Is Barefoot Running Bad for You and Your Feet?

About a year and a half ago, I bought a pair of Nike Free barefoot-style running shoes.  Although I am not a runner, I do try to walk two to three miles a day.  As with a lot of runners and walkers, I was fascinated by the articles and books that touted the benefits of running barefoot or with shoes that mimicked that style.  Supposedly, according to anecdotal evidence, it prevented a whole host of foot and leg injuries. After wearing the Nikes for about a year, I developed a pain in my right ankle and foot.  After several months of pain and visits to several doctors, I finally learned that I had three fractures to my heel. Since I could not relate the injury to any specific time when I struck the heel or suffered an accident, I began to wonder if the shoes were the cause. A recent study suggests that may be the case.

In an article published in the journal, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the author, Sarah Ridge, a professor of exercise science at Brigham Young University, presented the results of an experiment she conducted to determine whether barefoot running reduced injuries or caused them. Dr. Ridge gave a group of 18 men and women Vibram Five Fingers shoes which are designed to mimic barefoot running. Another group of 18 wore their normal shoes.  All of the participants were experienced runners who usually ran between 10 and 15 miles per week. Before beginning the study, all of the runners were given MRIs and tested for foot injuries.  Both groups tested similarly.

After ten weeks, both groups were re-tested.  Those tests showed that nearly half of the runners wearing the barefoot style shoes showed signs of bone injuries to the foot.  These included increased edema, or the accumulation of fluid around the bone, and actual stress fractures to the heel and metatarsal.  Those in the control group, who wore their usual shoes, showed no such signs of injury.

What does this mean for the average runner or walker?  I think it shows that before choosing to wear the barefoot style shoe, make sure they are right for  you and your style of running or walking. And, above all, be very cautious as you use the shoes, making sure that they are not causing injury.

How to Perform Yoga Exercise Routines While Flying

I don't know about you, but when I fly in today's airplanes I feel like Colonel Nicholson (played by that wonderful actor, Alec Guinness) in the movie "Bridge Over the River Kwai." If you have seen that movie, you will remember the scene where Colonel Nicholson is captured by the Japanese during World War II and placed in a small metal box in the boiling hot sun as a punishment. When he gets out, he can barely walk because he is so cramped. Flying in those small seats on airplanes (17 inches across) for any length of time gives me the same feeling. I get up at the end of my flight and my back and feet ache as I try to retrieve my bag from the overhead compartment. Fortunately, there may be a way to avoid those feelings: Yoga!. Yes, yoga.

 As discussed in a recent article in The New York Times, "Striking a Pose Above the Clouds," May 5, 2013, there are several yoga poses you can do while flying and even sitting in your suit. These are basically simple stretches that will improve your circulation and maybe prevent that aching back. One of the easiest is to stretch and twist your body to the right and then the left. I suggest that you exhale as you twist to each side and inhale as you sit upright. Of course this move may be difficult if you are sitting next to the window or in the middle seat. Another simple move is to place your ankle on top of the opposite knee and hold it there. Again, given the narrow space between your seat and that in front of you, this move may be difficult to do unless you at least partially recline your seat. While these exercises can help with the lower back, a simple hug to yourself can provide relief for the upper back. Just hug yourself, trying to hold your hands against your shoulder blades.

I find two other stretches to be particularly helpful on long flights; One is simply to bend forward as far as you can in your seat. The other is equally easy: raise your hands in the air as high as you can. Do this several times while doing deep, diaphragmatic breathing and you will feel better overall. One helpful hint is to stand up as often as you can to avoid swollen ankles or worse yet, phlebitis an inflammation of the veins in the leg and which can cause death if blood clots are formed). Another way to avoid those is to simply lift both feet up on your toes several times/ You can do this exercise sitting or standing.

These are just a few poses and exercises that seem to help. It is also important to drink lots of water to keep hydrated and avoid alcohol. Try this approach and see if you feel better after a long flight.

How Much Do I Have to Exercise?

Would you eat less if you knew how long you would have to exercise to burn off the calories from that burger with cheese and mayo at the local fast-food restaurant? A study conducted by a professor at Texas Christian University suggests that the answer is "yes."

Dr. Meena Shah conducted the study with 300 men and women between the ages of 18 and 30.  The participants were given one of three menus and asked to decide which items they would choose to eat. One menu only contained the food items, the second, the number of calories in the food and the third, the amount of moderate exercise needed to burn off the calories consumed. All three menus contained the same food items.

Those participants who were given the exercise information were the only ones to significantly reduce the number of calories ordered and consumed.  Those participants who  were given menus with only the calories listed ordered and consumed about the same amount of food as those who did not know either the caloric count or the amount of exercise required to burn off those calories.

The full study was presented by Dr. Shah at the 2013 meeting of Experimental Biology.

How to Improve Your SAT and GRE Scores

Students (and their parents) are always looking for ways to improve SAT, GRE and other similar test scores. They often pay thousands of dollars for classes, books and other devices to increase those important scores.  While those methods do work for some people, they are expensive and can be very time-consuming.  There may be an easier and less expensive way to achieve the same results: mindfulness.

Now, I have written several times about the beneficial health benefits of mindfulness. However, recent studies have shown that mindfulness may help students increase their test scores on standardized tests such as the SAT or GRE.  Mindfulness is a means of focusing the mind and clearing it of random thoughts which can interfere in the thinking process. It is very simple to learn yet a very powerful tool. Typically, it involves sitting quietly with your eyes closed while you focus on your breath, a number or some sound. As thoughts intrude, you simply acknowledge them as merely thoughts and allow them to disappear.

In a study published in the journal, Psychological Science, a group of researchers from the University of California at Santa Barbara put a group of undergraduate students through a two week mindfulness study program.  Prior to the program, the average verbal score of the group was 460.  After completion of the program, the average score was 520. That is approximately a 13% increase which could make the difference between admission and rejection to a graduate program. A test group that was not given the mindfulness training but rather nutrition training,did not show any improvement

Several scholars of the brain functioning believe mindfulness can help keep the mind from wandering  and reduce stress and susceptibility to worry.

So, if you are preparing for a standardized test, include mindfulness training in your preparations. There are various books available that can get you started. The best in my mind is "Mindfulness" by Mark Williams and Danny Penman. Shop Amazon - Cinco De Mayo Event - Books, Music, Party Supplies

What is the Mediterranean Diet?

We all have heard about the Mediterranean diet and there are a number of best-selling diet books that explain it.  Yet, a lot of us are really not sure what it is and what it is supposed to do for you.  So, what is the Mediterranean diet?

In the May 2013 edition of the Nutrition Action Newsletter, there is a very helpful explanation of the Mediterranean diet and what it is and what it isn't, "Mediterranean Mix-Up." The article suggests that the original diet studied in the 1940s of the residents of Crete who had very low rates of heart disease consisted largely of bread, pasta and other grains (40%) and oils (30%).  However, the Mediterranean diet being touted today is heavy on beans, fruit, vegetables, fish, nuts as well as olive oil.  The article concludes that the Mediterranean diet as referred today is really quite similar to the DASH and Omniheart diets.

The Omniheart diet in particular favors large servings of the same foods that make up the Mediterranean diet and limits the amount of red meat, dairy and desserts and sweets.

In any event, by whatever name it is called, the foods at the heart of the Mediterranean diet (no pun intended) have been shown by numerous studies to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, strokes and high blood pressure. Bottom line is that it is certainly worth trying.

Easy Ways to Save on Everyday Expenses in Retirement

In our last post, we reviewed an online course entitled "Fundamentals of Personal Financial Planning" offered by the University of California at Irvine.  The course was an in depth study of almost all aspects of financial planning.  However, it is probably too advanced for most people. On the other hand a course offered by the Khan Academy is much more down to earth. www.smartmoneyhabits.com. Through a video, Easy Ways to Save on Everyday Expenses, it offers a number of ways you can save money on your grocery bills, cable and telephone bills. Most of the tips  we all have heard before, but it is always good to remind ourselves how little things like shopping with a list, using coupons, signing up for rewards or loyalty cards can all add up to big savings.

In addition to the Easy Ways to Save on Everyday Expenses video, several other videos are offered.  One fascinating one to me was the one entitled The Time Value of Money.  The video offers a cogent explanation of this sometimes elusive concept. Let me know what you think.

Overall, for most people, this is the course I would recommend if you are trying to get your personal finances in order.. It is quick and easy to understand and does not require a lot of prior knowledge. Shop Amazon - Perfect Gifts for Mother's Day http://astore.amazon.com/notjustforboomers-20

How Boomers Can Save Money in Retirement by Studying the Fundamentals of Personal Finance

We boomers all think we know more about money issues than we really do.  So maybe, we need a little help with our finances..  But who wants to go to a financial planner?  Even those who charge by the hour and do not take commissions can still cost you a pretty penny.  Money Magazine recently recommended two online courses to give you the fundamentals of financial planning. I thought I would test drive those for you and give you my impressions of the two courses.

First up is the course entitled "Fundamentals of Personal Financial Planning" offered by the University of California at Irvine. This no credit, no-fee course is available online at http://ocw.uci.edu/courses/course.aspx?id=12.  This course is not intended to replace a professional financial planner, but to help to give you a better understanding of financial planning. According to the course description, "The course was created to help those who cannot afford extensive planning assistance better understand how to define and reach their financial goals. It provides basic understanding so informed decisions can be made. The course can also be seen as a reference for individual topics that are part of personal financial planning."

The course is quite comprehensive, covering some 22 different topics from preparing cash flow and net worth statements to determining how much you will need for retirement.  If you are truly interested in planning your financial future, this is certainly a good place to assist you with your planning.  However, it does make certain assumptions that beginners may not be familiar with.  I think it is geared more towards the person with some general knowledge of the principles of personal investing who wants a refresher course.

In a future blog I will discuss another financial planning course from the Khan Academy. www.bettermoneyhabits.com.