Check this out…a picture by Katy is worth 1,000 of my words….!
http://katysays.com/2009/09/08/planes-trains-and-a-sore-back/
Today was a mega-travel day. Started at Oxnard Airport while it was still dark. A short flight put me in Terminal 8; I needed to be in Terminal 7. Quite the hike, while lugging an overpacked bag, with a short connection, and an absolute need to have Wolfgang Puck scrambled eggs and hot coffee before boarding a flight to Chicago.
In the last two years, I’ve spent a lot of time running through airports, often in high heels. It’s been agonizing. Several times, I’ve taken them off and run through a terminal in stocking feet (risking falls on slippery floors). I was more strategic today: I wore a pair of Earth shoes from the new fall line. A smart Mary Jane in an amazing plum color, these shoes are from the couture line, and even boast a tiny heel (still negative heel technology and healthy as heck).
I whipped through LAX with great confidence and no sore feet. Chicago found me with a REALLY long hike to another concourse, and I made it in record time, and with a remarkable degree of comfort. I landed at Reagan and had quite the hike to baggage claim…same thing. Walking felt safe, stable, comfortable, and fashionable. Several women asked me where I got the shoes.
This week, as I work in Washington, DC, promoting the idea of a sustainable food system, I’ll be modeling the idea of a sustainable me by wearing healthy, fashionable footwear that will enable me to walk to nearly all of my meetings. (My last two visits to DC, I’ve often taken cabs for even relatively short distances when I’m wearing high heels. This week, I’ll be walking the mile or so between each of my meetings instead).
It feels good to walk this kind of walk.
This week, I am in Washington, DC focusing on public policy surrounding sustainable food systems, and specifically, gardening. I’ve been lucky enough to be included in a visit to the White House Vegetable Garden, and will also visit the USDA’s Peoples Garden as well as giving a talk at the US Botanic Garden. Gardens and gardening; and talking about the former!
I’m a little behind on posting, but here’s a brief update.
* Back and neck continue to be vastly improved, thanks to Katy’s Rx movements and the Earth shoes.
Katy’s provided some activities for me to do while I’m traveling. No special equipment necessary…remember, your body is the best piece of gym equipment! To make it fun, though, Katy has made a circuit training that doesn’t require a gym! These four activities create one circuit. Repeat the circuit three times for great alignment, movement, stress relief, and sustainability while traveling…which is sometimes when you need it the most!
* Monster walk. Feet hip width apart, straight, walk to the left 10 steps (keep your knees straight. This is harder than it looks, btw, and will really blast those muscles on the outside of your hips and legs). If you want to make this more challenging, use an elastic workout band around your ankles. Now, do the same to the right. Repeat on both sides three times. You’ll be sweating, trust me.
* Lift and lower. Use your half dome if you have it (easily packable. You could also use a curb as long it’s not a busy street!). Turn the half dome over, so the flat side is facing up. Balance on it with one foot. Keep your knee straight. Now, keeping the other leg straight, lift and lower each foot. The trick is to mobilize your hip muscles to do this. Keep your shoulders relaxed. Do this for one minute on each foot. Your balance will improve greatly, and so will your strength.
* Piriformis stretch. Easy to do in an airport…I did it in both LAX and O’Hare today! Bend about halfway down (like you are sitting in a chair), with your butt against a wall. Knees are bent, feet straight and about hip width apart. Now, take your right leg and bend it across your left knee. Bend your back and make it like a table top…only your butt will be against the wall. Hold your right foot if you need, too, but better yet, let your arms hang down. The stretch is wonderful. Now switch sides. Sixty seconds on each side.
* Double calf stretch. Use your half dome, or a rolled up towel. Put your weight back on your heel, feet on the half dome or towel. Now, bend over, being sure to lift your tailbone. Let your arms hang down. You’re certain to feel this in the calves and hamstrings.
That’s it. I’ve done two circuits today, need to get a third in….
More later!
I’m showing my age with a reference to Three Dog Night, an iconic band from my childhood. For about a year, a group of us would sing “Joy to the World” every time we rode the bus on a school field trip. The “Three Dog” reference is also about my three canine girls. But for my new walk routine, I’ve decided it’s got to be a One Dog Morning. Three leashes and twelve paws are just too much for me too handle that early in the a.m.
So, my walking companion will be Winifred, aka Winnie-the-Pooh-Bear-Dog, Freddy Head, Fredo, or simply the Winster. Winnie is about two years old, and we’ve had her since Thanksgiving 2007. She’s a wonderful girl, an interesting mix of – depending on the vet surveyed – cattle dog, Australian shepherd, shepherd, huskie, retriever?
I envy Winnie her physique and athleticism. She can – literally – step up a couple of feet onto the top of the doghouse. She can run like a gazelle, and leap over the other dogs and over the retaining wall, seemingly without effort. She loves to play. She is lean and lovely. Despite her athletic nature, this girl knows how to relax, and can easily get comfortable. She teaches me important life lessons.
- Winifred
Earth Shoes is NOT providing Winnie with shoes as she accompanies me on my journey. And I’m not sure how to calculate the number of steps she’ll take. She has four paws; I have two. Do I double my steps? A problem for the ages.
Look for updates about the progress Winnie and I made on our morning walks through mid-town Ventura.
It wasn’t a kiss that left me weak-kneed today, or (yet) another county/state budget crisis. No, what made my legs go noodle limp were a couple of squats.
Today marked the conclusion of the third week of the Sustainable Me Project. Since I started this journey with Katy, I’ve added Earth shoes to my wardrobe, and added some other things to my life. Regular walking segments. Calf stretches. Hip strength and opening movements. Alignment challenges. Arm exercises. And what’s exciting to me is that I’m finding myself integrating these movements – because that’s what they are – into my daily lifestyle. For a fairly regimented person, this is a novel idea…that I don’t have to “set aside” 15 minutes to do arm exercises. I can do these arm movements while standing in line at the bank. Today, while waiting for an appointment, I managed to complete my daily goal of side-to-side movements, which are building up my hip muscles and are significantly improving my balance. For me, this is a paradigm shift. This isn’t a fitness routine: these are sustainability boosters that require only a simple piece of gym equipment that is really portable: my body.
Today was about squats. When you’re young, you squat a lot (at least I did…mostly because there were really cool things to look at down on the ground, like bugs, tiny flowers, dropped cheerios). The muscles used in squatting are vital to hip strength, pelvic floor strength, core strength. And there’s some evidence that strong muscles in these areas can help with issues that plague many women, such as irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, and incontinence.
I’ve become acutely aware of the need to maintain strength as I grow older. I’ve seen my dad, in particular, struggle with self-care in recent years, requiring assistance bars throughout the house. This concerns me. I want to age, and I want to age well.
Katy showed me four things that I can do readily, that I can easily add to my daily routine…four things that will result in a huge pay-off in terms of rapidly increasing strength and helping me to assure my sustainability as I grow older. To facilitate your understanding of these exercises (and for your viewing pleasure), Katy will post photos of the activities on her blog later. (And hey, I wore large sweatpants today and these pictures aren’t about looking regal, but about being REAL. This is me on my lunch hour, trying to improve my life. It ain’t pretty, but it’s making me feel better. And the walls in Katy’s studio are a lovely coral color that does much to boost my mood).
1. Half-dome squat. You actually need two half-dome styrofoam blocks for this activity, and stretching your calves is key to doing this successfully. Put two half-dome blocks on the floor, long-wise. Put your heel on the curve of the half-dome. Now, gently squat down, arms straight in front of you. Try to keep your weight on your heels, and scoot your butt out behind you. Really keep your weight on your heels…try to lift your toes up. You won’t fall back, but even if you did, it’s what, a few inches? And it’s not like I’ll be there to take your picture. Just do it. Really. You’ll be fine.
I’m actually a pretty good squatter, and was able to get down low and dirty. But here’s the killer part. Without using forward momentum, try to slowly stand up, using not your quads, but other muscles. I couldn’t do it. But you know what…I’m guessing within a week I’ll be able to. Try to do 3-5 of these a day.
2. Toilet squat. Okay, you could use a stool for this, but since you’re probably using the restroom 6-7 times a day, why not just commit to doing this every time you go? Seem strange? Think how much better your bathroom looks without assist bars above the toilet paper roll.
Sitting on the toilet, get up as described in 1, arms in front of you, weight back on heels, toes lifted. Try to use hip muscles, don’t just rely on your quads. Don’t use your arms to push up, or to pull you up. This is similar to the half-dome squat, except that you’re up higher. It’s hard. Commit to doing this 3x every time you use the restroom.
3. Assisted deeper squat (door). For this activity, you’ll need a door. Open a door, and grasp the door handles with your hands. Gently lower yourself into a squatting position. Make sure that your knees are positioned somewhat over your heels, and that the outside of your feet are straight (no duck feet here). Now, put your weight back on your heels…press down if you will. Try to lift your toes up. Now, pushing down through your heels, push up. Don’t just rely on those buff arms to pull you up. And don’t rely on the forward momentum you could get by putting weight on your toes. Tougher than it sounds. 2-3 of these a day – only 2-3! – will pay large dividends.
4. Chair squat. This emerged as my favorite, not because it’s the easiest, but because I can do it every time I get up from my chair. EVERY TIME. Sitting in your chair, push your heels down. Weight on your heels. Lift your toes up. Put your arms in front of you. Push up with your heels (no forward momentum from leaning forward on feet allowed…keep those toes lifted!). Seems deceptively easy. Try it, and you’ll see it’s a paradigm shift for most of us. We tend to pull ourselves up from our chairs, or push up by leveraging a surface like a desktop.
Tonight, my legs aren’t sore. They feel used. In a good way. Noodle legs, begone!
I took the day off today. Summer is quickly winding down, and I wanted to savor one of the last days home with Natalie before she leaps into another year of busy-ness. She is turning into a young adult all too quickly, and I find myself spending a lot of my time each day just staring at her, marveling at her, how much she has changed/is changing, even on a daily basis.
I took advantage of the time to take a walk around the neighborhood. I planned for 15 minutes; I spent 30. Part of it is that my feet are so comfortable in the Earth walking shoes I’m wearing: I don’t require orthotics with these. It feels good to walk, to move. The physical act of walking seems to match my current mental state, which I’d characterize as nearly constant and active reflection. The extended walk and my mood provided an opportunity to meditate about the nature of change.
The neighborhood itself is changing. Old friends on St. Paul’s have divorced, and put their home on the market, and are heading out-of-state. An old friend on San Roque passed away earlier this year; his house is on the market as well. Two other houses, where older neighbors live, now have new wheelchair ramps installed. A new garden is going in on Dunning, and there are some new families with young children. Two of the ”children” in our neighborhood, whom I saw and waved to on my walk, are entering their senior year in high school. The kids who washed my car for change are now evaluating college options. Everywhere, I turn, things are changing. The old is making way for the new.
We resist change, even when change is good for us. We resist adopting good habits because it’s hard to change bad ones. Continuing on in the same old rut offers the path of least resistance. At least for me.
As I inch closer towards achieving a major life goal, I face the notion of huge change. New goals, new ways to spend time, new projects, new relationships await me. And I will inevitably leave some things behind as this period in my life ends. That is the nature of change.
What I also hope to leave behind are some of the physical habits I’ve adopted that aren’t providing me with optimal sustainability. The new habits Katy is gently encouraging me into feel so much more sustainable. It’s a gradual process, but I am seeing positive changes already.
Soundtrack: In the last several months, you’ve seen me around town with buds in my ear, listening to my green Nano. I always get questions about what I’m listening to. I have nearly 600 songs, lectures and podcasts loaded.
Today, I started off my walk with Junior Walker’s “Shotgun” to get me moving. Then I switched to Sarah McLachlan and Sheryl Crow, with some Yo Yo Ma cello thrown in for good measure.
Katy shared with me on Wednesday information about neck positioning, which I mentioned briefly in my posting earlier today. This is one of the things I’m focusing on this week: becoming more mindful of my neck position. It’s working.
This is essential information to have.
Check this out.
http://katysays.com/2009/07/31/this-head-position-can-be-hard-to-swallow/
I’m heading to Washington, DC on Labor Day for a week filled with gardening, sustainable food systems and public policy. Some big stuff planned that week. I’m happily distracted preparing, but have a lot on my mind, including the fact that…
I want the First Lady’s arms.
Whatever your politics, you have to love First Lady Michelle Obama. She’s strong. She’s fit. She’s a realistic size. She carries herself beautifully. And she’s inspiring me in all sorts of ways. (And I love her White House vegetable garden. Eleanor Roosevelt would be so proud).
In my last post, I wrote about my lack of fondness for my legs. (My fondness is growing, thanks to Katy, walking and Earth shoes). The other area of my body that I’m a little self-conscious about? My arms. 94 degrees in Minneapolis? You’ll find me in 3/4 length sleeves or a cardigan sweater.
When I was younger, I had strong arms. Shapely arms. Something happened along the way. I reinforced some horrible posture habits that have forced certain muscles – up in my shoulder – to do the work of my arms. Endless hours tap, tap, tapping away on the computer have confused my body about the real position my arms should naturally be in. And because I’m not using my upper arms as much as I should be, they’ve gotten flabby. You know what I’m talking about…that saggy stuff on the back of your upper arm. I have that stuff.
I’m willing to give that stuff back and to reclaim the strong, shapely, pain-free arms that are my body’s natural heritage. Can I exchange them for something stronger, leaner, healthier? I can, right?
Katy is helping me to do that.
She’s outlined some important information about this in her blog, so hie thee there to get the exercises. Yes, there are pictures.
I saw some basketball folks at Santino’s tonight (no, I did not eat the pizza…and yes, I missed it. That is some good pizza!). So, one of the women, Aileen (hi!), mentioned that she’d been following my blog. I did one of the exercises and indicated I’d be focusing on this area.
So that when I go to DC in a few weeks, if weather permits, I’m wearing short sleeves. Because my arms are going to be so much better. And feel so much better.
Katy is making me realize that you don’t need a gym membership or a home gym full of fancy equipment to do these exercises. My new routine includes good shoes, an elastic band, a styrofoam half dome, and the fanciest piece of equipment ever created: my own body. I can do Katy’s exercises while standing on the corner waiting for a light to change; while sitting in my car waiting for basketball practice to end; or while in my office. It’s that simple.
More on your real home gym later.
In the meantime, don’t you want to get up in arms, too?
We are supposed to love ourselves, and our bodies. For the most part, I do love and value my body. I’ve become less focused on my body’s flaws, and have learned to focus more on what it can do. (Childbirth is great for showing you what your body can do). I’ve become more accepting about the fact that my body is less-than-perfect. Happier with a good body chemistry panel…a little less concerned about some of the extra weight in certain places. Happy to have great skin; not so focused on a flabbier arm. However, I have never made peace with my legs. (Don’t look at them next time you see them! Don’t focus on my jiggly thighs…look at my gorgeous eyes!).
I have a history with my legs. When I was in high school, I was a twirler. I wore bling outfits (basically a one piece bathing suit with fringe and glitter) and boots. I vividly remember then, 30 years ago, thinking that my legs were “fat.” (Now? I look at those high school yearbook pictures and think two things: What the heck were my parents thinking letting me out of the house dressed liked that, and wow!, my legs looked marvelous!). They look less marvelous now, and generally, I’m hyper-critical of my legs. I’m also hard on them. And you’re hard on your legs, too.
I committed to wearing Earth shoes for six weeks. The Earth shoe experiment was primarily to get me out of high heels, which I adore but which cause me exquisite and constant neck and back pain (love hurts, right?). High heels keep me moving less. Wear them to work, and it’s less likely I’ll take a walk. It’s not the high heels themselves causing the pain, but the fact that they throw my body weight entirely forward and completely mess up my body’s natural alignment. They affect my stride…I tend to shuffle. This has affected my balance. (More on shuffling and balance in the next post. We’ll talk about hips, too). So there is the alignment issue, which was the primary issue I sought to address when I took on this shoe challenge at Katy’s suggestion.
Another issue? Foot pain. Katy had me take a picture of my bare foot next to my beloved high heels. I was SHOCKED. (I haven’t included it here because I have peasant feet and unpainted toe nails. I like my feet only slightly more than I like my legs). The only visual I could think of? The image of Cinderella’s stepsister trying to shove a size 9 foot into a size 5 shoe. My foot is bending and being squeezed and contorted to fit into high heels.
Recently, I’ve developed foot issues. A strange, painful and large lump on the bottom of my foot required a doctor’s visit, an xray, a visit to a specialist, and two visits to another specialist who fitted me with orthotics. Consensus? Scar tissue, basically knotted connective tissue. Cause? Trauma and shoe fit. Options: surgery or orthotics. National health plan? Not if we’re paying for stuff like this. This was a self-induced problem. Other foot issues? Sore toes (being hugged for eight or ten hours even by high heels you love and dream about can hurt). And those twenty-three hour days spent running through airports in these things, while carrying two heavy bags? GREAT for my feet! GREAT for my back! GREAT for my neck! (I’m being sarcastic here).
But I love high heels, because I think they make my legs look better. And I don’t like my legs so much. They make me look taller. Perhaps more authoritative? Thinner?
Getting me out of those wasn’t easy, but here I am, 8 days into wearing Earth shoes. And all the reasons for wearing high heels I wrote above have been proven wrong.
I recently posted that I was already seeing a difference in calf definition. I attribute this to three things: the calf stretches prescribed by Katy, 45 minutes a day of walking, and…the Earth shoes. I am not being paid or compensated by Earth shoes to write these things. I’ve never had a conversation with an Earth shoe employee. I am relating what I’m observing and experiencing. It’s pretty simple:
The shoes are working.
You know I’m wearing them. You’ve seen me around town the last week in these Earth shoes. Some of you have given me some looks, too, because I’ve been wearing tennis shoes with skirts. I’ve shared with some of you what I’m doing. I’ve been faithful. And the shoes are…working.
There are a couple of observations I will share. The shoes aren’t heavy, but they have a heft and solidness about them that lets me know that they take their job seriously. I value that. We all want things that work for us. Each step I take in them feels more intentional. It’s difficult to articulate this, but here goes: I can feel that the shoes are working the muscles in my legs and MY CORE. When I’m in high heels, it’s all calf, baby. The alignment of my body in high heels is tummy thrust out, shoulders back…makes sense…high heels are throwing me forward and I’m trying to maintain my balance. You don’t have to be an engineer to know that this is like the Tower of Pisa. Interesting look, but structurally sound?
Earth shoes? They’re allowing me to rest back on my heels. It’s the negative heel technology. They’re working my entire leg, and my abdomen. Walking feels less like an act of isolated muscles, but rather, like an integrated and aggregated movement.
My stride has lengthened; the number of steps I take each day has increased because a) it’s easier to move and b) it feels good. Yes! It feels good to work muscles. Share a secret with you? For the first time since Junior High (sorry Coach Honeycutt), I feel like I could actually run. Like I want to move faster. (The idea of me moving any faster has to be terrifying to some of you). The thing is, I’m moving more quickly and I’m moving better.
Family observations:
- The shoes actually make me look taller. (Negative heel technology and Katy’s exercise and alignment tips).
- When I wear the shoes, my tummy looks flatter. (Katy’s exercises and alignment tips are a huge contributing factor to this).
- My posture has improved. (The negative heel technology IN combo with Katy’s tips have made a SIGNIFICANT difference here, all good, baby, all good).
- My calves are improving noticeably. (Katy’s prescribed stretches and the Earth shoes).
- The shoes are sporty and look great. (Natalie would like to borrow them. This is an endorsement).
- Mommy is not using heating pad/ice pack as much. (Katy’s regimen and the shoes).
Big huge thing this morning? I noticed that the front of my thighs, above my chubby baby knees, was tighter.
There is a study on the Earth shoe website. Katy conducted the research, and it’s good…and offers perhaps other benefits to wearing the shoes. When used as part of a 10,000 steps a day regimen, those wearing Earth shoes burned more fat, improved breathing and endurance, and worked their muscles differently. Burning more fat? Love it. Great benefit.
But what I love most? These shoes make me feel good. The lump on the bottom of my foot that “required” an orthotic device? I don’t need the orthotics when I’m wearing the Earth shoe. My feet don’t hurt when I’m wearing these shoes.
Katy has me walking 45 minutes a day on top of my normal physical activity. Tomorrow, I’m adding a pedometer to the mix, to see if I can layer in the goal of 10,000 steps each day. That’s about 4 miles a day. In these Earth shoes? A snap.
Confession? I miss my high heels. I visit them everyday. I even touch the aubergine ones, because they’re velvety. I’ll wear them after six weeks, but sparingly, for special occasions. But TRUTH? I won’t go back to wearing high heels in a significant way ever again, and my next shoe purchase will be another pair of Earth shoes. Why? They feel better. They’re working for me and with me.
Sold.
Your foot in high heels. Those bones don't look happy!!!
Tomorrow on my lunch hour I’ll meet with Katy again. I can’t wait to see what I learn!
What I’ve noticed…
My back and neck feel much better, overall. The Earth shoes and stretching seem to be helping considerably. The neck exercise is becoming part of my routine. I haven’t checked my weight, but I seem to be doing less stress eating (increased awareness? increased activity level?).
Check back tomorrow.
