In search of understanding.

I have been involved in a few interesting and unexpected discussions recently.

I have been affected by 2 in particular.
:: One with a person who was previously only a "work mate" but I was pleased to find was more of a "kindred spirit" (to steal a term from Anne of Green Gables) than I had imagined.
:: And one that I am still processing.

Reminds me again that listening is often better than talking. I wish that I was better at listening, understanding, internalising and processing on the spot. I also wish I was less prone to assuming, in tense/difficult situations, that I might have anything helpful to say. In some situations I wonder if there is anything at all to be said that can be helpful.

I know that it is important to be open in order to build relationships, but retrospectively feeling that you have shared too much of yourself is an unpleasant experience that I don't wish to repeat too often (if ever).

Nice to know that there are kindred spirits out there. We all need to feel understood sometimes.

Gyms are Scary

I went to a gym today, thanks to a freebie from the local big-business physio. 6 weeks and 6 sessions with a "results based trainer". Sounds scary hey?

I have been starting to feel fitter thanks to continuing to run 3 times per week this month. But I still find the obsessive, super-fit professionals and gym-a-holics pretty intimidating. Fortunately 9:30am on a Wednesday is a pretty quiet time at the gym, so I plan on making the most of my day off and using the gym when it is almost empty.

I was seen by 3 separate people today (was that really necessary?). And so answered some of the same questions 4 times over - including the written questionnaire I had to fill in first. But no actual workout today, due to some mis-communication. I went home feeling a tad disappointed about that. Now I will just have to stay nervous about my first work out with a trainer for a bit longer.

February: Consumer Detox

My challenge to myself for this month is one that I have been thinking of for a while.

I want to stop buying random brands of clothes and shoes. Often after purchasing new clothes, especially if it was a "great bargain", I feel a momentary stab of guilt if I pause to think that by my consuming I am buying into global inequality. The "made in China" labels etc are a great reminder of this problem.

So for this month, and for the rest of this year, I will only buy clothes and shoes that I can verify are ethically produced. The only exception is buying second hand from shops where the proceeds go to charity.

It is not really going to be that big a deal when I consider that I could exist quite comfortably without buying any new clothes/shoes for a long time.

Also, there are now a number of companies that produce sweat-shop free products. And so my job of finding them should not be too hard.

I will post links as I find them.

Exercise Round Up

17/31

This months challenge to myself has been a good success I think.
- I have exercised much more.
- I have read about the benefits of exercise.
- I have discussed exercise with patients more frequently and have more information on hand for them.

My research was made very easy by the a new module appearing on the GP learning website. (This is an on-line resource for continuing medical education for GP's enrolled with the Australian College of GP's). The new module is entitled "Implementing Lifestyle Change" and there are a number of units about exercise and lots of links to great articles about the benefits of exercise and information on what is effective for encourage people to exercise more.

There are many benefits of physical activity. If you want to know more here are a couple of links to some good review articles:

http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/183_10_211105/bru10410_fm.html

Bruckner PD Brown WJ, "Is exercise good for you?" Medical Journal of Australia 2005; 183: 538-541


http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/174/6/801
Warburton DER; Nicol CW; Bredin SSD, "Health benefits of physical activity: the evidence." Canadian Medical Association. Journal; Mar 14, 2006; 174, 6

I think this quote from the above article just about sums it up for those who want the short version:
"We confirm that there is irrefutable evidence of the effectiveness of regular physical activity in the primary and secondary prevention of several chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, obesity, depression and osteoporosis) and premature death."

Yes, I would like to avoid that long list of diseases, especially premature death!

It is important to note that in order to gain the health benefits of exercise it is recommended that you get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week. Hmm, for me that means that my plan to keep exercising 3 days per week for the rest of the year may not be enough to gain the maximum benefit. The good news is though that my daily dose of exercise need only be "moderate" and for 30 minutes - ie I don't need to run 10km everyday to benefit.

The other thing that I found interesting is that people who engage in home based exercise programs are more likely to succeed (ie stick with it) long term than those who enroll in programs outside the home. So gardening, strenuous housework and walking the dog are probably better activities to plan for than joining a gym.

Well, time to go sweep and mop the kitchen floor I think. And I am sure I can find some other housework to make it up to 30 minutes for today. :)

Amnesty subscription not nearly enough.

12/21

But it seems rather inane in light of the all the suffering in our world.

I exercise to counteract the negative affects of my sedentary, over-fed, western lifestyle of luxury and leisure.

And others in the world have neither food, clothing or shelter. In particular today I am thinking of those who lack shelter from the machines of war.

What to do? Where to start?
It is overwhelming.

Castle Hill Clamber.

8/14 - doing well so far.

Tonight my legs are aching. Today's exercise was walking up hills and climbing/clambering over boulders at Castle Hill. Time for some stretches I think!

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