doing a long run I'll run to the half way point in silence and then reward myself by putting in my headphones and feeling really motivated for the last half of the run.

I've just discovered this great new site called Fitmix. Even if you don't fancy downloading their custom made exercise music compilations, it gives great ideas for tracks which you can download yourself.

"Whether you’re a fitness instructor or just looking for personal workout music, get the beats to boost your workout with our continuous non-stop mixes utilising dance, pop, R&B, disco and rock hits tailormade for all your personal fitness activities and classes including running, walking, elliptical and cardio machines, gym cycle/spinning and aerobics".

My two favourite tracks at the moment are:

Sean Paul - So Fine
Dizzee Rascal - Holiday

Anyone for a good "shmeissing"

I'm a long time fan of James Cracknell. Watching him and his team win the Olympic Gold reduced me to floods of tears. I also recently enjoyed watching "On Thin Ice" which was about his team racing to the South Pole. Besides seeing him in all his resplendent glory doing what bears usually do in the woods - on ice, I particularly liked the fact that he allowed himself to be portrayed in a less than flattering light. Even though he comes across as arrogant, stubborn and dangerously driven it gives an insight into the personality traits an olympian medallist probably has to have.

Anyway......I digress.......... he writes a column for the The Daily Telegraph and this week he wrote about a massage technique which he tried out called "shmeissing". This is a yiddish word for "beating" ..... I think you can work out the rest.

Read the article in full HERE

It's a real shame that James doesn't actually say how he felt after the treatment.

P.S I also found this article where the writer says the following:

"I am not a man lightly given to admitting to good health, yet so absolute are the relaxing, energising and stressbusting qualities of the shmeiss that even I emerge from a session with Big Lee feeling gleamingly clean (you wouldn't believe the gunk that emerges from a human back) and bereft of medical complaint".