Blog Musings

Osteoporosis and Fall Prevention

Osteoporosis and Fall Prevention Osteoporosis has been on my mind lately. I’m curious about the way patients are informed about what they shouldn’t do once diagnosed. Here are some things I’ve heard from students/clients: “never flex your spine again”  “never twist again” “cat/cow is not safe for your spine” “if you fall you will break your hip” Honestly, I don’t know how we move through our lives without some spinal flexion or rotation and telling someone Read more…

By Laurie, ago

Big Toe Love

Big Toe Love The Back Story A friend and I met to talk about her foot and the visit to her podiatrist. She had been previously diagnosed with bone spurs at the place where the big toe meets the foot, the MTPJ, or metatarsophalangeal joint. Many of us experience or may experience discomfort at this joint due to: bunions and hallux valgus (the big toe is living by the pointer toe) hallux limitus (reduction in Read more…

By Laurie, ago

The Pose you Hate Might Be the One Your Intuition Is Telling You Doesn’t Work For You Right Now

The Pose you Hate Might Be the One Your Intuition Is Telling You Doesn’t Work For You Right Now Part 1   The above sentence is a rewrite of the commonly spoken idea ” the pose you hate the most is the one you need to practice most.”  Ugh. I loathe that sentence. I’m going to practice never saying it, although it’s possible I’ve said it in the past because I’ve said some really stupid shit during the 40 years Read more…

By Laurie, ago
10,000 Steps

10,000 Steps Have you ever wondered where the  “walk 10,000 steps a day” prescription originated from? This prescription did not come from research or as medical advice. It originated in the mid 1960’s from Japanese marketers trying to sell a pedometer called the “manpo-kei”, which translates roughly in English to “10,000 step meter”. I know, right?? The question might be…. is 10,000 daily steps something to aspire to? Is it still a good goal to Read more…

By Laurie, ago

10 Things I Learned on a Group Backpacking Expedition

  10 Things I Learned While On a Group Backpacking Expedition    This summer I participated in a 7 day expedition for advanced high fitness backpackers. You can go here  https://andrewskurka.com/guided-trips/ to read about the Andrew Skurka guided trips. I’ve found it extremely challenging to talk and write about this experience.  It’s hard to put into words the amazing challenges, vulnerability, and personal growth I experienced from spending 7 days with myself, 8 “strangers”, and Mother Nature. Savoring the last Read more…

By Laurie, ago

What We Do on The Yoga Mat is Practice, Not Perfection

Last Thursday I took an excellent online zoom yoga class from my friend and colleague, Christina Sell. Christina and I share common tendencies and similarities in our teaching. Christina is also very different from me, too, which is great because I already practice by myself and guide myself on a regular basis so it’s nice to have someone else sequence and put together a practice for me to follow. Some of the ways I feel Read more…

By Laurie, ago

Bending Your Own Aging Curve – What to do About Age Related Muscle Loss PART TWO

Bending Your Own Aging Curve – What to do About Age Related Muscle Loss Part 2: FAST AND SLOW TWITCH MUSCLE FIBERS     A brief review of Part One “What to do About Age Related Muscle Loss”   https://mewithlauriebb.com/bending-your-own-aging-curve-what-to-do-about-age-related-muscle-loss-part-one/ I wrote about sarcopenia, the term for age related muscle loss and how it begins in our 30’s and accelerates dramatically in those over 60, especially those who are sedentary.   I also wrote that there’s Read more…

By Laurie, ago

Bending Your Own Aging Curve – What to do About Age Related Muscle Loss PART ONE

  Bending Your Own Aging Curve – What to do About Age Related Muscle Loss   You know I’m a bit obsessed with the idea of “bending your own aging curve”, especially as it pertains to using movement as a means to bend it, right?   If we consider that muscle mass begins to decrease in our 30’s, then the concept of “bending your own aging curve” is something that should interest everyone, not just Read more…

By Laurie, ago

10 Determinants of Healthy Aging

    10 Determinants of Healthy Aging   One of the two specialty focuses of my MS in Kinesiology is “geriatric exercise science” (ugh, what a name for it – sorry).   I continue studying the process of aging on my own time because I am both an aging adult and someone who provides professional services to other aging adults.   I am excited by the amount of research being directed towards the fact that Read more…

By Laurie, ago

Let Me Be Perfectly Clear….

  I received an email from a long time student saying, “ I was surprised to hear that most elder falls cannot be helped by balance exercises as they occur while the person is in motion.” That was obviously received as pretty scary news. Agreed and I sure hope I didn’t really say this in class! I believe I was saying that dynamic balance exercises ask us to maintain postural stability while moving, transitioning from one Read more…

By Laurie, ago