Sashajade Posted June 16, 2015 Posted June 16, 2015 I just felt like it would be useful to make a section specific to stuff like medical issues, watching out for our safety and pocketbooks when dealing with doctors, putting out useful info on medications, food, or alternative stuff we can do to heal ourselves. 7
MysterionMuffles Posted June 17, 2015 Posted June 17, 2015 hm that's a good idea. One where can talk about diets and exercise regimens as well. "Conquer the body, the mind will follow," after all.
Mister Mister Posted June 17, 2015 Posted June 17, 2015 ya I think it's a good idea. not quite philosophy but very important to living a happy life. especially in the US where within a generation you won't want to have anything to do with the medical profession.
Romulox Posted June 18, 2015 Posted June 18, 2015 Agree 100%; a healthy body is essential to a healthy mind. especially in the US where within a generation you won't want to have anything to do with the medical profession. A good portion of the US already doesn't want anything to do with the medical profession, present company included. Sharing ideas, articles, and especially first hand experiences seems to be a very effective way to break people away from the idea that the medical profession is infallible. 1
Carl Green Posted June 18, 2015 Posted June 18, 2015 A quick search for "health" alone returned 4 pages of topics. Sounds like enough content/interest for a subforum to me. 1
Sashajade Posted June 21, 2015 Author Posted June 21, 2015 Yea, health and wellness doesn't really fit in under the typical philosophy topics. I've just ran into a couple instances where I didn't know where I should put certain posts that seem to do with mental and body health.
bitcoin Posted June 21, 2015 Posted June 21, 2015 There is the Science & Technology page though. Health related topics would certainly fall under the category of Science?
MysterionMuffles Posted June 21, 2015 Posted June 21, 2015 ever since the conversation Stef had with Elliot Hulse recently, I'm convinced health and wellness play a big part in living a philosophical life. If philosophy is the love and search for truth and wisdom, it makes absolute sense to seek the truth and wisdom to proper physical self care. 1
J. D. Stembal Posted June 25, 2015 Posted June 25, 2015 I usually post health related topics in the S & T section, but they often get over-looked there. Elliot Hulse is so inspirational. I'm glad Stefan got to talk to him, otherwise I would have probably not found his channel until much later.
Carl Green Posted June 26, 2015 Posted June 26, 2015 While "Health & Fitness" parses out "Science & Tech." yet further, the question would be, is it worth it to do so. Just as there's a "Philosphy" and "Libertarianism, Anarchism and Economics" subforum. Seems to me like it would be worth it. And if it doesn't pan out, all the stuff there could easily be moved to the S&T subforum. 1
J. D. Stembal Posted July 1, 2015 Posted July 1, 2015 So where are we posting this stuff? Found this article on the J-shape spine of indigenous people, and curious if anyone else is interested. http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/06/08/412314701/lost-posture-why-indigenous-cultures-dont-have-back-pain?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20150608 I wouldn't hold your breath for the sub-forum, but I find that recording to be fascinating. I have suffered from tremendous back pain, but I've found that walking, strengthening the erector muscles in the lower back and the latisimus dorsi and rhomboids (between the shoulder blades), and not sitting down all the time contribute to a significantly better quality of life. I think it's pretty tragic that people spend thousands of dollars on specialized bed that are supposed to reduce back pain when they likely make it worse. Give me a firm cot or a spot on the floor and I'm happy.
J. D. Stembal Posted July 1, 2015 Posted July 1, 2015 P.S. What they describe in the recording is kyphosis. If you stand straight up, with your hands at your sides, your thumbs should be pointing forward. If they point inward, you have a upper back and shoulder problem.
J. D. Stembal Posted July 4, 2015 Posted July 4, 2015 I'm trying a hammock personally! Glad you've found some solutions to your back pain. Thanks for checking out the story. There's a vendor that sells custom knit hammocks in my town. I'm considering getting one to hang up on my deck so I can sleep outside at night. Beds are terrible, in general. I'd much rather sleep on the floor. The most comfortable bed I've ever owned is a futon. I'll let you know how I like the hammock!
Kurtis Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 Beds are terrible, in general. I'd much rather sleep on the floor. The most comfortable bed I've ever owned is a futon. +1! After listening to a biomechanist (Katy Bowman: http://www.katysays.com/ ) I decided to get rid of my big fancy expensive bed and started sleeping on the floor on a mat. Have been doing it for about 5 months now and love it. I work a very physical job and my body has responded extremely well to this change. Katy Bowman has some really interesting ideas about this, and many other facets of modern lifestyles, and how are bodies are being harmed by activities we consider normal or good. Plus incase philosophy isn't enough to separate you from the herd, try telling people you sleep on the floor! 2
J. D. Stembal Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 Plus incase philosophy isn't enough to separate you from the herd, try telling people you sleep on the floor! I might just start doing this to try it and see. I've slept on the floor before but I never made a habit of it. Also, I'm going to grab a hammock tomorrow and see how that feels slung across my deck. It's very nice outside right now, so tonight would have been a good night to try it.
Kurtis Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 I might just start doing this to try it and see. I've slept on the floor before but I never made a habit of it. Also, I'm going to grab a hammock tomorrow and see how that feels slung across my deck. It's very nice outside right now, so tonight would have been a good night to try it. Yeah, it took a little while to become comfortable. The idea behind this (or at least my poor retelling) is that our tissues are soft, having never had to support our body weight. So at the beginning, it's uncomfortable until these tissues build the strength required. Also, the more frequent movement during the night, combined with the harder sleeping surface, results in a massaging effect on your muscles and helps the body realign itself. But, in her podcasts (link above) Katy does a much better explanation. Good luck with the hammock! I've been thinking about getting one instead of a tent, but have not slept overnight in one yet. I like sleeping outside, need to make that happen more often.
J. D. Stembal Posted July 10, 2015 Posted July 10, 2015 Just make sure you hang and lay in it correctly! Here are some helpful guides: http://www.treklightgear.com/treklife/how-to-hang-your-hammock/ http://www.treklightgear.com/treklife/hammock-angle/ The "hammock angle" is critical. But the hanging I've heard mixed reviews on, as far as how tight/loose you want to get it. Seems like erring on the looser side is better. How well hung is my hammock? https://youtu.be/hlHeXp_-048 Thank you very much for the links. Plus reps to you, friend! I follow her as well! Specifically regarding the importance of squatting. Also I think she is the one I read about how to save your knees when walking/hiking up and down hill (proper gait). I need to check in on her more often! Thanks. Speaking of proper gait, functional footwear is crucial as well. I cannot wear a shoe with arch support or an elevated heel for more than a couple hours without experiencing extreme discomfort. Heel striking stresses out the leg and hip joints and atrophies the posterior chain of muscles over the period of months and years. My current footwear: I just wore a hole in my toe shoes. 1
shirgall Posted July 11, 2015 Posted July 11, 2015 I did the Vibram Five Fingers thing for a while myself, and got a bit of settlement money from certain health claims...
J. D. Stembal Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 I need to fix the angle of my hammock a little bit, but more than that, I need 60 degree weather at night.
J. D. Stembal Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 Not the angle your hammock's at, the angle you are LAYING in your hammock. (This one: http://www.treklightgear.com/treklife/hammock-angle/) What are your current nighttime temperatures? 70* is about what I have here. Been sleeping in the hammock past 5 or 6 nights. It's going fine, but still have back/shoulder/neck pain. Might need to try floor-sleeping. I laid in it correctly (head on one side, feet on the other), but I think the hooks from which the hammock is hanging need to be separated a little further. Last night, the low was somewhere between 50-54. Tonight, the forecasted low is a rainy 43 F. Where are you trouble spots for pain? I'm curious if we share anything in common pain-wise.
J. D. Stembal Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 My main problem areas are upper back between the scapulae, the lower back which I have tweaked a number of times, and tennis elbow on my right arm. I cannot use mice or golf because of this tendonitis in my arm. I also have a little tightness in the hamstrings and hips, which comes from sitting a lot. My years of video gaming and working behind computers caught up with me rather quickly. I was playing around with computers since the age of 4 or 5, so you can imagine how devastated my posture is. I can tell just by running my fingers up along my spine that there are at least two place where the vertebrae are slightly out of alignment. Compared to everything else, my neck is fantastic but I had a run in with muscle spasms at the base of my skull once before. I'm relatively fit now, but all these historical traumas have me operating from a deficit in physical performance. I'm curious to know how the generation behind me will fare. Judging from what I see young people doing, I imagine it will be an entire generation of people who cannot look up.
J. D. Stembal Posted July 13, 2015 Posted July 13, 2015 I have 2 twisted cervical vertebrae, going back many years and several different injuries. So as you can imagine, my soft tissue is tight and bunched up in odd places, hips all out of alignment, etc...Quite the mess. My right shoulder (I call it the shoulder - kind of all over my scapula) hurts a lot. Neck is stiff and feels like bone-on-bone scraping sometimes. Any asymmetrical activities (all of them!) make me feel even more crooked. How about you? Have you seen either of these videos before? They have been linked around the forums in a couple places. I've been doing these stretches for the past six months or so, and I have dramatically less back pain, but I also do back strengthening exercises such as dead lifts, rows, pull ups, etc. Here is me enjoying my stool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPUxX-9d0FA The stool was a dumpster pick, the roller was $25, and the tie downs were $5.
Kurtis Posted July 15, 2015 Posted July 15, 2015 I think I've done so much forced movement that I don't really know the difference between that and what my body actually wants/needs to do. Good work on reducing the 'casts' in your living environment! I used to struggle with stretching enough, or simply moving my body in ways that it wanted or needed to. I noticed though that when I spent more time on the floor, after getting rid of my couches, that this has changed dramatically. The more you do to honour the temple that is your body, the better you should be able to hear what it needs.
J. D. Stembal Posted July 15, 2015 Posted July 15, 2015 J.D., thanks so much for posting the videos. I haven't watched them in entirety, really only the first few seconds of each. The first move in the first video is something I was doing instinctively. After I got into yoga for a little while, and then was injuring myself with strength and balance poses, I went into an instinctive flow. There were/are many sessions I've sent almost entirely doing that pose he demonstrates (bent backwards with fists in back/hips). I also have tendonitis in my right arm. I use the mouse with my left hand mostly, and try to switch off as many activities and postures as I can. It really bums me out, because as I said above, I was getting into yoga and had the strength and balance to do some cool poses. But my tendons could not handle it. I listened to some more Katy says, and I think I've done so much forced movement that I don't really know the difference between that and what my body actually wants/needs to do. One of my favorite things to do is rearrange my house/furniture, and she's given me the inspiration to do some more! Getting rid of my dumb bulky desk is first. Will alternate between low coffee table and top of a dresser. Then switching my bed out for futon mattress on the floor (just for reading/snuggling with kids). Then putting bed (really just mattress & box spring) where the futon was in the guest room/office. The futon in couch-mode is horrible on my back! Then clearing off my front porch for some more floor-sitting area. So what else are you up to? Maybe I should take some photos before and after these weird feng shui changes. :-D The stool looks heavenly! My advice is to put down the mouse. That's what I did, at least. I've been mousing extensively since I was 9 or 10, when my family got its first IBM compatible PC. I have a Logitech Wireless Touchpad T650. It was on sale at Office Max for $30, so I grabbed it. I can operate the touch pad from any surface from across the room if I want using either hand. It's brilliant and relieves a lot of stress that would otherwise bite at my tendon. This is a recent repetitive stress injury that only manifested about 22 months ago. I tried an "ergonomic mouse" but changing the hand position does not really help me attenuate the pain. I would be fascinated to hear about your Feng Shui experiment! Elliot Hulse also talks about the standing desk. It's a desk that you can lower and elevate to suit your height. Optionally, you can kneel in front of a traditional desk, but this is going to put more stress on your pelvic floor, hips, glutes and the entire lower body so be ready for soreness. I refuse to use chairs if I have a better option. Sitting down, like wearing shoes is extremely painful for me if I do it for an hour. People who are sitting all day can alleviate the effects by walking around every 15-30 minutes. The reason why this topic is important to me is because I want to win a weight lifting competition, and I need to get my body aligned, greased, and operating properly to maximize my strength, mobility and performance. Currently, I'm scouring the internet looking for my first competition, so I can fail hard. There's another movement that may be valuable to you, Mama. It's the air squat, basically a squat without any extra load other than your body weight. I'm at the point where I can sit in the bottom of the squat with my elbows on my knees for a short time and read or eat. This is also the position from which humans were designed to defecate.
shirgall Posted July 27, 2015 Posted July 27, 2015 Does this mean we will soon see a review of "The Anarchy Workout"? 30 minutes, 2 dumbbells, No rules! http://www.theanarchyworkout.com/theanarchyworkout/index
Sashajade Posted July 27, 2015 Author Posted July 27, 2015 Lol! "the anarchy workout" that's actually kind of a good idea. Like a basic total body workout do it in your home hehe! Thanks everybody for being supportive of my topic, you guys are awesome!
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