Wiser Health stretch of the day

Do this classic, the cobra pose, to counteract any overemphasis on the abs. This is a great release of stress.  Hold for 10 breaths and fully release.

More on the abs

It seems as if the Times article has cast some intrigue. While Iran is burning, North Korea is aiming missiles at the Aloha State and healthcare is in crisis, the most e-mailed article from the NYTimes.com site is the abs exercise article mentioned yesterday. Comments are off-the-charts and boy! what a fitness obsessed society we live in.

So back to the subject of abs. It seems that the safe consensus is that any exercise the forces you to stabilize your midsection is good for the "core." So squatting, deadlifts, standing shoulder presses, planks, etc... are sufficient to have strong abs and lower back.

good questions to pose about abs

The NY Times published a thorough look at how sit-ups and crunches affect the spine:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/17/core-myths/

There are lots of points to consider here, but I'm not sure that sit-ups are to be discarded. Once again, Wiserhealth defers to listening to one's own body and doing what feels the most natural.

Bottom line: It is important to have a healthy lower back. So stand straight (like there's an invisible rope pulling your spine upright).

favorite sports documentaries

Just finished some excellent tacos at a real Mexican place (no fajitas, no nachos) on Grove Street in Jersey City with my friend Mike Gartland, who is making a film about Yankee Stadium called "Yankeeland: In the Shadow of the Stadium."

shadowofthestadium.com

Which brings to mind, what are your favorite sports documentaries?

Mine is, no doubt, "Hoop Dreams," the incredible stories of William Gates and Arthur Agee.  

summertime is watermelon time

Right now watermelon is especially sweet. Slice it up into cubes and store away for a refreshing, hydrating snack loaded with more lycopene than tomatoes.

One thing to watch out for: Eating a lot of watermelon before bed makes you pee a lot overnight. My wife Susan learned the hard way.

Back on the hoops court

I couldn't find the bottom of the net all during my practice session today as I finally grabbed my trusty basketball, courtesy of my good friend John "Catholic" Lavelle, who used to tear up afternoon runs with me at the East Shore Y.

Finally got two others to play a little 21, the game where every man is for himself and the first to get to 21 points wins. One dude was a European who faded to his left every time. The other was a doo-ragged big man who preferred a lazy game. I was missing from the corner and then everything started to click with the outside shot. I learned a little from watching Rashard Lewis' release. Thwap. Nothing but net. Three straight from beyond the arc and I had reached 21.

No big deal. But it always feels good to win in the universal game of basketball. 

Layoff never helps

It's been too long since my last post. The good news is I am now married and living the family life, a positive turn for a healthy lifestyle.

Just like blogging, when you take time off from exercise, it really becomes hard to get back into the swing of things. But start slowly, and get back into the groove.

BTW- My wife and I eat a lot of watermelon, and it turns out it contains more lycopene than tomatoes. Lycopene fights the free radicals that exist in our bodies and try to harm us.