“Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck” Dalai Lama
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The Brain That Changes Itself
This amazing book by Norman Doidge (psychiatrist, psychoanalyst and researcher) is about neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is a process by which the structure and function of the brain changes through thought and activity. Scientists previously believed that the brain had a fixed number of cells that gradually died as we aged. It’s now scientifically accepted that the…
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Congruence
On a certain day in 1456 a farmer entered the great city of Norwich with his son and a donkey. The man was riding the donkey, and his son was leading it on a rope. No sooner had they entered the city walls when they heard a passer-by say in a loud voice, “How disgraceful….
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Alcohol Slows Fracture Healing
A team at Loyola University Medical Center lead by Roman Natoli has discovered how alcohol can slow the healing of fractures. The study was conducted on mice and showed that alcohol: inhibits bone formation leading to bones that are less mineralised and weaker impairs normal cellular function by causing oxidative stress lowers levels of proteins that recruit…
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Should We Stretch To Warm-Up?
Should passive (static) stretching form part of our pre-activity warm-up or not? Ever since I can remember I’ve had this discussion with colleagues, clients and training partners. People usually have a firm view on the subject and stick to it doggedly. Over the last few years the evidence base has mounted; static stretching before exercise…
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MBT: To Wear Or Not To Wear?
Ever wondered whether MBT shoes really work? Well, a study was commissioned by companies that manufacture rocker sole shoes. The research was carried out by a team of physiotherapists from King’s College London. 115 people with chronic low back pain (CLBP) were randomly split into 2 groups; one was asked to wear rocker shoes for…
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The Science Of Yoga
I recently read William Broad’s new book ‘The Science Of Yoga – The Risks and the Rewards‘. William Broad has practised yoga since 1970. He works as a science journalist and is a 2-time winner of the prestigious Pulitzer Prize. It took him 5 years to write this book. It covers the history, the origins of…
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“Go confident in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined. Our aspirations are our possibilities.” Samuel Johnson
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The Chicken And The Eagle
There was a chicken farmer who was a very keen rock climber. One day, climbing a particularly challenging rock face, he came upon a large ledge. On the ledge was a large nest and in the nest were three large eggs. Eagle eggs. He knew it was distinctly unecological, and even undoubtedly illegal, but temptation…
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Watermelon Relieves Post-Exercise Muscle Soreness
Encarna Aguayo and colleagues from the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena in Spain have published a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that supports the use of watermelon juice to relieve post-exercise muscle soreness. They attribute the effect to the amino acid L-citrulline.