Oct. 21st 2011
This blog is mainly about creating efficiency in our movement so that we can improve our health and, if desired, increase our performance. But this blog is also about supporting efficiency in all aspects of life. Efficiency in movement is created by balancing effort across all parts of the body relative to their ability. But what if one part of the body is not able to efficiently contribute to this balance; or worse yet detract from it? An example might be upper body vs. lower body or maybe the leg vs. the big toe.
Yet another relationship exists between “levels”. For example, muscles are limited by their “parts” which are cells. And all of those cells are in turn limited by
Read the rest of this entry »
Sep. 14th 2011
Or more specifically, is it possible to be be fit but not healthy? This question relates back to “Why do I run?” When I started ChiRunning many years ago my running goal was efficiency while getting beyond the 2+ years of frustration due to nagging injuries. But my goal, the real goal, was health.
Fitness can certainly help you be healthy. But I am learning more and more that you can be fit and not be healthy. You can run a very fast 5K and not really be healthy. This is one of the reasons I don’t focus on short races or speed; they are not in the critical path of my health goals. Someday I will likely come back to them, but I have a feeling my performance will be mainly the result of my health more than the training.
But you can also run a 50 mile ultra marathon and
Read the rest of this entry »
May. 26th 2011
We have all heard the phrase “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Mr. Jim Rohn had a great presentation of this concept. I was fortunate to see him speak live twice and meet him (and thank him) the second time. He passed away in December 2010. He said:
—
We’ve all heard the expression, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Well, I’ve got a good question for you: What if it’s true? Wouldn’t that be easy to do? To eat an apple a day? Here’s the problem: It’s also
Read the rest of this entry »
Dec. 11th 2009
Looking for a true gift, one to give or receive? There may be no gift more valuable than a few simple ideas for lifelong health.
“The first wealth is health.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Most people are passionate about sharing ideas about healthy living. An important piece of the healthy living puzzle is fitness; also simply called ‘motion’. We are all designed for motion; our health depends on it. The challenge is getting moving and staying moving through repetitive motions that can sometimes result in
Read the rest of this entry »
Sep. 20th 2009
This past Saturday 9/21/09 was the first of two 50M ultras on the fall schedule. The event was the North Face Endurance Event/Gore-Tex 50 Mile Ultra just outside of Washington DC (Algonkian Park, Sterling VA). It is one of five North Face regional events across the country. This course description provided in the race info packet:
“The North Face® Endurance Challenge returns to Algonkian Regional Park, Great Falls Park and the Potomac Heritage Trail again in 2009. The course keeps runners on their toes with ever-changing terrain. Overall, it consists of 50% singletrack, 40% dirt or gravel doubletrack, and 10% gravel carriage. The Great Falls sections are highlighted by some intense elevation changes, with steep-but-run-able climbs up to
Read the rest of this entry »
Mar. 7th 2009
Bone Health is becoming a key health concern due to the statistics related to Osteoporosis and other bone health conditions. Based on a lot of on-going research on this issue for my work as a fitness coach and wellness consultant, below are a few points that I thought all might want to know about Bone Health.
Our bones are responsible for much more than just our physical structure. They are also a ‘bank’ of mineral reserves which the body uses for many metabolic processes; and are also a factory for our red and white blood cells.
Just like any other ‘bank’, there are deposits and withdrawals. Deposits are when we
Read the rest of this entry »
Feb. 28th 2009
A recent online webinar summarized a few key elements of nature we need to survive. The presented list was:
- Oxygen
- Water
- Food (Nutrition)
- Sleep
These elements of nature are certainly critical to survival … but many of us are actively working towards more than settling for mere survival; we are looking to have abundant energy and health to thrive. In support of this goal, we might want to clarify the above a bit more and perhaps add a few more
Read the rest of this entry »
