The Science of Yoga

I just finished The Science of Yoga by William J. Broad.  I want to do more yoga!  According to the author, yoga is probably the secret to happiness, better health, incredible sex, and world peace. But what yoga is not, says Mr. Broad, is:  safe; aerobic exercise; or well understood.

This book is probably the definitive voice on the topic. The author carries great credentials, with two Pulitzers and an Emmy in his background. Currently he is a science journalist for the New York Times. He has also practiced yoga for decades. So with my tremendous respect for thorough documentation and reliance on primary sources, I've decided to believe what he writes.

On safety: there is no central database or reporting on yoga injuries as such. But there are many instances of various kinds of injuries from taking things too far. Most disturbingly, the inverted poses and positions that put pressure on the neck can and do lead to strokes, sometimes fatal. Training of yoga instructors is very uneven, and there are no feedback or communications mechanisms to let even conscientious instructors know what is happening elsewhere so they can modify their practices to make them safer. He strongly faults the yoga industry for not facing these issues.

On exercise:  there have been several definitive and rigorous studies measuring what is happening in the body during and after a yoga class, focusing on measuring how much exercise is going on and what kinds of impacts on heart rate, breathing, and oxygen levels in the blood are created. It is totally clear: yoga, even sun salutations and other flowing combined movements, are not exercise. Yoga slows metabolism, and the effects linger. All other things being equal, a slower metabolism is likely to result in fewer calories burned in the course of a day.

But all other things are never equal. The stress reduction effects from yoga are likely to be producing so many other health benefits that its clearly worth it.  The strength and flexibility gains are very real as well. It's just not the only exercise you will ever need, despite common claims to the contrary.

If you are interested in yoga, read this book. Most of it explores the positive sides of yoga, and what we know about its mental and physical benefits. The promise of yoga is enormous. Mr. Broad would like to see it expand and blossom in conjunction with science so that it becomes part of mainstream life. And that just might lead to universal happiness and world peace.

Mileage

In the hotel room, I woke with no alarm shortly after six, in the dark. My bold plans to get a long run in this morning seemed foolish, after a day spent mostly on my feet standing around, and then staying up late last night waiting for the teen dancer to bounce back to the room. So I lay and struggled.

At some point there was a clear realization that no matter how the rest of the day was going to go, I would feel better if I got down to the gym first. I had plenty of time, no need to rush, but going would make me happy and pleased with myself, and also physically more comfortable for the rest of a day of standing around and sitting in cramped spaces. How very pleased with myself am I to have realized the exertion would be a physical benefit!

So I got down there around 7 and was the only one in the fitness center. Despite the lying around, I still hadn't had any coffee or anything to eat, though I learned my lesson yesterday and drank lots of water and brought the bottle with me. Today was another day where the subjective effort seemed all out of proportion to the physical effort. I went 16 minutes on the long run, one more minute than last time, but slower than usual. I was huffing and puffing and wanting to stop before the end, but my heartbeat had only risen very slowly and was still in the 140s when I slowed. I was planning to do the whole 5k when during the next jog interval, with my heartbeat still in the 130s but my legs moving through jello I decided "what the hell" and hit the cooldown button. I got the psychological and physical lift, and I was more than ready for coffee. I'm a little disappointed in myself now, but only a little.

Must be the caffeine that helps elevate the heartbeat and keep me going a little bit faster. I've read it needs 30-45 minutes to do its thing, besides.

Anyway, mileage for the week starting on Monday: 1 mile Monday, 1 mile Wednesday, 2.5 Friday, 1 on Saturday, and 1.5 today. Seven miles total for the week.

By the way, there is a rule of thumb on calorie burn: 100 calories per mile. This is the same whether walking or running, because pretty much it's the same amount of "work" in physics terms: moving your body mass one mile regardless of time. This rule of thumb is a good rough gauge over a variety of body weights, apparently, though more weight is more work. It's not true for swimming or biking, where your weight is supported by other than your muscles. So all this work and I've only burned an extra 700 calories for the week! And the running is definitely making me hungrier in the mornings. Something to keep in mind.

A Tad Cranky. Totally Off Topic

In a little while I intend to let go and reframe, but just a little venting first. We're at a popular culture showcase event for You Tube stars. We waited in line to check in for 75 minutes (they started 15 minutes late) then we stood in a throng for 45 minutes because they opened the doors 30 minutes late. Then some of the scheduled performers were elsewhere in the hotel, not coming to their performances on time.

So it's unprofessional and very disrespectful of the fans. I must say, they are uncritical and thrilled to be here. So I'm still a hero for being here. If I can't be tolerant, I shouldn't hang out with middle schoolers. Of course they are unprofessional, when you can rise to the top with a video camera and an internet connection, and never any training or encounters with live audiences. The artists are barely older than the fans.

But it is disrespectful of the fans, on the part of the producers who should know better and who are professionals.


- iPhone uPdate

Counting Down to the Race

I'm six weeks out from the first 5K race (I actually signed up for two with the second a week after the first). It's time to get really serious about training, since I still haven't run 3.11 miles without needing to walk. I'm trying to up both the frequency and the duration of my runs.
I did ok this week. After my declaration last Sunday, I did stay on the treadmill at the gym after my PT appointment and ran just a mile- twelve minutes. It took an extra 15 minutes which stretched to a half hour later start at work, which was fine or I wouldn't have done it. Tuesday I couldn't run, but Wednesday I fought concrete boots to get a mile in- but I had to split it up into four three minute runs. The body really didn't want to do it. Thursday I needed to be early to work, so no run. Friday, yesterday, I didn't go to work and managed to get the whole 5k in. Today, a mile in the hotel gym, before coffe or anything. I could have stayed longer but I also hadn't drunk much water and so I decided not to stay for more intervals after I had finished the nonstop mile. I'm thinking of this as my easy day- only a mile. Tomorrow morning I should be better prepared to go the whole 5k.
I was pretty happy with how the 5 k went yesterday. I broke the 40 minute mark! By like 5 seconds, but it counts. I ran 15 minutes, walked 3, then alternated 3 minute runs with 90 second walks. My heart rate was above 155 at the end of each of those 3 minute runs, but went down below 130 in each rest walk, so that was sustainable for a long time. I went into planning for 15 minutes "long" run at the beginning, and with the memory of cement boots Wednesday, but I do want to keep focusing on a longer initial run.
Since today I was going out in public in running attire, and I'm in Florida, I changed my clothes up a bit. I'm wearing above the knee compression shorts, but I would never want my butt to be viewed in them. I put on baggy sports shorts, pretty much the same length, over them. They also have deep pockets, great for the phone, room key, money, and glasses. I still wouldn't want to walk through a crowded lobby of folks in street clothes, but it was fine for room to gym to coffee shop to room.
So I really like the the aerobic cardio feeling of pushing myself like this. After my racing career is over (that will be in May), I hope the idea of running a mile or two for relaxation sticks with me. I feel fine, not at all drained, and better able to face the day having done this.
Sheryl Yvette (link) is totally a running goddess and my inspiration for my even beginning to think about a 5 k! She just did the New York half marathon and she feels fine. Hooray! "Run when you can, walk when you must, but never stop.". (I'll put in links when I get to a better computer.) done

Time Never Asks What Becomes of Us

I really think we have a limited amount of processing power and bandwidth for everything we do. Life is not a zero-sum game; we can do lots of things to expand overall. But there are limits to how far we can stretch, and eventually we just have to start making trade offs as opposed to simply doing more.

This is what I was thinking about during today's 5k run and run/walk on the treadmill. I kept trying to get the analogy, the metaphor, the image, to describe what I'm feeling. I'm bouncing between the three areas of work, family, and self, without enough time for all. My mind held, for a while, a visual image of circular type of pong, with me as the cursor bouncing and banging on three big multicolored circular wedges. But in each of these three area, there are several sub areas. The family has bunches of people- 3 kids, my brother in law, increasingly my mother is more dependent, the extended family and the coming trip to a wedding - and they all want a piece of me. And I want a piece of them. Me, I need time for exercise, for routine health care, for financial planning, for home maintenance, for non-family social connections. And work---- yikes, it's as busy as its ever been.

The pat phrase is, "Nobody on their deathbed wishes they had spent more time at work.". I don't know how I'll feel at the end of my life, but I sure wish I could spend more time at work now. But I can't. Not without sacrificing even more of the family and self wedges of my pie. I like my work a lot. I think I'm doing good stuff that matters. There are a number of people who work for me who count on me to do things that make their work life better and more satisfying. Sometimes, I lose myself in a work task, and I get the "flow" feeling that comes from total immersion in a very satisfying experience. So I wish I could do more to keep up with the mountains of things that need to be done.

A woman who worked for me in the 1980s came on board originally because I would hire her into a professional job on a part time basis. When her son grew older, she wanted to move to full-time work. "Are you ready to handle five days a week?" I tactlessly asked. "Five days of work was never the problem", she said gently, "it was having only two days to do everything else". Yeah. If only we could stretch more days into the week.

So I'm trying to do it all and more and more things are getting crammed into a stretchable space. But stress feelings are nearly off the scale. But that's where the running comes in.

It's still really hard to get started. But this morning, it was nearly magic when I did. I was on a tight deadline. I'll already spent more time on personal things than I had planned, and family time was coming up. But by golly I was going to get a run in. With adrenaline already coursing through my veins, the first several minutes of the run were terrific. Every footfall was pushing me forward to a better place. And for hours afterward- even till now- the buzz from endorphins or whatever it is makes me happy and satisfied.

So I'm trying to figure out how to get more of this buzz. Besides, I'm not where I wanted to be in terms of pace or endurance. The only arena with give is work, and the only time to give up is in the morning. So this week, I'm going to try to get in more running time, and the front end of my work day will just have to give a little. Lunch time workouts are too easy to defer. I'm not sure about after work on the mall, though I'm still thinking about it.

Let's see how it goes.

Going the Distance

SO very busy right now - I really didn't need to lose that hour today!  I did carve out time last Sunday and today to get down to the treadmill, but I need more time than that to get ready for the big events (I'm now signed up for two 5Ks - back to back weeks - Silver Spring and Takoma Park.

Today was tough. I ran 12 minutes, walked 3, ran 5 minutes, walked 3, ran 4 minutes, walked three, ran 3 minutes, walked, then galloped for 90 seconds at a very fast pace, and walked the last minute to finish the 5K. I've clearly lost momentum on the training, because of life and perhaps running into inevitable plateaus. But I'm seven weeks out, and need to get cracking!

Today I did the treadmill 5K in 40:56. I did better a month ago, but at least I did it.

I love daylight savings time!  I'm contemplating taking running clothes to work and running on the mall after work. A Friday would be good because I would be much less likely to see any of my staff as I move around the building in my running attire.  Something to think about for this week.

So much interesting news on the diet and exercise front - the science of yoga, yoga increases your sex drive, statins lower your cholesterol but ruin your memory, more and more, but no time now.

Big Day Tomorrow

Once a year, I give a speech in front of hundreds of people at the Washington Convention Center. Sadly, I had to spend all week running (only figuratively) from crisis to crisis, so I still don't have the timing or emphasis right yet. Got to do another timed run through, after this round of Idol. But all week, I've known how much better I'd feel if I could get some vigorous exercise in, and all week it's been too frantic to break out and go.

This is a once a year event, and will be over by tomorrow. Got to get some good exercise hormones running through my body to get the stress levels down.