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New Healthy Employment Programs for Developmentally Disabled
Monday, March 08, 2010
Jolie Bookspan, M.Ed, PhD, FAWM
Another reader has Fixed the Fitness for a community program so beneficial and potentially far-reaching that I have given her an Academy Appointment.
Peggy Santamaria is bringing my healthy daily life techniques to developmentally disabled adults. She has made a new program to transition developmental disability to Developmental Ability.
"Thanks. Cool to find that this morning on Fitness Fixer. I would like to work with job coaches at a local agency that trains and finds employment for developmentally disabled adults. Snow removal is one of their big programs. I hope I would have your permission to use Fitness Fixer techniques to help prevent injuries for these trainees. I am on the board of directors for the agency and really support the program. Thanks again. you rock!!!" peggy
I wrote back asking if she could start before the snow season ends, which was soon, and that when the snow season ends, what activities and healthy movement retraining could she bring to them?
Peggy replied:
"Just spoke with program director at Appalachian Crossroads. I will meet with his job coaches and staff on Monday afternoon to talk about healthier movements while on the job shoveling snow, landscaping, vacuuming, etc. This is their website if you want to check them out, www.appalachiancrossroads.com/"
I am pleased to announce her appointment through the Academy of Functional Exercise Medicine (AFEM) as Director of Developmental Ability. We are working on better names - write in your ideas in the comments for a good title for this program for the disabled to develop their abilities. Peggy has been working hard developing the program. She drew the shovels for me for the Backman!™ illustration, and has been drawing and developing more teaching tools.
Our plan is for participants to gain skills and healthy work, reduce injury and pain risk, and be proud role models. The community gains important improvements in ways that are healthy for all. We hope our program with Appalachian Crossroads becomes a model for programs all over the nation like it.
Peggy wrote back:
"WOW!!! That's all I can say. Off to teach a class. I have read a gazillion of your fitness fixers (they are like peanuts, you know). I just don't get any housework done. But I will be well-armed to begin this task.
"My daughters and grandchildren are very proud. (They) said it was "awesome" and "Go Grandma Peggy!""
Join TheFun - Join in this work, and do the same for your own local world. Send in your own ideas and stories. See my Academy page - www.DrBookspan.com/Academy.
Natural Hard Exercise - Stuart's Community Health Stewardship Continues
Monday, January 18, 2010
Jolie Bookspan, M.Ed, PhD, FAWM
Reader Stuart Wood did a magnificent thing. He took charge and started teaching my work to reduce the high rate of strain-related injuries in his community for projectsranging from school health to senior health to water harvesting in his arid city of Tucson.
Stuart writes:
"The second group of pictures in the set are from a water harvesting project run by the Water Management Group here in Tucson. We spent 5 hours digging and bending and planting. The structures make use of street run-off in a way that reduces road and water pollution while at the same time "greening" the street by providing the plants with water which will eventually shade the side-walk and street and reduce the "heat-island" created by all the asphalt and concrete that attracts and absorbs sunlight/heat.
"This was my first time volunteering with them and I didn't get a chance to teach but I did figure out how to dig and bend correctly myself. It was a work-out and felt really good. I have dug in the past for long hours with improper bending and what it a difference it makes! Soon I hope to teach the other volunteers so that in addition to being good stewards of the community they can also be good stewards of their health.
"The watershed admin is thinking the best thing for me to do would be to teach the various instructors so that they could then oversee the volunteers throughout the city.
Stuart will retrain participants' bending so that their exercise is healthy for themselves and the community
"I was looking at your website (DrBookspan.com/Academy) and seeing the part about scholarships for Native Americans and the elderly, that intrigued me a lot. There is a large reservation just south of town for the Tohono O'odahm Indians, I have been thinking about how neat it would be to teach some of them.
"Recently there has been a wellness program implemented by the City of Tucson to reduce work-related strains and injuries. They have not been exposed to your work yet but they have been exposed to stretches that are potentially damaging at worst and ineffective at best! My friend spoke kindly of me and how your blog and my advice had helped him so, when I talked to his supervisor, he was more than helpful in suggesting ways in which I might be able to teach city workers in various settings and occupations."
More work is in progress. Reports to come.
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure about you. We were born to manifest the glory that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
--- Read success stories of these methods and send your own. See if your answers are already here by clicking labels, links in posts, archives, and The Fitness Fixer Index. Subscribe to The Fitness Fixer, click "updates via e-mail" upper right. For personal medical questions - Replies to Medical Questions. Limited Class space for personal feedback. Top students may earn certification atDrBookspan.com/Academy. Learn more in Dr. Bookspan's Books.
Ms. McAllister swims and water-skis every day. She says the key is you have to keep going, don't quit.
My father was also an avid water skier. I have photos of him slalom-skiing, long silver hair flying. In water-ski vocabulary, "slalom" means only one ski. I also have a photo of him high diving from the Mexican cliffs with the real cliff divers - for another story. I have photos of my grandmother lifting weights in her 90's with her hip-length hair still black, but she said she doesn't like the photos because she looks old.
Stay active, no matter what your age. It is the key to being mobile and independent
--- Read success stories of these methods and send your own. See if your answers are already here by clicking labels, links in posts, archives, and The Fitness Fixer Index. Subscribe to The Fitness Fixer, click "updates via e-mail" upper right. For personal medical questions - Replies to Medical Questions. Limited Class spaces for personal feedback. Top students may apply for certification throughDrBookspan.com/Academy. Learn more in Dr. Bookspan's Books.
Here is Friday Fast Fitness for the New Year- Knowing What Is Fitness.
Being fit of body and mind is not doing a bunch of artificial rituals in a gym.
True fitness is how you live your life. How you treat yourself and others. How you walk, bend and lift outside the gym. How you stand breathe smile and take pleasure in the rhythm of cooking and cleaning as a life meditation. How you work together by seeing that it doesn't matter if someone cuts in front of you in line:
No matter how fancy and expensive the car you drive, do you use it to take food to the hungry, or an old person where they need to go?
It doesn't matter how expensive your house, but if you welcome friends to come in out of the cold, and make it a place of peace and health for yourself and family.
It doesn't matter how expensive your cosmetics and manicures and hairstyles, and clothes, but if you use your hands, your voice, and yourself to speak well, act with honor and make the world a garden.
--- Read success stories and send your own. See if your answers are already here - click Fitness Fixer labels, links, archives, andIndex. Subscribe free - "updates via e-mail" upper right. For personal medical questions - Replies to Medical Questions. Limited Class space for personal feedback. Top students may apply for certification throughDrBookspan.com/Academy. Get more in Dr. Bookspan's Books.
Here are real stories from readers that appeared here on Fitness Fixer during 2009.
Get inspired. Use these for your New Year's Resolutions and throughout the New Year to come. Get happy and healthy using these methods, then send your own:
Designs World Health
Stuart Wood got up and just did it, He studied and used my work, then designed several programs for children and adults to learn healthy movement not only for itself, but to use for building community works. Watch for many honorable and important projects from Stuart to come as one of my Academy appointees - Reader Gains Academy Appointment for Making Community Projects Healthy
Fixed ankle pain and used healthy squatting, bending, and horse riding for a month rugged trek. Composer Andrea Clearfield and artist Maureen Drdak trekked a month in Nepal to record the sacred music and art of LUNG-TA, the Windhorse - Pain Free Trekking to Kingdom of Lo
Lisa P was told to stop running. She got out of shape but the injuries remained. She learned to stop the foot injuries, lost weight, got in shape, ran marathons, changed to healthy movement, and was able to fulfill her dream of working as a professional photographer - Physician Told Her Give Up, Fitness Fixer Made Her Able
David from Belgium took time to make us many training videos even with firstborn daughter Aiko on the way, then continued after her arrival with this gem, called by reader Shannon Hammer, "The most charming "fitness video" I have ever seen." - Fast Fitness - Isometric Abs Training. Keep your sound/speakers on.
Two great people won their fame this year and manfully allowed their stories to go next year so others could be counted now - Fellow rider BikaBill, and my old friend and fellow wild-hair Mark Lonsdale who will have his successes as frogman, marksman, and Specialized Tactical Training Unit instructor, coming soon.
Thank You Readers For Nice Comments And Successes In The Comments
Anton, Alberto (farioreo), Anya, Terry Lee, Teresa, Vietanh, Dada, Caregiver Sandy, Captain Scott, Mr. Glass, Poleminx, Y, Marina, Rennie, Rene, Belly Dancer, Ted, Shannon, Dentists Plantation, BikaBill, Cockroach Catcher, jojo, JayaKrishna, MegaMom, TonyP. Sam, rania123456, meanne, Joe, Jeff, Elliott, RealMother, Hope, M.Pradeep, Kirstine, Steven, Uma, Vasudha, Laura, byte5, Sylvia, DD, Naiche, Margie, Reggie (R2_G2), SwissGraphics, Charles, Brooke, Sebastian, JH, adarrel, Ted, priyamno1, EMR, NurseLine, John, Dufbil (David), Alena, Shane, Maryk, Jilly, Ness, 4myJagiya, MountainsMan, Wondering Oriental, alkime, Anonymous, and others. Anyone else? Let me know if you should be here to thank.
Thank You All For Your E-Mails Of Success
Paul J wrote, "8 months Chiropractor free, so Merry Christmas to you."
Anya taught her Grandmother to fix neck pain over Skype. Watch for insightful, smart, strong, stories from Anya to come next year. Anya reminds, "We are so far from knowing our limits!"
Hundreds more, too shy to put their story online, mailed me notes of the best thanks - that because of these methods, they stopped pain, they got strong, they had their lives back.
Thank you everyone for using my methods for Good. Thank you for writing your stories for others to benefit. Congratulations on your great work.
For Next Year
Start envisioning your success using these methods. Send me your photo sharing link with photos of what you do to fix your fitness, your well being, your life. Send in your story and you will soon be in the Fitness Fixer Hall of Fame 2010.
--- Read success stories of these methods and send your own. See if your answers are already here by clicking labels, links in posts, archives, and The Fitness Fixer Index. Subscribe to The Fitness Fixer, click "updates via e-mail" upper right. For personal medical questions - Replies to Medical Questions. Limited Class spaces for personal feedback. Top students may apply for certification throughDrBookspan.com/Academy. Learn more in Dr. Bookspan's Books.
Happy Holidays to all readers. Over the next month many cultures will celebrate many holidays on solar and lunar calendars. Enjoy all your days. Here are ways to make your time healthy - your cooking, your cleaning, your preparing, your traveling:
Is overeating, and overstressing avoidable on the holidays? - Grate Christmas
Be good to each other. If others are pushing past you, wave them with a smile. The purpose of the holidays is all for health and better spirit, not stress.
Reader Ivy wrote:
"I would like to express a huge thank you for all the wonderful posts on the Healthline website. I am sure that there are thousands of people who, like me, look forward to reading each one.
"No doubt you will be looking forward to the holiday period. May 2010 be a wonderful year.
"Much love to both you and Paul "Hugs "Ivy"
Ivy, many readers write me how your success stories have led them to healthier exercise, fixing pain, and happier life. Thank you all for using this work for Good.
--- Read success stories and send your own. See if your answers are already here - click Fitness Fixer labels, links, archives, andIndex. Subscribe free - "updates via e-mail" upper right. For personal medical questions - Replies to Medical Questions. Limited Class space for personal feedback. Top students may apply for certification throughDrBookspan.com/Academy. Learn more in Dr. Bookspan's Books.
Reader Gains Academy Appointment for Making Community Projects Healthy
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Jolie Bookspan, M.Ed, PhD, FAWM
Stuart W first contacted me with dozens of great observations and questions about fixing his injuries, tightness, and tension headaches using methods of healthy mechanics I developed. It was apparent that Stuart would soon be fixing more than himself, the bulging disc of his boss, and the aqua-aerobics class where he lifeguards.
Stuart writes:
"Oh, one more thing, I dearly want to become a certified student or teacher of AFEM. I have a dream of neighborhood groups all working together on community projects using proper mechanics to get free exercise, pain relief, and help beautify their cities. I live in Tucson and there is lots work to be done installing rainwater harvesting works!
"It a local group and they install groundworks in neighborhoods to harvest runoff water for native plants. Yes I would want to teach them to bend and dig correctly (hopefully they will be receptive) I better get to work with them first and lead by example so they know I'm for real. I could take photos for sure, both before and after instruction, possibly with little interviews of pain before and after techniques...
"I would love to travel and teach that would be great, there is an aqua-aerobics class that is full of older women who are in the class for "exercise" but they do improper stretches and I know that they could be helped, after they unsteadily get out of the pool I watch them walk around knock-kneed (and doing quadriceps stretches with lower spines overarched) and my heart goes out to them.
"I would also love to teach kids at schools proper habits because they have all this wonderful flexibility then after a few years cultural habits turn them into tight- hipped hunched teens. I think "fitness as a lifestyle" is such a commonsense and wonderful idea that much of the world adheres to and I think the "fitness" craze in the US is very destructive. So much effort going into (paying for!) bad exercises that could be redirected to health.
"I recently attended a water-harvesting workshop where we dug basins and planted trees I thought it would be difficult to properly bend all day but it was not and I even figured out how to swing a pick-axe without bending badly. I took pictures of the project as well as of the other volunteers who were digging and stooping in harmful ways so that if I get your permission to instruct them I will have before and after photos. Thanks, I hope to hear from you soon!
"Because my friend ( the one who I helped fix back pain) talked about the good your work had done for him with the aquatics supervisor at a recent wellness meeting for city employees, he already knew a little about what I was up to and is going to work with me to incorporate your method into the wellness program to teach employees at district meetings city wide! Wonderful!
"I was just thinking about how I used to pay for chiropractic work which led me nowherrrrrrre, except on a quest for good info, which led me to you!" - Stuart Wood
For his care and interest, I have given Stuart an Academy Appointment for the coming year for Community Health Projects. The idea is that his fun happy projects blossom into years of health for people and the larger community.
JoinTheFun:
We need better titles for our people who work to make things happen. They are not just coordinators or facilitators or directors, they are the brains and muscle too. What can we call these appointments?
Join Stuart in his work, and do the same for your own local world. Send in your own ideas and stories. See my Academy page - www.DrBookspan.com/Academy.
--- Read success stories of these methods and send your own. See if your answers are already here by clicking labels under posts, links in posts, archives at right, and The Fitness Fixer Index. Subscribe free, click "updates via e-mail"(under trumpet) upper right. For personal medical questions - Replies to Medical Questions. Limited Class space for personal feedback. Top students may earn certification throughDrBookspan.com/Academy. Get more in Dr. Bookspan's Books.
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Photo of construction of a 10,000 liter rainwater harvesting and ground well water storage tank, Some Rights Reserved, by Weenhayek
Academy Awards - Academy of Functional Exercise Medicine Awards Leading World Health 2009
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Jolie Bookspan, M.Ed, PhD, FAWM
It is an honor to announce the 2009 award winners of the Academy of Functional Exercise Medicine, AFEM. I am director of the Academy, and work (unpaid) for it to be an international resource for people and communities to learn to be healthy in body and actions. Award winners were selected for representing and carrying out true world health.
This year is the first year that we will award honorees. The design for the award is by Alessandro Schiavone, Creative Director from Ravenna, Italy.
The Academy is the certification teaching branch of my sports medicine practice. My practice and the academy teach individuals and groups healthy biomechanics and movement habits for daily life instead of injury-producing habits, good food instead of disease-causing food, healthier training for athletes, healthier medical practices for the sick, no cost preventive medicine, "green" fitness, and healthier mindset.
Leading World Health - Award Winners 2009
The 14th Dalai Lama He leads by example in his message of healthy, clean, non-violent, kind life to all ages, all people, all colors, all politics. www.dalailama.com
Jackie Chan - Nickname of Chan Kong Sang Antiviolence role model in martial arts, anti smoking public service pieces, leading by example of discipline in physical training, charity work, respect for teachers, and honor as a lifestyle. www.jackiechan.com
AboveTheInfluence.com English language web site for young people of personal responsibility in drug use prevention. www.abovetheinfluence.com
Jack and Elaine Lalanne Changed their own lifestyle to health, and since the 1930's have led by example to stop junk food and to exercise no matter what your condition or age. Jack Lananne is (at this writing) in his 90's, Elaine, in her 80s. They continue to exercise daily. www.jacklalanne.com
Amnesty International World organization to raise consciousness that lack of personal safety, rights, and freedom, lack of safe drinking water and adequate nutrition for some, is lack of world health for all. www.amnesty.org
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Newly elected President of Liberia. Liberia has suffered 25 years of war, hundreds of thousands dead, lack of electricity or running water, 80% unemployment and 90% illiteracy. Grandmother of 6, imprisoned for her work for rights, she continues to put her country on a course of health and renewal. africanhistory.about.com
My Mother - Academy Lifetime Achievement Award Her students stop me in the street to say how she showed them healthy movement. Also their children, their grandchildren, and now, small great grandchildren who have also studied with her and learned that keeping moving is the way to health. Exercise Your Sense of Humor
Leading World Health 2009 - Youth Award Winners
The Youth Leading World Health award this year is shared by 16 year old Babar Ali of west Bengal India and William Kamkwamba of Malawi:
Babar Ali teaches hundreds of students in his family's backyard, where he runs classes for poor children from his village who cannot afford to go to school. news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8299780.stm
William Kamkwambabuilt a windmill from junkyard parts to bring power to his village, continuing work to provide for all Malawians, where only 2% have electricity. He left school at 14 because his family could not afford the $80-a-year tuition. He went to the library: "I was very interested when I saw the windmill could make electricity and pump water. I thought: 'That could be a defence against hunger. Maybe I should build one." He built a turbine from spare bicycle parts, a tractor fan blade and an old shock absorber, and fashioned blades from plastic pipes, flattened by being held over a fire. "I want to help my country and apply the knowledge I've learned," he says. "I feel there's lots of work to be done." news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8257153.stm
Everyone - "There's lots of work to be done" Enjoy the beauty and health you can bring.
Coming later this month - 2009 Fitness Fixer Hall of Fame
--- Read success stories of these methods and send your own. Before asking questions, see if your answers are already here by clicking labels under posts, links in posts, archives at right, and The Fitness Fixer Index. Subscribe to The Fitness Fixer, click "updates via e-mail"(under trumpet) upper right. For personal medical questions - Replies to Medical Questions. Limited Class spaces for personal feedback. Top students may apply for certification throughDrBookspan.com/Academy. Learn more in Dr. Bookspan's Books.
In the first act of Macbeth, Shakespeare wrote, "Your face, my thane, is as a book where men may read strange matters."
Here is Fast Friday Fitness - Your face shows how you lead your life. In other words, "Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician." How can you improve your face?
Healthy exercise and hard work doing good deeds, benefits your face more than the same time and money spent on artificial makeup.
Stop eating sugar and processed flour. Your skin will improve. Stop fried food and soda. Simple healthy nutrition improves your face and skin more than all the money spent on fast food, expensive "health food," engineered supplements, and skin drugs.
The woman hoeing a field in India doesn't use indulgent face peels. Her dignity and honest work polish her face. Genuine laughter does more than corny face exercises and laugh yoga. The life you live of integrity, thinking of others, and lack of self-absorption, shows more on your face than all the facial exercise gizmos and programs.
Actress Lauren Bacall said, "I think your whole life shows in your face and you should be proud of that." Instead of spending on externals, save the money or give it to the poor. Decide how you want your life to look, then go make a face.
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Read success stories of these methods and send your own. Before asking questions, see if your answers are already here by clicking labels under posts, links in posts, archives at right, and The Fitness Fixer Index. Subscribe to The Fitness Fixer, free. Click "updates via e-mail"(under trumpet) upper right. For personal medical questions - Replies to Medical Questions. Limited Class spaces for personal feedback. Top students may apply for certification throughDrBookspan.com/Academy. Learn more in Dr. Bookspan's Books.
We planted a vegetable garden this Spring in my mother's field. Hard exercise changed a rocky ruined area into beautiful food. It's getting cold now. Readers asked how the garden turned out. Here are stories:
We are harvesting. By afternoon it is dark with a large orange moon overhead lightning our work. The hard work keeps us warm.
When we first cleared the area, we filled the wheelbarrow with concrete slabs, pried and dug from the patch. Paul bent to grasp the wooden handles. When he rose lifting the handles, the barrow was so heavy that both handles snapped, scattering everything. Paul is strong.
We sawed and attached new handles. Much good squatting, bending, rising, lifting, and reloading. Paul bent well (upper body fairly upright, knees bent over heels). At almost seven feet tall, he needed to bend low. When he rose, the wheelbarrow handles were so high in the air, the front of the barrow tipped forward so far that contents spilled everywhere.
Hoeing a field, breaking concrete, digging stumps and rocks, bending and reaching, lifting right, hauling bales of compost, and all the rest that gardening can involve, is more exercise than you can get in a gym. It combines hard natural movement using much of the body at once to give muscular and cardiovascular exercise. To pull weeds, you squat well, both heels down, loosen roots with a digging stick, grasp weeds at the roots, rise pulling slowly. Over and over. Rise and bend. Garden prayer.
We were amused that more grew outside than inside the garden. Outside, tall weedy grasses grew everywhere. Inside, small seedlings grew into low herbs and vegetables. Deer and other animals didn't eat our garden. We had built a 6-foot fence around it, but deer can easily jump that height, and small burrowing groundhogs and rabbits can wiggle through or under. What we had done is leave them a bushy meadow near the garden area, with plenty of food and hiding places. They didn't need to bother the garden. The municipality cited my mother for a violation of some kind for not mowing her "lawn." Sorry Mom! We paid it for her.
Large slabs of concrete lay buried, inches below the surface of much of the area we wanted to plant. We needed to break and remove them. I managed to lift Paul's huge sledgehammer, swinging it with both hands over my head. It came down on the slab and bounced. I tried a wider stronger swing. It was heavier to swing than it looked. It bounced off the concrete each time. I handed it to Paul. He swung it quickly with one arm, splintering the slab. We dug the dozens of new football-sized pieces and made a rock border for the flowers nearby.
We gardened without pesticides or chemicals. We hauled hundreds of pounds of compost that the municipality gives away free at the recycling centers. Thank you recycling center for all the good exercise, compost, and manure. Plants grew healthy and didn't need chemicals to fight insects. They could fight them from their own internal health - people can do the same much of the time from simple good health practices. Plants manufacture their own anti-inflammatories against disease. That is part of why eating vegetables and fruit is good for your own health against inflammation.
The work it took to eak out a few plates of vegetables for each meal reminded us of subsistence farmers - how worrisome it is to have to rely on what you can scratch out of your own soil. If we had to last the winter on what we grew, it would be a long thin winter. Much of the world does not sit around indulgently with fast food in the refrigerator. Many do not have refrigerators. Before spending money on junk food, then complaining you are too heavy, think. Save the money. Improve your health. Refraining from eating does not make anyone fat.
The tomatoes grew tall and long. They grew so much that we could not find the strawberries.
We are saving the seeds from the sweetest cantaloupe, the largest cabbages, and the most wonderful purple peppers and white eggplants for next year.
The wonderful Thai bamboo hoes we brought back with us have shrunk in our colder dryer climate, loosening the heavy metal shovel-heads so they tilt sideways with each overhead swing. We have been fixing them, then going back to hoeing. The ground will soon freeze. Hoeing is more upper back strengthening and work than anything in a gym, even more than all the pushups and handstands that I love. Bend knees, upper back upright, breathe in, swing up, breathe out, swing down. Over and over.
Saturday night was Halloween. The World Series was playing. Paul didn't want to disappoint me by not going out to see the fun going on for Halloween in the city, and would never have said anything. I put on a costume and sat with him to watch the game. It was a great evening. The next day I put on a scarecrow costume and we worked in the garden.
We were just two city kids, who grew up in urban slums. I didn't know about gardening, but we read, worked, learned from mistakes, and sweated under the hot sun and the cold evening air.
Read success stories of these methods and send your own. Before asking questions, see if your answers are already here by clicking labels under posts, links in posts, archives at right, and The Fitness Fixer Index. Subscribe to The Fitness Fixer, free. Click "updates via e-mail"(under trumpet) upper right. For personal medical questions - Replies to Medical Questions. Limited Class spaces for personal feedback. Top students may apply for certification throughDrBookspan.com/Academy. Learn more in Dr. Bookspan's Books.
Fast Fitness - Exercise Involvement In World Health
Friday, October 30, 2009
Jolie Bookspan, M.Ed, PhD, FAWM
Here is Friday Fast Fitness - shed unhealthy petty feelings of maltreatment because you had to wait in line for your luxury items, or didn't get them in your color.
We have things to be extremely grateful for.
More of the time, it is not necessary to gain them through harming others or the Earth.
Lead by example. Teach children and others not to litter, pollute, harm others, do harm for money, do harm for power, harm themselves.
Check Simple Ways to Get Started:
My Academy- the Academy of Functional Exercise Medicine (AFEM) teaches people and communities how to be healthy in body and actions. Readers who use my work have been teaching their groups simple healthy bending and movement for daily life instead of injury producing habits, good food instead of disease causing food, healthy training for high level athletics and military, healthier medical practices for sick, injured, preventive medicine, "green" fitness, and healthier mindset. Come join us by doing simple things in your home and community - click AFEM.
Read success stories of these methods and send your own. Before asking questions, see if your answers are already here by clicking labels under posts, links in posts, archives at right, and The Fitness Fixer Index. Subscribe to The Fitness Fixer, free. Click "updates via e-mail"(under trumpet) upper right. For personal medical questions - Replies to Medical Questions. Limited Class spaces for personal feedback. Top students may apply for certification throughDrBookspan.com/Academy. Learn more in Dr. Bookspan's Books.
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Images sent to me by Dear Colleague Dr. Ern Campbell - ScubaDoc
Halloween - the time when I take off my lab coat for work, and others put them on for costumes. A time when we dress as groups who pledge: "An it harm none, do what ye will" also stated as, "First, do no harm." Who are these groups? Read on.
The Wilderness Medical meeting where I have been teaching certification courses held a costume banquet last year. Medical professionals and students dressed in costumes depicting wilderness medicine. One couple was wearing outdoor clothing. I looked again and their faces were covered in red face paint. Except around their eyes, strangely pale. Also long thin white strips from eyes to ears. Sunglasses were propped on top of their head. They were sunburn. (White areas were those unburned, shielded by the glasses.) Another student was wearing regular clothing, except there was a large bat attached to his chest. Look closer. His face had strange white around the mouth. Rabies! Professors of envenomations wearing suit jackets covered with plastic bugs and snakes. Another wearing a giant falciparum, a protozoan parasite that causes malaria. Many others, simple, intelligent, and fun. When a solution in medicine is brilliant and simple at the same time, it is called "elegant."
For other events, one year I wore black jeans and sweater, and held up a black card with a white circle enclosing a black 8. People shrugged, "Oh, an 8-Ball."
I flipped the card. It was a black card with a blue triangle that read "I am The Magic 8 Ball" which got some laughs. Flipping over the cards got them another blue triangle that read, "You May Ask Your Question Now" I came ready with cards and never had to say a word. They flocked over. Lots of questions. Funny how they can all be answered by the Magic 8 Ball. A couple walk over together: 8 Ball: "I am The Magic 8 Ball." He: "Will I get lucky tonight?" 8 Ball: "Doubtful" She: "Will *I* get lucky tonight?" 8 Ball: "Outlook Good" He: "Hey!! Not fair, how do you know that?" 8 Ball: "I am The Magic 8 Ball" She: "Hey, you thought of a good costume" 8 Ball: "My Sources Point To Yes."
Read success stories of these methods and send your own. Before asking questions, see if your answers are already here by clicking labels under posts, links in posts, archives at right, and The Fitness Fixer Index. Subscribe to The Fitness Fixer, free. Click "updates via e-mail"(under trumpet) upper right. For personal medical questions - Replies to Medical Questions. Limited Class spaces for personal feedback. Top students may apply for certification throughDrBookspan.com/Academy. Learn more in Dr. Bookspan's Books.
--- Read and contribute your own success stories of these methods. Before asking questions, see if your answers are already here - click labels under posts, links in posts, archives at right, and the Fitness Fixer Index. For answers to personal medical questions - Replies to Medical Questions. Subscribe to The Fitness Fixer, free. Click "updates via e-mail"(under trumpet) upper right. See Dr. Bookspan's Books, take a Class, get certifiedDrBookspan.com/Academy.
Three years ago, Merlene's closest friend died. Merlene, who is 74, lost all motivation. Because she was not exercising, she gained a lot of weight. This is where Ivy came in...
Ivy from New Zealand, frequent success story contributor, wrote me in August about her neighbor Merlene:
"You will be pleased that I have a new lady under my wing so to speak. I lent her your book "How To Fix Your Own Pain Without Drugs Or Surgery." Along with giving her advice she tells me that it has changed her life which pleases me."
I wrote to Ivy to ask her if Merlene would be comfortable telling us more on what she did, so others could try it too. Ivy replied:
"I encouraged her to walk again. At first it was difficult, she had difficulty breathing. I noted that she was walking flat footed and taught her to lift her toes. She complained of back pain - I showed her how to lie on her stomach and lift herself up on her elbows before getting out of bed in the mornings. She has now learnt to put her spine into the neutral position. Re her breathing, I showed her how to breathe deeply. She told me that she rolled her neck every day in a circle - she now does the trapezius stretch plus pectoral stretch instead.
"Instead of bad bending, she does squats and lunges while making the bed, doing the vacuum cleaning, going to the fridge and the like, plus gardening.
I checked in with Ivy a while later to make sure all was still improving, and gave her questions to ask Merlene so I could make sure all was well. Ivy wrote again:
"Today I visited Merlene and asked her some questions. She is stronger, breathing has improved, she is more flexible, can walk further, the back pain has improved immensely. She hasn't weighed herself yet, however, is hoping that there will be a weight loss when she weighs herself next week.
"She finds your books "How to Fix Your Own Pain Without Drugs or Surgery" and your Stretching Smarter book very helpful so I left them with her so that she can refer to them.
"She also tells me that your books along with my help and advice has changed her life for the better. She has lost that negativity and feeling positive about life again.
"Merlene is a very quiet, private lady so I try to treat her in a gentle way. She comes from another country and I gather that life has been very hard. She is so enjoying what she is doing. Most important is the fact that she trusts me plus she is very happy you are doing this article.
"Merlene is happy for you to use her name. Re the photo and title (of the article) she would rather it was your choice. "Hugs Ivy "
How to Fix Your Own Pain Without Drugs or Surgery and Stretching SmarterStretching Healthier, and others, on www.DrBookspan.com/books.
--- Read and contribute your own success stories of these methods. Before asking questions, see if your answers are already here - click labels under posts, links in posts, archives at right, and the Fitness Fixer Index. For answers to personal medical questions - Replies to Medical Questions. Subscribe to The Fitness Fixer, free. Click "updates via e-mail"(under trumpet) upper right. See Dr. Bookspan's Books, take a Class, get certifiedDrBookspan.com/Academy.
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