Some of My Summer Reading

There was a wonderful book first published in 1937 called, “The Thinking Body” by Mabel Ellsworth Todd.  I came across it in the late 60’s when it was re-published by Dance Horizons Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y.

I’ve reread it more times than I can remember, and every time, I learn the same thing, but from a different angle, with a wider interpretation – things about the way bones and muscles work that cause me to think, teach and write about exercise in more literary than scientific ways.  That allows me to get closer and closer to the subject of exercise as an allied art rather than a gymnasium type of thing.

For instance, Todd says that “the unconscious is one of the keys to physiology.”  Eighty-five percent of our muscle action is used in “vegetative  processes” – heart action and so on.  That means that we only have 15 percent conscious mental and physical energy to use for thinking and moving.

Not only that, but in times of emergency and stress, that 15 percent can draw from the 85 percent unconscious energy in the body to alleviate temporary  danger.  Imagine then, that an unhealthy, sedentary body is probably making it harder to maintain that 15 percent/85 percent balance.  It’s easy to see that obesity, illness, and other body traumas have to draw on that 15 percent to supply the daily, unconscious body processes needed to survive.

Frankly, I think information like that gives overweight, sedentary people good basic logic they can use to help themselves better their lives. 

And what I like to do most in my work is help people to help themselves.

 

Recreational Exercise: Swimming

Sometimes I think the exercise scientists are too obsessed with sport conditioning as the perfect form of exercise.  It IS the best exercise if you’re going to participate in competitive sport, but not everybody is
engaged in competitive sport.

Right now, because we’re into summer, I’m concentrating on summer recreational sport – bicycling, golfing and especially swimming.  But the exercise scientists downgrade swimming as good exercise because it’s not weight bearing.  (Weight bearing exercise simply translates to exercise forms that are done standing.) But you’re getting your weight bearing exercise walking to and from wherever you’re going for a swim so what’s the big deal?

What the exercise scientists miss in their criticism though is the wonderful, relaxation and therapeutic value of swimming.  Also, it’s exercise that uses the entire body; there’s movement from fingertips to toes. Feet flutter kick and arms reach forward through the water, one at a time, and the waistline becomes smoothed out because of the muscle stretch action through the center of the body.  But the real value is the stress relief that swimming offers.

If you don’t know how to swim, it’s never too late to learn.  And if you don’t have access to a body of water, try your community YMCA.  Otherwise you can join the league of pretenders and go swimming on the top of your bed every day, duplicating the action of the crawl stroke (as pictured).  Safely supported by your bed, you can even go slowly -since there’s no danger of sinking – and exaggerate the stretching movement of the exercise so that you get a little extra benefit from your simulated swim.  With an exercise like this simulated swim session you have complete control, for even though you are trying to extend your stroke to the maximum, there is no danger of muscle strain.

After your phony swim on top of your bed, “float” awhile, fully outstretched, totally relaxed, with a delightful feeling of bouyancy.  Then please the exercise scientists with a brisk walk around the block.