BIG HEAD?

One of the things that makes us humans, that separates us from lower animals, that is distinctive and unique in this universe, is the way we are able to hold our heads steady while we are walking!

Did you ever think about that? I never had til I read a recent article about a guy who is researching the human foot and how our feet differ from those of other mammals. In his research, he discovered that along with the development of a unique foot, humans developed a unique system of neck 'stabilizers' that allows us to see the world through a stable lens rather than a jumpy camera while we are walking and running.

This makes total sense, but I don't think it's something that even enters our minds on a conscious level. Well, at least not mine. What an advantage we have over most other life forms on this planet! Horses heads move up and down while they run. Pigs and dogs have heads that sort of wobble left and right with each stride. Even elephants and camels have loopy head movements when they walk.

We're unique! Apparently, from an evolutionary standpoint (if you buy that or by Grand Design if you don't), the stability of our heads gives us a wide range of advantages over other life forms. We can turn our heads while walking and running if we want. The stabilizers give us a steady visual picture of our world. Our ears remain oriented in a manner that's most advantageous for us.

This researcher also explains that hip, back, and neck problems that many relate to defects of our erect spinal cord are NOT due to our erect stature. They are due to downstream problems of our gait, based on our feet, if they are not properly aligned due to a congenital problem or because we either wear the wrong footwear or we don't exercise enough.

I have long known that back problems are often related to weak abdominal muscles. The abs keep our posture erect to protect all those vertebrae. Walking strengthens abs and back muscles, not to mention glutes and all the muscles of our legs. You should see the muscles in my legs! While I was born with a template for shapely (and possibly muscular) legs, I have certainly developed those muscles through walking. Best way ever to lose fat in the thighs and derriere. Refer to my earlier posts about me walking my #$%$% off!

So, if you needed one, here's another strong piece of evidence that our bodies are designed - beautifully, wonderfully, miraculously designed - to WALK.





***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.

TAKE A STROLL

Briefly, in a recent edition of the New York Times Science Section, there's an article stating that taking even a short stroll every day will prolong your healthy life and ward off the advent of Type II Diabetes (Adult Onset Diabetes) which is occurring in epidemic proportions among Americans today.

Just a stroll. Wow! That's not even hard to do. How committed do you have to be to take a stroll. Try to walk for 5-10 minutes after you eat your lunch. Walk a bit on your morning break. Park farther from the store entrance every day (except in heavy rain, ok) so you get in a few more steps. Walk the dog. Walk your neighbor's dog (no one will complain, least of all the dog.) Walk your neighbor's toddler in a stroller.

Just walk. The statistics are stunning. This simple form of daily exercise, hidden amid your daily routine, can really pay off.

It doesn't matter so much if I live to be a hundred. I want to live to be a HEALTHY hundred - or whatever age.


***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.

THE MONARCH LEVEE

In western St. Louis County, almost to St. Charles County, is the Monarch Levee protecting Chesterfield Valley (formerly known as Gumbo Flats) from the wrath of the Missouri River. I've written a bit about this trail before. Here's a picture of one of the Rest Areas along the route.

Having recently walked the nice trail along the Meramec River in Valley Park, MO, I'm less pleased with the Monarch Trail. Why? The Meramec River trail is far less buggy. The Missouri River at this point has back waters and marshes that are great breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other annoying noseeums. The Monarch trail is also the highest point in the area, allowing cold winds to hit you off the river. This same problem occurs at Creve Coeur Lake even tho' the trail is not on a levee. There is little shade along the Monarch. Most of the Meramec trail is shaded. Highway noise is a bit of an issue for both trails, but since the Monarch parallels I-64/40 for much of its length, it's a bit more annoying there.

Both trails are level and paved. Both meander through potentially lovely scenery, but the Monarch has one side pretty much devoted to baseball diamonds and retail outlets. There is none of that along the Meramec trail.

I have not walked the full 17 miles of the Monarch trail. I know it does go to the property those of us who grew up in St. Louis will recall fondly as the Rombach Pumpkin Farm (which I believe is still in business). We and our children have carefully selected just the right pumpkin each Fall on this property, all of which was inundated by the 1993 floods. I do want to walk the stretch of the Monarch that goes by the Rombach Family Cemetary. I'll get to that this FAll, I'm sure.

The Meramec trail also has the benefit of being much closer to my home. It's a 20 minute or longer trip to the Monarch trail if there's no traffic.

Both trails have their good points and I'm grateful that such greenways are becoming more prevalent in the St. Louis area. Having new trails to investigate keeps me walking more.






***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.

GREAT NEW PLACE TO WALK/BIKE/SKATE

Check this out! It's really close to my home - maybe a 10 minute car ride. It's a wonderful, quiet paved trail that parallels the Meramec River for about 4 miles. There are several points along it to park, but I chose to park at the westernmost trail head in the municipality of Valley Park, MO. Don't be put off by the picture of cars whizzing by on the highway above the trail. In just a few yards, the trail passes under an old railroad bridge then takes you farther away from the noise and pollution (although the sounds of nearby Interstate 44 are ever present in the distance).

This area had been completely flooded in 1993 when the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers reached catastrophic levels. At the confluence of the two rivers, where there is also a third, the much smaller Illinois River, the usual 1 mile width from Missouri to Illinois grew to SEVEN miles! Much of the cities of Alton and Grafton, Illinois were covered. Secondary rivers like the Meramec both contributed to the flooding and experienced record levels themselves. The Meramec empties into the Mississippi about 3 miles south of the Arch. This trailhead is about 12 miles from that point. New levees and flood gates have been erected in hopes of avoiding the sort of destruction that occurred in 1993. However, it's probably just a matter of time before Mother Nature has other ideas.

In the meantime, those of us who like to walk and bike have benefited from the newly erected levees surrounding St. Louis. This trail wanders in an almost straight, flat line for its entire length, making it a perfect place for unseasoned walkers, for those pushing strollers, and for a less challenging outing during peak hot, humid, buggy St. Louis afternoons.

The Meramec River as it nears St. Louis is not particularly pretty. It has traveled across much of the state, picking up detritus and chemical effluent from farms and industrial sites. The Upper Meramec about 50 miles west of St. Louis is clean and clear, safe for swimming (except for its often deadly current), boating, and fishing. But, it's never a wide river. I float on it at least once each summer. I would not float, swim, or fish it at the Valley Park location.

That said, it's lovely to walk beside this river. The length of the trail is well maintained, especially regarding bugs as the foliage is cut back to grass height for at least 10 yards on either side of the trail. There is ample parking and a well marked, nicely paved trail.

The day I discovered this trail, I walked about 2.5 miles, out and back. Then I drove it's full length along Marshall Road from which most of the trail is visible. Marshall Road is the main drag from Valley Park to Kirkwood, paralleling Big Bend Road, and goes under Interstate 270 just before it joins Big Bend Road on the east side of I-270.

So much for your geography and history lesson. Go find a trail you like and let us know about it. Doesn't have to be in St. Louis. I travel quite a bit and would love to know of safe, beautiful parks and trails in other cities. Get walking!





***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.

SOME HOT IDEAS

During our recent, extended heat wave, I had to rely more on my indoor walking activities to remain on the move. One thing that I enjoy is the Leslie Sansone walking DVD's. I'll eve dance along to Richard Simmons to the Oldies.

But, since I've actually been learning some dances (linedancing), I've begun to incorporate some of my new dance steps into the walking in place idea. Rather than put on a DVD, I'll choose a TV show - usually a half hour show like Wheel of Fortune - and just start walking, knee lifts, kicks, side steps, and some of my dance steps. I do that for 30 minutes on days when I'd normally have done nothing because of the dangerously hot/humid weather conditions. By 'normally', I mean years ago before I was in the habit of a daily walk.

So, now, in addition to the moves I've learned from Leslie Sansone, I'm doing some vines (weaves), coaster steps, sailor steps, and shuffles that I've learned from my linedance teachers. it adds a bit of variety and makes the workout more enjoyable for me. Search on youtube.com for beginning linedancing and you'll find examples of the kind of steps that almost anyone can master. Spice up your routine with whatever means you find. And, share your ideas with the rest of us. We can always use new ideas.



***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.

NEW PLACES TO WALK

In the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, there's a weekly section that features a walking/biking path. I look forward to learning what new (or new to me) parks and trails might not be too far from home.

Recently, my husband and I took the dog to walk at the beautiful, fairly new park called Longmeadow Farm. It was an estate with a large house surrounded by some woods and a horse paddock, located at the intersection of two well-traveled county roads. The trails have been added since the family donated the land to the County. It's a lovely walk on a paved trail that winds through woods, across meadows, and around a small pond. If you walk around the perimeter of the property, on the sidewalks next to the street, you'd easily have three miles. But, the interior trails add up to only about a mile. I hope they'll add more trails through the woods.

Using the newspaper, we've also walked at the Fenton Park on the banks of the Meramec River in Fenton, MO, not far from our home. It's a large, well used park with baseball fields, a golf course, and tennis courts. The trails are paved and wander across meadows and through wooded sections. If you covered all the trails, you'd have over five miles. It's all level so no hills. This will not be a great place to walk in the winter since cold breezes blow off the river. In the Spring, the area also tends to flood. But, it's a nice alternative.

I've also walked along the Monarch Levee on the Missouri River in what used to be called the Gumbo Flats, but has now been gentrified to Chesterfield Valley. There's quite a long, paved trail that follows the river, although there's no clear view of the river on the section I walked. Again, probably not a great choice in our windy Winters. Also, there is a lot of marshy land nearby, producing lots of mosquitoes that love my husband's skin! They tend to ignore me, but I like walking with him.

One of my husband's favorite place to walk is the nicely paved trail at Creve Coeur Lake. The major problem there is the fairly aggressive bikers. They don't tend to mind their manners. If the trail isn't too crowded, there's plenty of room for walkers, bikers, and skaters. But, the minute you add strollers and dogs to that mix, problems arise. I truly wish the bikers would let us know when they're coming up from behind. That way, we'd be sure to keep the dog out of their way and we wouldn't feel like we were being used for target practice!

There was another trail in this week's paper that was new to me - and it's not far from home. It's also along a section of the Meramec River and should be level, paved, and probably well used.
I'll report on that trail once I've walked it - hoping for this weekend.



***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.

DANCE OR??

This morning I was able to take some time to spend with my mom. She hadn't been out of her apartment (off the premises) since she returned from her brother's funeral about two weeks out except to go to the foot doctor. So, I took her to one of our favorite 'boutiques' (read 'thrift store') this morning. So, no time for a walk since I had to get to work after that.

But, I knew that I'd be dancing tonight for the first time in two weeks! The church where we dance had VBS then the teacher took her week of vacation. So, we're finally back to our Thursday evening routine. I so look forward to it. I usually walk on Thursday morning and dance that same evening. My perfect day!

Tonight, we worked for the second time on a dance to Adele's wonderful "Rolling in the Deep". It's a great song with a well choreographed and not too difficult dance that goes with it. I caught on to this one quickly. Lucky me! I have a great teacher too.

So, I count that 90 minutes of dance as a three mile walk. Since we only take a brief (less than 10 minutes) break about half way through, and I continue to stand that whole time, I feel like it's a great aerobic activity like my walks.


***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.