Dancing

9 Ways to Refresh Your Workout Routine

January 2, 2018 by Laura Blodgett Leave a Comment

[Week 9 of 12 Weeks to a Healthy New Year]

We all need a balance of habit and spontaneity in our lives and workouts. Habits tend to keep us going, but having some change helps keep things fresh. Here are 9 ways to refresh your workout:

1. Take a rest period. If you have been working out regularly for a few months your body would probably benefit a lot from time of more complete recovery. If you are feeling particularly worn out, this may be the reason. Exactly how long you need to rest will depend on things like how quickly you have been ramping up your goals, if you have been in a major physical competition or race, or if there are other stressors such as sickness.

It doesn’t even have to be a complete rest to be helpful. Try to take a break from the most intense exercises. Another way to rest is to cut back significantly on how much or how often. This will still keep the blood flowing, but give the body a lot more rest.

2. Find new locations. New scenery, less well known twists and turns, less predictable challenges. All of these things, if not too overwhelming, can help keep you pleasantly more alert. It will also likely result in different muscle use patterns that just feel fresher.

Don’t forget to take advantage of travel to find new places to run. Whether you are visiting family, traveling for business, or on vacation, there are so many places that are best discovered by foot or bike. We have discovered unique places to hike in as unlikely spots as Palm Springs, where there are trails through some oases. Make it a habit to pack basic gear, but also check out equipment rentals where you go.

And there is always the option of traveling for the main purpose of enjoying an activity in new location. It doesn’t have to be for an event. I have met one person who traveled to a location just to say he swam a significant distance in a certain lake.

3. Add variety to your goals. For instance, if you have been running long and slow a lot, mix in more speed workouts. Possibly finally sign up for an event or race that you have been dreaming. Maybe you want to try an off-the-wall goal like running one mile every day for a year or traveling famous routes around the world barefoot.

I just joined Pokemon-Go as a way to have fun with one of my grandsons. I know I’m supposed to be careful of walking off cliffs, but I could try covering a certain distance every weekend looking for Pokemon. It has been explained to me that the Pokemon app does not keep good track of distance, so I would have to use another app, like Strava at the same time. A lot of people now have Fitbits that would do that for them.

4. Try new activities. This could include totally new activities or a new version of what you have been doing. If you have attending a certain aerobics class, try a new one. If you have been taking swing dance classes, add ballroom to your repertoire. Or belly dancing?

Think of activities that sound exhilarating. Maybe they are a bit out of your comfort zone because you are afraid you might feel inept, but don’t let that stop you. Everyone has to start someplace. Don’t let unnecessary pride keep you from trying something that you may end up really liking. You don’t have to begin with extremes to try it. For example, if you have an interest in rock climbing, just find a gym with a beginners wall.

5. Join a virtual group. Virtual groups allow you to connect with people world wide, but also usually have ways to find people in your local community with similar interests. Local connections can lead to new friendships or just be a way to find new routes. Someone from another part of the world might inspire travel or just be a fun source of mutual likes.

Sometimes virtual groups have races or goals that can be fun to join in. I recently joined a barefoot running group through Strava. It is inspiring to see people log barefoot runs all over the world.

6. Join a local group. It is fairly easy to search online for local groups that meet up. It might be once in a while, or for a race, or for coaching. Just attending a few local races and talking to people can be useful.

Specialty shops can be a good place to ask about local groups, especially if you want a more personal evaluation. It might also get you an introduction that helps break the ice.

7. Upgrade your gear. This includes everything from clothes to water bottles to technology. There is a reason for the advice of “dress for the job you want.” How you dress affects you both physically and mentally. Good quality gear lets your body do the job you are trying to do. Fun gear makes you happy. Nice looking gear builds confidence. Gear can’t take the place of good habits, and you can certainly find the best bang for your buck, but don’t feel guilty for investing in gear that motivates you.

8. Read inspiring and encouraging books. There are books about people who have beat the odds, people who just love what they do, and people who have adventures associated with their sports. Read them without comparing yourself, but with seeing what might be possible in your life right now.

Also find coaching type books whose authors have a good mix of wisdom, experience, and humility. Here is a list of some of my favorite books:

80/20 Running: Run Stronger and Race Faster by Training Slower, Matt Fitzgerald

Running with the Kenyans, Adharanand Finn

What Makes Olga Run: The Mystery of the 90 Something Track Star, Bruce Grierson

Run to Overcome: The Inspiring Story of an American Champion’s Long Distance Quest to Achieve a Big Dream, Meb Keflezighi

Once a Runner, John L. Parker, Jr.

and, of course, my book: Why Does Grandma Run Barefoot?, Laura Blodgett

9. Evaluate your form and technique. This will be a somewhat natural result of reading books. We all need reminders of things that help us avoid injury and make the best use of our physical attributes. Again, this doesn’t mean comparing yourself to someone who is paid to workout several hours a day or who is many years younger. However, there are basics that help us all.

If you have had some other ideas for refreshing your workout, please feel free to share them in the comments!

Putting the Active Back into Your Social Life

December 8, 2017 by Laura Blodgett Leave a Comment

[Week 6 of 12 Weeks to a Healthy New Year]

Why are people afraid to be active where other people can see them?

Are you afraid to let people see you move? I have observed that a lot of people are. For example, when I go dancing, the comments and looks on people’s faces tell me that they are think it would be too embarrassing to move around in front of other people.

It seems there are multiple reasons for this.

They think they will breathe hard and look out of shape
They think they will make funny motions with their body
They are concerned it will mess up their fashion statement
They want to stand out from the crowd

I wouldn’t bring it up, except that the same people seem discontent with their perceived options. So maybe if we put these options in perspective and tweak a few things, more of you will feel comfortable with getting up and moving in social settings.

The stamina concern

There is nothing degrading about breathing hard. All the best athletes do it. Breathing hard means you are stimulating your lungs and heart. True, some people will find the limits of their stamina sooner than others, but that is not a good reason to simply sit there the whole time wishing you could dance.

Moving your body creates heat, which the body needs to dissipate. If your body is healthy, it will do that by some amount of perspiration. This is not an indication of low social standing. There seems to be some lingering stigma with sweat, possibly a carryover from when it was thought that only people of lower social standing should do any sort of manual labor. It should not be humiliating to sweat in front of people.

Concerns about looking graceful or suave

The faster we move, the more we challenge our muscles to move in a fluid and controlled way. There is one good way to help with this; that is to exercise and strengthen your body regularly. Then you will have the muscle strength and memory patterns to make a greater variety of movements.

But there is also an element of getting comfortable being in front of others. The more you do it, the easier it is. The more you do it, the more you get experience with the thing you are doing and the more natural the activity becomes while in front of them.

Some people may make fun of you, but ask yourself why they feel compelled to do this. They could look the other way if they find it an unpleasant sight. They can go somewhere else if they don’t like the sound of your voice. So why do they choose to make fun? Because they have a perverted idea that by belittling someone else they will gain standing in the eyes of their friends. They might get a few laughs, but they have actually done nothing of substance.

In reality, most people will enjoy or be inspired by your participation in an active social event. Someone always has to be the first one. The whole group has more fun if just one person will put their ego aside and just have fun.

Fashion concerns

Have you ever looked at a photo and thought, “I wish I looked like that.” Sigh. But then you remember that to look “like that” you would have to hold still in a certain pose, with no breeze, in the best lighting. Forever.

Fashion is too often thought of as a 2-dimensional, static figure. And one that doesn’t perspire or move its face. People tend to dress for a look that has to be maintained, and is easiest to maintain by holding still. This is poor planning.

The best way to be fashionable, is to have an air of nonchalance. Good posture helps a lot, too. And smile. Other than that, fashion is something that everyone is always looking for.

If you want to look your best and have the option of moving, you need to wear things that

move with you
are not confining or tight
can accommodate perspiration
are comfortable
allow for cooling
allow you to use your feet without pain
let you keep your balance

Such attire does not have to look like you just came from the gym, although nowadays there are some very fun leggings to choose from. If you want to have the option of dancing, you might also consider a pair of compression shorts under a skirt. If you are going shopping at the mall, make sure your pants will let you do all the squats you need to to look at the lower shelves. If you are playing chase with the grandkids (we have a circuit in our house that is perfect for that), make sure your feet are allowed to provide good balance and traction with the floor!

Concerns that someone will look at you

There seems to be some conflict about this. It is like people want others to notice how great they look, but not stand out at the same time. They want to be unique, but blend into the crowd.

I understand that if we felt assured of positive responses, we might be less nervous about this. We are nervous for two reasons.

We have been critical of how others dress
We think people are looking at us more than they are

Even when people are critical of each other in these types of social settings, it is a superficial attempt to feel superior about their own choices. It is backwards. Ironically, such criticism is often aimed at those people whom they want to “bring down a notch” because they feel intimidated due to their own insecurities.

No one really cares how you look nearly as much as you do. Those who love you, love you regardless. Those who might be embarrassed to be seen with you are embarrassed for themselves. Those who gossip, gossip about everyone so it means very little. So don’t let people’s supposed negative looks or off-hand remarks influence you. Just get busy and show them how to have fun. Maybe they will forget their negativities for a while and join in!

Ways to have active social fun

Dancing is an obvious choice. Find a pub that features good live music or hire your own band.
Singing gets the blood circulating and invites drama. Go out for karaoke or go caroling.
Playing some instruments can take a fair amount of energy and be very social. Invites some friends over to a jam session.
Shopping can cover some ground, especially if you dress right. Put some miles in while visiting, finding gifts, and admiring beautiful displays.
Festive exhibits are often places to walk and see people. I know I am looking forward to the Idaho Botanical Gardens Christmas aGlow. Maybe you have something like that near you?
Some games can be active. Old-fashioned charades is one that can be most fun when people move more.
Get together with friends to prepare for a party or decorate. Turn on some music and most people will move faster!
Go for a run or a brisk walk with a friend. Chatting will help you relax into it. Being able to chat is a good sign that the pace is a healthy one for you.
Hunting is one of my husband’s favorite social activities.

Concerns about exhaustion

There are times for quiet visiting or scrumptious food. You don’t need to always be moving and you need to figure out when to rest. However, social events don’t need to always be sedentary, especially when you want or need them to provide active opportunities.

You may need to adjust your regular exercise routine to accommodate active social events, but, really, isn’t that one reason for exercising? So that we can have fun in different ways when we want to? What active social events are you going to try this season?

How Medieval Moccasins Affected Walking and Running

October 20, 2017 by Laura Blodgett Leave a Comment

Do you need to time travel to understand Medieval footwear?

I am going to admit right of the bat that I am not a time traveler, but then neither is the fellow in the video. Apparently based on time he spends in character, he is telling us what people in medieval times walked like. I don’t begrudge him that. I just propose that his statements are somewhat misleading and lack the completeness of full life experience.

What I am going to say is that I have lived and run predominantly barefoot for about 7 years now. Based on my experience with this and wearing very minimalist footwear, similar to his medieval moccasins, I would like to clarify some of the actor’s claims.

How minimalist footwear lets the foot do its thing

Minimalist footwear, such as his moccasins, do allow the foot to function more fully. I cannot tell from the video if his particular moccasins also allow for natural toe splaying, which is very important for balance and shock absorption. However, such a thin and flexible sole certainly lets the foot bend so that there is more spring in the step. This will very likely result in stronger calf muscles.

People who are not used to walking barefoot (or in minimalist footwear) sometimes think they are or should be walking on the balls of their feet. That is because modern shoes typically have raised heels that interfere with how the foot naturally drops into its steps. Exactly how the foot drops changes with various factors.

The foot drops differently depending on speed of locomotion, terrain, and activity. Even combinations of these factors change the foot fall. For instance, while running relatively fast on flat terrain a person is more likely to land more toward the balls of the feet, but unless running at a full out sprint, it will still be more mid foot than you might suppose. Change the terrain to a trail that rolls and ebbs, and the foot fall will vary a lot through out the run.

When running long distances, unhindered footfall is almost centered flat, slightly to the outside, and letting the heel follow lightly and almost imperceptibly in the final seconds of the step. When walking at a moderate pace, the foot tends to plant itself basically all at once, then bend up to the front of the foot to engage in the next step. These things are hard to explain to someone who has not also spent significant time living barefoot.

How hard do you need to think about walking barefoot or in minimalist footwear?

Besides sprinting, being fully on the balls of the feet is usually saved for things like dancing or doing gymnastics. These are also activities, like sprinting, where a person is trying to have as much spring as possible. It is not necessary to consciously be on the balls of the feet, but it is like when a person thinks to look at something he doesn’t usually have to think about exactly how to move his eyeballs in the socket. If fact, if you think too hard about moving your eyeballs, it distracts from actually using them.

If the terrain is rough or challenging, then the need to walk more delicately will depend on the slope or roughness of any given step. People who are used to stiff, thick shoes have lost a sense of how well a foot can adapt in each step or situation. They think that sensation is a bad or annoying thing when it is actually helping them walk efficiently and with less overall bodily stress.

If a person has not been walking or running barefoot for long (in his life), then it helps a lot to keep movement on the slow side for a while. This gives time for both form to develop and bodily structures to get stronger. Remember that shoes are like casts and lead tthe atrophy of unused muscles and bones. A cautious pace also gives a person time to get good at scanning the ground more effectively. It definitely helps to spend more time with completely naked feet to get the feel for it without injuring yourself.

Walking and running are natural movements for humans, as opposed to swimming. Form tends to develop better with time simply spent in locomotion than with a lot of time concentrating on trying to force a certain type of movement. Even with movements that are not natural,and benefit from considering form and mechanics, nothing replaces learning through exposure to feel of the movement over time.

Where can you find out more about letting your feet do the walking and running?

I have written about many of my barefoot experiences here on this blog. For a thorough and encouraging, discussion about being barefoot, I recommend my book Why Does Grandma Run Barefoot?

11 Strategies for Dealing with Stiffness in the Older Athlete

May 9, 2017 by Laura Blodgett Leave a Comment

What is ROM?

Ever since the teenage me took care of the twisted bodies of nursing home patients, I have been concerned about getting stiff as I age. I remember one dear woman who had been bedridden for many years. If I remember correctly, she was in her nineties. Although her chart detailed a normal life, at that point she non-communicative EXCEPT when we had to move her. Any movement seemed to be agonizing to her, because every joint seemed to be frozen.

A joint is called frozen when it will no longer move, bend, rotate, or go through whatever motion it is supposed to enable (this is referred to as “range of motion” or ROM). The joint then might as well be completely bone. Once a joint has been frozen for a while, it is just about impossible to get it to move again without some drastic measures. Like when my husband’s shoulder joint got too stiff after surgery and the doctor had to perform surgery again just to cut away scar tissue.

The trouble with frozen joints

In nurse’s training, we are taught to help avoid such frozen joints by at least putting a patient’s joints through passive range of motion, if they are not able to do it themselves. Being young and inexperienced at the time I was working in the nursing home, I simply tried to follow that protocol on that poor, helpless woman. I had her best interests in mind, but I finally gave up because she was obviously in so much pain when I tried to do something as simple as move her ankle. Her moans have lodged themselves in my memory.

When I broke my cheek bone a few years ago (bicycle accident), my jaw became very stiff. I was not allowed to move it while it was healing for 8 weeks. After that, I had to do stretching exercises several times a day for several weeks to be able to open my mouth again. The progress was so slow as to make the exercises seem ineffective on any given day, but finally my mouth could open fully again. I have wondered what life would be like if I had waited too long to do that motion. (click on any image to enlarge)

Common exercise induced stiffness versus aging

Over the years, I have had what I would call normal exercise stiffness. After an unusually intense or prolonged effort, I would be sore, but it always went away over time. Sometimes hot bathes and massaging could make it feel better sooner, but even without that, it would go away sooner or later.

Just a couple of years ago, that started to change. I began noticing that I woke up stiff on a regular basis. It certainly wasn’t because I was being inactive or limiting the scope of my movements during the day. I was still running, biking, swimming, gardening, and dancing the same as I had been before. Only now, the degree of exercise effort was sometimes hard to distinguish from this new perennial stiffness.

When I had my final hormone shift, the stiffness seemed to want to set in with a new tenaciousness. From that time on, I would tend to get stiff if I sat anywhere or didn’t move for very long. I decided that while I may have to learn to live with being older, that didn’t mean I couldn’t come up with strategies for staying as un-stiff as possible. I began experimenting.

Strategies for minimum stiffness

I have now come up with a basic approach to minimalizing and/or combatting stiffness. The idea is to

be comfortable
avoid injury
maintain mobility

Here is what I do:

Consciously contract and flex major muscle groups in my body before getting out of bed, or after prolonged period of inactivity.
Change positions regularly throughout the day.
Plan movements to engage a full range of movements.
Use body parts the way they were designed to be used.
Avoid devices and clothing that are supposed to “support” body parts, but really hinder designed ROM. This could include anything from stiff footwear to figure shapers.
Stay warm.
Keep blood circulating well to my extremities, which involves both staying reasonably warm and moving body parts.
At the beginning of an activity, start out more slowly and let the motions warm up my muscles.
Be patient with my various fitness activities.
Get a massage regularly.
Make sure to eat enough salt.

What about stretching?

I am leery of stretching for the sake of stretching, as I think there is a risk of tearing musculature if it is not warmed up the way only activity can warm it up. I have also found that motion ends up increasing my flexibility better than plain stretching. For example, I have tried basic pre-activity stretching for many years when I was younger. The results were minimal. So imagine my surprise when after about 3 years of going out dancing just once a month or so (after the age of 50!) that my overall flexibility increased dramatically!

Does exercise reduce overall stiffness due to aging?

I haven’t changed my exercise efforts or routine significantly in the past 7 years of so, so I can’t say that more exercise reduced overall stiffness for me. However, from watching and listening to other people around my age or older, I can reasonably conclude that it doesn’t make it worse. What I do know for certain is that I always feel looser after I have exercised and I don’t feel as much stiffness during the day if I am active throughout the day. Also, my 20something daughters tell me I have a spring in my step that they don’t see in other people my age.

By “active throughout the day” I mean “moving regularly”. Ideally this will include a range of intensities, from regular aerobic exercise to walking around the house to do chores. Some days are still more restful and sit-down than others, and then I try to do ROM intermittently.

I know there is some debate about whether or not exercise makes people healthy or that healthy people exercise; but it seems clear that how much a person moves still makes a difference in endurance and capabilities, no matter how basically healthy he or she is. It seems reasonable that this is also true with staying limber and my experience seems to verify this.

If you would like a full size printable copy of the chart of 11 Strategies, click on the button below.

Running Barefoot on a Cruise Ship

October 23, 2016 by Laura Blodgett Leave a Comment

I just spent a week on Liberty of the Seas, one of the Royal Caribbean cruise ships. They have an open air track on deck 12. I knew this before I went on the cruise and so one of my goals for the week was to run barefoot around it while we were in the middle of the ocean!

Deck 12 was only a peripheral deck, at least in the center portion of the ship. The track was an approximately 4 foot wide, double lane track that was bordered on both sides by lounge chairs. One side looked down on the extensive swimming pool and water play area. The other side was filled with the vast expanse of the ocean most of the time.

The running track was similar to the oval track found inside gyms, but with a couple quick and odd curves at each corner. I am assuming they did this to add mileage. Unfortunately, I found them to be inconvenient. I like variety in my runs, but the placement of these added more complication than anything, especially when fellow track users cut corners unpredictably. (click on any photo to enlarge)

That is one of my new friends, Greg Morin, in the yellow shirt.

The track was labeled as 4.5 laps = 1 mile AND 3 laps = 1 kilometer. Those measurements don’t quite add up. If you assume the 3 km, then 1 mile is closer to 5 full laps. 4.5 miles would be .93 miles, while 5 laps would be 1.03 miles. My husband says it may have been closer to 5.5 or 6 laps = 1 mile based on his pace. He is very good at judging his pace and doesn’t think he was running a 5:40 minute mile pace when he ran a lap, which is what it would have to be according to their calculations. Since most people are not doing serious training on a cruise ship, it doesn’t matter that much, but he just figures these things out in his brain like any good engineer.

We checked out the track after dark one of the first evenings. There were a couple of runners and a few walkers. The arrows at the one end, where the distance was labeled, were both pointing in one direction. This suggested that all motion should be counterclockwise. This did seem to work best, making one lane more useful as a passing lane. The couple of times I saw someone try to use it in a right lane versus left lane manner, they quickly switched to counterclockwise in both lanes.

One of the double-curved corners that swing out and in again, making getting around the ends of the track somewhat tedious.

I went up to run at around 7:45 am one morning. It was already quite warm and humid outside. The whole deck was wet, but whether from a rain or from swabbing the deck, I couldn’t tell. There were a few crew members out there with mops and buckets doing something with the water. The deck was a bit slippery in places, specifically on the white lines defining the track, and around puddled curves. People who ran by in waffle-soled shoes made loud squelchy sounds as their shoes suctioned off and on. It had to be hard work.

The main track surface was very lightly textured cement, so both easy on my feet and keeping it from being dangerously slippery. I ran around it 25 times, getting more and more smiles from the hardworking crew. I ran at a comfortable pace, not exerting myself or pushing speeds.

Three other fellow cruisers appeared to get inspired by my barefootedness and took off their shoes and flip-flops to run for a bit. Since they had been walking prior to that and had the expressions of people who were trying something new, I felt it was in their best interest to offer a couple suggestions. I pulled up alongside them, one at a time, giving them the usual cautions about not doing too much barefoot running right at first. None of them ran more than a lap, then gave me big hurrahs when I finished.

It is hard to say if I would run on such a track again. It would depend on how claustrophobic I got to feeling on the ship. For this particular trip, I wasn’t lacking for activity, since I

danced at least an hour on 5 of the nights, 4 of those times barefoot
swam twice, once 35 minutes in the lap pool and once about 1/4 mile in the ocean
walked up and down 9 flights of stairs and continually around the ship (sometimes lost)
climbed the spiral steps up to the top of the water slides several times (which you can see in the last photo)
walked extensively during off-shore excursions and explorations

In the end, it was a bit of a scheduling issue to get out to the track even one morning! I am glad I did it this time. The ship was stable enough that I never felt any risk of being slung around, though there were times of unexpected slight incline and decline. I haven’t exactly walked on water, but now I have run barefoot for about 5 rockin’ miles in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.

The track is in the middle section of the very large ship.

9 Ways to Refresh Your Workout Routine

[Week 9 of 12 Weeks to a Healthy New Year]

Putting the Active Back into Your Social Life