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Were We Born To Run, Not Walk? (Part 1)
by Shin Ohtake on Thursday, August 27, 2009 • 51 Comments
Edward Muybridge’s 1887 motion study of an athlete running (Eadweard Muybridge/Bettmann Corbis)
To run or to walk? Which is the preferred method of travel? Most of us would probably pick walking. It’s low impact, easier, and although it takes longer, most of us can walk for much longer distances before we run out of gas. But what if I told you that our bodies are designed to run, not walk? According to a study done by University of Utah biologist Dennis Bramble and Harvard University anthropologist Daniel Lieberman, we evolved from more ape-like human ancestors that survived due their ability to run longer distances for hunting animals and scavenging carcasses—and it’s what shaped our anatomy. This theory goes against the popular long standing theory of bipedalism, which states that we evolved to walk first and that running was just a simple byproduct. Dennis Bramble and Daniel Lieberman state that some of the most compelling evidence comes from our own anatomy.
Exercises & Workouts •
“Sick” Care vs. Preventative Care & The 1,200 Page U.S. Healthcare Reform Proposal
by Shin Ohtake on Wednesday, August 19, 2009 • 34 Comments
If you’ve been watching or reading the news, you can’t get away from today’s hottest topic - U.S. Healthcare Reform. It’s a heated debate and both sides are pulling out all the stops. Everything from busing people into various communities to rally for their cause, to President Obama speaking at town hall meetings, to advertising and tweeting messages on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace—taking full advantage of all social networking avenues. All in the hopes to reach as many people as possible with their message. But what is their message?
The Freshman, The Deadlift, and Dead Man’s Hill
by Shin Ohtake on Tuesday, August 11, 2009 • 16 Comments
One of the most misunderstood exercises (other than the squat) has got to be the deadlift. Maybe it’s the name. Anything with the word “dead” in it can’t be a good thing—especially when it comes to exercises, right? I remember back when I just started high school, in one of my first PE class, we had to run this cross country course. But this wasn’t just a regular run-of-the-mill cross country run. No siree. A few days prior to the run, we had heard several horror stories and in particular about the dreaded “Dead Man’s Hill”, which was to come at the end of the run. We were told about how the hill got it’s name—apparently a star athlete with immense talent and speed tried to run up the hill, ignoring warnings from his coaches and teammates to take the hill slowly and cautiously because of it’s shear steepness. As the story goes, the boy never made it to the top. His body was found three quarters of the way up the hill, he apparently passed out and died from exhaustion. Now, at the age of thirteen, I really didn’t know what to think or believe. As I got ready to run what may be the last run I’ll ever do, the thought of Dead Man’s Hill weighed heavily on my mind…
Achy Knees & Ankles Got You Down? This Exercise Can Help…
by Shin Ohtake on Tuesday, August 04, 2009 • 27 Comments
Have you ever suffered from aches and pains in your knees and ankles…perhaps after a long run or a vigorous workout? If you have, you’re definitely not alone - and no, you don’t have to be over the hill to suffer from aches and pains! Achy joints can occur in anyone, but not to worry…I’ll show you a simple exercise that you can do that’ll help strengthen and protect your joints, so you can stop popping ibuprofen like candy.
