Charity D.'s blog
Scientific
On Stress and Belly Fat
Writer and runner Haruki Murakami has a great line in his book Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World: Walking behind a beautiful young fat woman, the narrator speculates, "There must be as many paths of human fat, as there are ways of human death."
Well, some Wake Forest researchers have found an exception to Murakami's rule: The searchers fed monkeys an "average American diet," and the monkeys got fat. Shocker! But here's the wrinkle: The researchers also found that if the monkeys ate American food and experienced prolonged stress, they got fat in a particular, common way. They developed belly fat.
That's bad news because belly fat is linked to heart disease in monkeys and in humans. People with larger waistlines -- over 40 inches in men, and over 35 inches in women -- are at significantly higher risk for all sorts of trouble: Diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, among others.
Yet another reason to manage your stress: Lose the belly, and nurture your own, natural, even literary, fat profile.
Retreats
New Years in Costa Rica with Kula Yoga
- Who: The Kula Yoga Project with instructors Jillian Tureckin and Oceana Baity
- What: Skip New Year's in the city and spend a week on the beach in Costa Rica, with two-a-day vinyasa yoga classes, lots of beach time, and hikes in the jungle. Kula is known for their advanced classes, but don't be intimidated if you're more of a beginner — Jillian teaches Kula's absolute beginner courses.
- When: December 27, 2010 - January 3, 2011
- Where: Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula
Scientific
Another FDA-Approved Diet Bites The Dust
In 1997, the FDA approved a daily appetite suppressant pill called Meridia. Unfortunately, a new study of nearly 10,000 people taking the pills found that the medication increased risk of nonfatal heart attacks by 28 percent and nonfatal strokes by 36 percent compared to a placebo. Granted, these were individuals already at high risk for cardiovascular trouble, but those numbers are still pretty bad. The editors of the New England Journal of Medicine, which published the study, are calling for Meridia to be pulled from the market. Just one more reason I won't be the first one signing up for the new get-you-out-of-your-chair pill.
Noon Stretch
This Is Good For Me
"Back to boot camp after missing the last two sessions. It was hard. I'm still not up to snuff physically, but it felt absolutely right. Halfway into the second warm-up lap I got that running smile and realized that walking just is not enough for me." — sadie, today, 10:01 A.M.
Scientific
Up Next, Drugs That Make Your Chair Painful
How much "voluntary activity" you engage in is a highly heritable trait, says new research. In other words, if you like to exercise, thank your genes. If you hate it, curse your genes. In the latest study on the topic, scientists bred thousands of rats to prove that engagement in recreational running was a trait offspring inherited from their parents. Not a huge shocker. But what's interesting is the leap the researchers then made. In the words of the study's lead author: "Down the road people could be treated pharmacologically for low activity levels through drugs that targeted specific genes that promote activity. Pharmacological interventions in the future could make it more pleasurable for people to engage in voluntary exercise." Okay, okay, I'm maybe on board. But then he goes on. "Such interventions could also make it less comfortable for people to sit still for long periods of time." Woah, drugs that make it uncomfortable to sit?! Maybe we start with less comfortable chairs before we go all Brave New World on ourselves.
Dance Dance Revolution
Everyone In China Is Doing Dance No. 8
Earlier this month we highlighted the resumption of mandatory worker stretch breaks in China. (Redux: Kind of cool, kind of propagandist and weird; either way, there's a funky Chinese calisthenics video worth checking out). Now, the L.A. Times is out with a more detailed report. Apparently, the Chinese government is teaching everyone to do the exact same dance routine. So far this year, 5,000 instructors have visited offices and stores around the country to teach people "Dance Routine No. 8." It's like Mambo No. 5, but way less catchy. Dance Routine No. 1 was born in 1951, and the government only updates the choreography every five to ten years. So get ready, China. You're going to be doing Dance Routine No. 8 for a while...
More...Scientific
Why Your Mom May Rain On Your Fitness Parade
Turns out, people over 55 just love it when young people f**k up. In a recent study, a group of adults between 55 and 60 were unleashed on an online news magazine and told to read whatever articles they found most interesting. They gravitated toward negative stories about young people. And here's the clincher: After doing so, they reported big boosts in their self-esteem. Granted, rooting for the downfall of young people in the newspaper is different from being a negative cheerleader for young people you actually know and love. Your mother is probably very supportive. But just saying, maybe she bakes you all those cookies because she loves you, or maybe they're actually laced with evil.
Lady Gaga
How Lady Gaga Does Yoga
"Gaga just walked into my yoga studio. She comes in with a huge bodyguard. Strips down to her bra and panties in the locker room TWO FEET away from me, and then disappears into a blocked off studio for a private lesson. So crazy. Then ... After class she is chillin', still in only bra/panties in the lounge area. So perfect. Only Lady Gaga does that."
— alleged Facebook posting from a woman who allegedly works at a yoga studio in Minneapolis where Lady Gaga allegedly did some yoga while on tour yesterday.
Scientific
Should You Stretch Before You Run?
Yes, said my high school track coach. It'll help prevent injuries. No, said my dad. It'll actually lead to more injuries. So who's right? Turns out, no one (as unsatisfying as that is). USA Track and Field has just published the results of an extensive new study of almost 1,400 runners ages 13 to 60 assigned to either stretch before running or not stretch before running for a three-month period. Bottom line: Stretching didn't matter. Regardless of which group they were in, the stretchers or the non-stretchers, runners sustained injuries at about exactly the same rate. No higher, no lower. So stretching before doesn't cause injuries and it doesn't prevent injuries. So do it if you like it, and skip it if you don't. Now, stretching after exercise, that's a whole nother story... (via NYTimes)
Noon Stretch
Week Six, Begun!
"I haven't run (really) in over a week now. I feel so out of shape and lazy. But today when the cat woke me up at 6 I put on my shoes and I went....I'm on track again, hopefully I'll stay that way. I have my 5K in 25 days!!" — kophelia, today, 11:12 A.M.