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Archive for June, 2010

Stretching While Hiking in The Great Smoky Mountains

Posted in Fitness, Health and Wellness, Nature and Stress, tagged , , , , , on June 13, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

It’s taking me a while to get ALL my photos uploaded, resized and cataloged from our recent visit to the Great Smoky Mountains. Sitting in front of my computer working on the pics makes me want to stretch! So I am going to start showing some of our trip pics that include some simple stretches you can do while hiking. The stretches require a hiking pole or stick but any nearby long tree branch or stick will do!

Graveyard Fields midday

One of the places we were able to visit in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park was the Graveyard Fields. This area had once been ravaged by forest fires and most of the growth is new growth. The area gets its name from the days prior to the fire when so many trees were cut down the meadow looked like a graveyard of tree stumps.

Hiking from this point begins with a  steep decent down wooden stairs.

Stairs to Graveyard Fields paths

As you climb down the stairs, you enter a magical Hobbit-like land of too-good-to-be-true green fields and small forests. babbling brooks and shallow streams abound.

Wood path in Graveyard Fields, Great Smoky Mountains

All along our path we ran into incredible flowers and peaceful areas of natural beauty.

After a fresh rain easier in the day, our hiking poles really helped us get around muddy patches and cross over streams and creeks.

Some areas made great use of our hiking poles to navigate slippery rocks.

After a few days of strenuous hiking up deep ascents, it was a pleasure to hike a shallower inclined path. At halfway point, we sat and admired a small “waterfall” over rocks in a creek.

After a few days of hiking and driving, we needed to stretch. My partner demonstrated some easy back stretches.

Stretching without the pole to warm up

A great mid back stretch using the hiking pole

Deeper stretching using the poles

Much of the terrain in the Great Smoky Mountains involves ascents and descents. Using hiking poles makes it easier to cross streams (for balance), to hoist yourself up on the next level of rock in the path and as we show above, for stretching!

The rewards of a long day hiking and driving include vistas like this one at Sunset.

Graveyard Fields at Sunset

More pics and stories of our hiking adventures to come!

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Get Nutritionally Centered with the Centered Chef!

Posted in Nutrition, tagged , , , , , on June 12, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Today I received an email from a group I belong to, Building a Healthier Chicago. They profiled a local Chicago area chef who has a company, Centered Chef Food Studios,  that combines good nutrition with culinary arts.

Focusing on natural ingredients, owner Chef Ryan Hutmacher reinvents “health food” and doing so, shows that “nutritious” and “delicious” are compatible.  Ryan is well known within the marathon and triathlon community in Chicago, as well as within the corporate sector. His own personal story of trial and triumph has inspired countless to reinvent their own lifestyles.

As chef Ryan’s Culinary Wellness Initiative has grown, he and his team created a new culinary studio.  In this multi-story, state-of-the-art facility, Ryan and his team meld culinary arts and nutrition through practical solutions that use education and entertainment to promote individualized wellness.

They offer interactive cooking studios (one of which is a gluten free test-kitchen) along with live and filmed cooking demonstrations, and hand-on cooking classes.

Centered Chef Studios specializes in supporting people who manage disease states such as: Diabetes, Cancer, Obesity, Multiple Sclerosis, Hypoglycemia, Heart Disease, Elevated Cholesterol/Blood Pressure and Digestive Disorders.  They also offer options to help alleviate food allergies.  In addition, they work closely supporting the nutrition of endurance athletes and business people who need to balance demanding schedules with proper nutrition.

According to the Centered Chef website, the idea of being centered is key to good health: Being centered is the relationship between how we feel and how we perform in our lives. You can achieve this state by eating well, exercising, getting enough rest, and engaging in meaningful activities and relationships. As food experts, we know good nutrition is at the core of fueling a healthy mind, body and soul. With the right foods as part of your healthy lifestyle, you will experience increased physical health, energy and mental awareness.

Watch the 15 minute video of Chef Ryan’s transformation from an overweight, smoker, with pre-diabetes turn into an Ironman in great health here. If he can do it, so can you!

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How to Bike to Work-A Great Guide and Great Blog from Paul Dorn!

Posted in Fitness, Health and Wellness, tagged , , , on June 11, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

So, you want to bike to work. But you aren’t sure how safe it is, or what to wear or how to safely lock your bike. Have I got a book for you! And a great blog. The book, How to Bike to Work Guide, is pretty self explanatory and it’s available for just a few dollars from Amazon here. The blog, Bike Commute Tips Blog is here and it’s free.

The author, Paul Dorn lives in Sacramento, California. Paul is a writer, activist, and co-author (with Roni Sarig) of The Bike to Work Guide: What You Need to Know to Save Gas, Go Green, Get Fit (Adams Media, 2009). He is the former editor of the Tube Times, newsletter of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC), and served on the SFBC board of directors. He is the former executive director of the California Bicycle Coalition. Dorn is certified by the League of American Bicyclists as a League Cycling Instructor (#1237).

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Indoor Plants Ease Stress for Computer Workers

Posted in Health and Wellness, Nature and Stress, Stress Management, tagged , , , , on June 9, 2010| 6 Comments »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Workspace Without Plants

More good news about indoor plants: Researchers at Washington State University found that indoor plants decreased stress of computer workers and improved productivity.

The  study was conducted in a computer lab at Washington State University.  Subjects were asked to participate in an experiment to measure stress levels in people using computers.  They were randomly assigned to be tested in the computer lab when plants were absent or when they were present.  In the room with plants, the interior plants were placed around the sides of the room. Then the blood pressure and emotions of subjects were monitored while they performed a slightly stressful computer task that measured reaction times in response to seeing and decoding the shape of a simple object on the screen.

When plants were added to the lab, people were more productive (12% quicker reactions on the computer task) and less stressed (systolic blood pressure lower).  They also reported feeling more attentive when the plants were present.

Workspace With Plants

Again, yet another study shows that adding a little “nature” to your indoor life can actually not only make your work space or living space more aethetically pleasing, it can also help you feel better and think more clearly!

The research study was partially supported by the American Floral Endowment and the Horticultural Research Institute.

Source: Lohr, V.I., C.H. Pearson-Mims, and G.K. Goodwin. 1996. Interior plants may improve worker productivity and reduce stress in a windowless environment. J. of Environmental Horticulture 14(2):97-100.

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Climate Cycle Update–Fantastic Ride

Posted in Fitness, Health and Wellness, tagged , , on June 8, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licened Massage Therapist, Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

On May 15, I joined about 500 other cyclists to ride the Climate Cycle route along the Lake Shore bike path. That day Climate Cycle riders shared the path with Autism Speaks walkers who were raising money for autism.

To date, 536 Climate Cyclists have raised $108,000 and counting for this year’s Solar Schools Ride. This represents a 53% increase in ridership and a 61% increase in fundraising over last year! Over 85 riders rode 62-miles all the way from the Indiana Dunes, including six students from Curie and Lincoln Park High School! A special thanks to our 300+ volunteers who contributed their time and talent to making the event a success.

Working Well Massage raised $700 towards Climate Cycle’s Solar Panels for Schools. Thanks so much to all our friends and clients that donated to this event. Photos of the big day follow below.

Kids lining up before the ride

It was really touching and fun to have all the student cheering sections set up along the ride! They slapped our hands as we road by and shouted encouraging cheers!

Student fueled cheering section along the route

I road the ten-mile course and along the way I was treated to a imprompto comedy routine by two fellow bike riders.

 

At the halfway point I stopped and chatted with Ethan Austin (in light blue) a volunteer for Climate Cycle and his trusty sidekick about the ride

In the end, it’s all about the kids!

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iPad=iHurt: Apple’s Ergonomic Fail

Posted in Health and Wellness, Massage Therapy, Workplace Wellness, tagged , , , , on June 6, 2010| 2 Comments »

Common shot of iPad showing only users lap. Image from Flickr.

By Sue Shekut, Owner,  Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist,  Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

I’ve been noticing iPad advertisements all over town. I see iPads on billboards, ads on my computer and on television. Notice how the ads don’t show people sitting and using the iPad. They show people’s laps and legs and then a close up the iPad. Hmm, why hide the necks and shoulders of iPad users? My guess, because sitting hunched over a small but relatively heavy iPad makes people look pretty uncomfortable.

Ned Batchelder has a great post on the ergonomic issues of the new iPad here. Ned shows a video of someone using the iPad to make slides that shows just how awkward it is to use the iPad for data creation. Commenters say that hey, the iPad isn’t designed to be a data creation device but a data consumption device.  Do we really need separate devices for each use?

Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge Apple fan. I’ve been using Macs since they first came out (Does anyone remember the old SE30’s with the 9″ monochrome monitor. That’s where I started. And interestingly enough that’s about the time I started needing to see a chiropractor, too.) But as slick as Apple’s touch screen iPod’s and iPad s are and are, they really cause a world of hurt for users’ necks and shoulders.

Whats Wrong With iPad?

1. iPad/iPod devices are small and relatively lightweight. So at first glance you may think, hey, it won’t hurt me, it’s a device under 1 pound. But that one pound gets pretty heavy if you hold it up over time.

Try this exercise. Hold a 1 pound weight up in front of your body for 5 minutes. Bet you can’t do it. The 60 seconds may be pretty easy. But as the clock ticks, the weight gets heavier and heavier. Now think about holding that weight for an hour. Two hours.  Even try holding just a real apple for ten minutes in front of you. (An edible apple I mean.) After a while your arm gets too heavy. It’s not so much the weight of the apple or the device that gets you. It’s the weight of holding your arm in front of you for long periods.

A Woman Named Rachel "holding" the Apple logo. Image from Flickr, luckmontague's photostream.

Even though the woman above is not holding any weights, just keeping her arm up will make her arm and shoulders fatigue. quickly. It’s unlikely you anyone would use their iPad in this position, but it gives you an idea of how heavy your arm can be.

2. The “iDevices” are small and to see the screen you have to bend over them. Your neck has to crane to position your eyes over the keypad. I watched a client use her new iPad yesterday. Even though she was sitting in a comfy overstuffed chair, with her legs up, resting the iPad on my knees, she still had to lean far forward and look down at the device.   Thanks Apple for keeping massage therapists, physical therapists, chiropractors and orthopedic docs busy for years to come!

Even Steven Jobs will need  a neck and shoulder massage after using the iPad!  Notice in the photo below that he is holding the iPad in his hands away from his lap unlike ads for the iPad where we see people holding the iPad on their laps. It’s a trade off in whether his neck gets tired faster from craning forward or his arms and shoulders from holding the iPad closer to his face.

Even Steve Jobs Looks Uncomfortable Using the iPad Image from curiouslee at Flickr.

3. The touch screen is “cool” but it requires you to move your arm in front of your body at an awkward angle. using a keyboard already causes users to tighten their pectoral (chest) muscles a great deal. Tighter pectoral muscles often leads to muscle tension in muscles in the upper back and neck. Why? These back muscles have to compensate for the pec muscles literally pulling your body forward.

Notice how the young man pictured below is leaning far forward over his keyboard? He is engaging his pectoral muscles and the muscles in the back of his neck and upper back are straining to hold him upright. I feel safe to say he may have some neck and shoulder pain from this position. You may think your posture is much better than his But then thick about how you sit if you work on a iPad or iPod!

Image from NatBat at Flickr

I don’t doubt that the new iPad will necessitate a whole slew of new products designed to hold your iPad at a more ergonomic position. Until these come out, I recommend you use the good old Porta Book to hold your iPad at a comfortable viewing angle. The Posta Book is inexpensive, about $20, and lightweight. And it’s available here.

Or if you have a common house cat, you can make use of your pet as an iPad holder. One man did in the pic below!

Image from Flickr.

More articles on iPad ergonomics

The ErgoLab’s Apple iPad Part Deux: Don’t Shoot The Messenger
Donald Clack Plan B, iPAD: ergonomic disaster – end of story

The ErgoLab: The Apple iPad; this Apple has a few worms.

Business Inside SAI: Apple Still Hasn’t Fixed The Big Problem With The iPad: It Looks Really Uncomfortable To Use

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Bike to Work Week is June 12-18!

Posted in Fitness, Health and Wellness, tagged , , , on June 3, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapists, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

I have a few friends and clients that are new to Chicago and are avid cyclists. Heidi O’Hair, one of the massage therapists on my staff, rides her bike instead of driving a car. Heidi said she’s been averaging 20 miles a day between home and work! Between carting around massage tables, supplies and massage chairs, I end up driving more than biking to work myself. But on June 12, that can all change for me and many of my fellow Chicagoans. Why? because June 12-18 is Bike to Work Week!

Registration is open for the Alliance’s annual Bike to Work Week, June 12-18, and about 250 Chicagoland companies — including Bank of America, Google and United Airlines — so far have registered to forgo motor vehicles and public transportation in favor of bicycles.

The annual competition asks co-workers to form teams and agree to bike at least one day during the week. Teams submit their results online. Last year, 322 businesses, schools and organizations went helmet-to-helmet in the competition. Winners included the Department of Transportation, The Field Museum, Moody Bible Institute, Northwestern University Library, SRAM, Center for Neighborhood Technology, and the Chicago Department of Environment.

Bike to Work Week is sponsored by the Active Transportation Alliance . Active Trans offices are located at 9 West Hubbard Street, Chicago, IL 60654-6545. Phone number is (312) 427-3325.

Tips on Riding to work

Copyright © 2003 by Wordspace Press. Learn more from the source: Urban Bikers' Tricks & Tips.

Smart IdeaClothes at work

  • On the weekend or start of the week, take five days’ worth of clothes to work.
  • At week’s end, take your clothes to the cleaners.
  • Pick up your cleaning from work and leave it at work.

Dressing For The Ride
In warm weather…
Wear loose t-shirts, tank-tops, and shorts for good ventilation. If sweat gets in your eyes or face, wear a headband.

In cold weather…
Wear loose cycling clothes, your work clothes, and windbreaker in layers that you can remove in layers as you heat up.

Showering
In a coast-to-coast survey, over 85 percent of people who bike to work or school said they don’t shower at their destinations. Do they just smell bad? No. Most erase bad odor by simply toweling off and changing into fresh clothes. If they want to feel even cleaner, they sponge off and apply talcum powder. As for clothes themselves: When weather’s mild, they bike in the clothes they wear at work. On days when they’ll sweat, they change clothes when they get to work.

Copyright © 2003 by Wordspace Press. Learn more from the source: Urban Bikers' Tricks & Tips.

Scan the Road When You Ride

Copyright © 2003 by Wordspace Press. Learn more from the source: Urban Bikers' Tricks & Tips.

Copyright © 2003 by Wordspace Press. Learn more from the source: Urban Bikers' Tricks & Tips.

Check out more tips on the Urban Bikers Tips and Trips blog here. Buy the book here.

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MacGiver Goes Hiking–Hiking Tips for Long and Short Hikes

Posted in Fitness, Health and Wellness, tagged , , , , on June 1, 2010| Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Great Smoky Mountains

In preparation for our hiking vacation to the Smoky Mountains last week, I looked up some hiking tips to see what hiking experts have to offer. I found the hiking.biz website and they offered some great info. They list a hiking checklist so you don’t forget essential gear (and if you didn’t think you needed certain gear, it’s a good reminder to be safe and pack well–and light)! One of the things I love about hiking is that I can see so much more than if I travel by car or bike. And there’s nothing like being miles from civilization in the mountains to bring out the MacGiver in me. I will tell you more about our great hikes last week in future posts!

Hiking tips that would make MacGiver proud:

• Tell people you know where and for long you are going hiking in case you get lost or injured.

• Don’t wear cotton–if it gets wet it stays wet and can freeze. Not good, especially for socks!

• Bring an extra pair of socks in case they do get wet. Great tips on hiking socks here.

• If you hike in mountains, bring rain gear. Weather can change radically in a short period of time.

• Pack light!

• Use camelpacks or hydration packs versus water bottles. They are easier to carry and use. The water tube can easily attach to your pack and you can walk and drink water at the same time if need be.

• Bring high energy food like Larabars or Gorp. Even on a day hike you never know how long you may end up being out.

• Bring a basic first aid kit. Blisters can ruin a hike–Mole skins and bandaids are a must. A Snake bite kit can save your life.

• Bring warm clothes and leave them in your car to change into after a long day of hiking. Great if you get wet!

• Pack a pocket knife or multitool. A MacGiver Must!

• Hiking poles or sticks are extremely helpful for rocky or elevated terrain. I use snowshoe poles year round and they really help me get a better upper body workout as well as get me over streams and tough inclines.

• Bring a lightweight flashlight. You may end up hiking back in the dusk or dark depending on where you go and how well you can gauge daylight!

More tips here.

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