Think you are walking enough to keep fit? Recent studies may surprise you. They certainly raised my eyebrows.

It’s a great time to be alive.

With technology advances things as simple as counting steps can become automatic and give you instant feedback.

My son showed me his latest Nintendo DS toy called Nintendo Personal trainer walking. It includes a pedometer you wear all day. Then you sync with the nintendo for tracking In it are charts, games, suggestions and feedback for improvement.

I was fascinated to see all the features – designed especially for kids. But at one point he asked “how many steps should kids take each day?”. Ahh. Good question. So I looked it up and stumbled on some fascinating numbers.

According to new pedometer steps recommendations from Dr. Catrine Tudor-Locke, 10,000 steps is the ideal number. 5,000 or less means you are leading a ‘seditary’ lifestyle. And 12,500 being optimum.

Woah! My son’s meager 4,000 steps per day average in the last week was a wake up call for both of us. I’ve never thought of him as being ‘seditary’, but even he feels he needs more exercise – even before we looked up the numbers.

I’ve never tracked my own steps, but average 6-7 miles per week of extra steps due to excercise. I’ve done that consistently for over 20 years.

But maybe it’s time I track them because even with additional mileage I may be well under the 12,500 optimum.

Like the old saying goes; You don’t know what you don’t know until you know it…

– Brad Isaac

People often comment about me being thin – maybe too thin.  I can’t help but feel the trick I am about to tell you has something to do to keep lean.

When I was in ROTC boot camp at Quantico, the drill sergeants felt they needed to teach us everything from the ground up. Yes, I learned how to brush my teeth again. I learned how to shine shoes. And yes, I learned a new way to eat.

What they teach you to do is put your fork down between bites.

It may not sound like an earth shattering tip, but let’s break it down:

When you put down your eating utensil, you are mentally pausing while you eat.  This lets you enjoy your food more.  Plus, it gives your brain more opportunity to tell if you are full.

I’ve seen oddly shaped timers for sale that you are supposed to set, take a bite and chew your food until it rings.  You don’t need a timer if you simply set down your utensil between bites. Silverware is everywhere.  I can easily see leaving a timer like this behind…on purpose.

I’d also add, similar to how Jill Weisenberger says in 10 Reasons You’re Not Losing Weight, “Make it a house rule to eat from a dish.”  I suggest using silverware for eating most everything.  For example, I eat pizza with a knife and fork.  Just don’t forget to set down the fork between bites.

If you are eating from a dish with silverware, you can see the portion sizes.  You have more control over how quickly you eat.  And when you go back for more, you have to make a conscious effort to do so.

Many readers of my blog enjoy running, including me.  Some of us have participated in marathons, some of us haven’t.  But I am sure none of us have set our minds to the goal Paul Consella has for the Richland County Marathon.

In one of the more humorous editorials I’ve read at the Onion in awhile, Consella, details his arduous training regimen for blowing the event for all 300 runners. 

It will put a smile on your face.  Just don’t get caught laughing too hard:

When I set my mind to something, there’s no turning back, no slowing down, and no excuses. So when I heard about the upcoming 17th Annual Richland County Marathon, I started training immediately. For the last four months, I have been pushing myself to the brink of exhaustion to prepare my mind and body for the ultimate physical challenge: ruining a marathon.

I’m going to ruin the whole thing.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Sure, everyone would like to ruin a marathon, but who among us has the discipline and energy to get up at the crack of dawn morning after morning, through rain, sleet, and snow, and practice handing out cups of vinegar to the frontrunners?

I’m Training To Ruin A Marathon

Sleeping in, resting, lying back feels good until 8 pm Saturday night rolls around and you haven’t gotten your daily workout.

You’ve had all day to do it but… going out to breakfast, sitting on the deck, surfing or watching TV got in the way.  Now it’s late and you feel guilty. 

Your weekend is free time.  Yes, it should be enjoyed.  Can’t you just take off the weekend and enjoy it?  Sure, of course you can.  But then you wouldn’t be reading this if being lazy was what you wanted.

If you feel the way I do when I don’t get in my workouts, then here are 3 of my tips to getting the blood flowing and  your attitude up over the weekend:

1. Exercise is a small commitment in comparison - When you look at the larger scheme of things, how long is your exercise routine?  20 minutes?  1 hour?  When you compare that to the 55 hours that comprise a normal weekend, then the time you spend exercising is tiny in comparison. 
2. Get out early - Especially during these hot summer months, getting out early in the morning can decrease the heat pain. 
3. Hold back the rewards until done - You like TV, going out to eat, surfing?  Hold that back as a reward for exercise.  Forbid yourself from engaging in those activities until you’ve completed your workout.

Read more..

Today Google launched Google health – a service designed to help people manage their medical records.  Once info is uploaded, you can search for medicines, simple cures and more information about your particular ailments. 

It sounds like a great idea, but my first thought was about the potential privacy issues.   Do I really want my medical records stored on the Internet?  Having worked for a hospital IT dept. I know the privacy threats all too well.  It’s probably best to just get doctor’s advice anyway. 

Many of the doctors I know recommend Pubmed for topical medical questions.  But you don’t have to upload records to access it.

If you are still interested, Erick Schonfeld wrote up a A Quick Hands-On Look  at the service:

Whereas HealthVault’s strengths seem to lie in tying together different health information silos on the back end, Google Health is focusing more initially on the consumer side. It is trying to do an end-run around the health establishment by trying to get consumers to manually load their own medical information into their profiles. HealthVault allows this as well, but seems to have stronger partnerships with back-end health data providers.

Personally, I will choose not to participate.  But I am curious what you think of the privacy issues that could be associated with Google having access to your medical records?  Is it safe?  Or a bad idea?

If you’ve been following along thus far, you know I went out seeking a pair of shoes that would alleviate the pain I’ve been experiencing from my current pairs of shoes.

What I stumbled on was a shoe brand called Finn Comfort where they claim the most "luxurious, healthy and comfortable" shoe on EARTH.  There was talk around the store of Finns fixing knee and back pain and an exercise benefit to wearing them.

Curious as ever, I had to pick up a pair of their Finn Comfort Dijon and see what the hub-bub was all about.

This is day 3 of my journey.  As such, since these shoes are rather particular as far as break in and adjustment, you should take a look at the first two days of the review:

Part 1: Review of Finn Comfort Dijon

Part 2:Review of Finn Comfort Dijon Day 2

My observations from day 3 of breaking in the Finn Comforts:

Unlike yesterday, there was no aching in my feet or lower legs.  I took this as a good sign that the break in period is just about done.  Since I am trying to be thorough for you, my dear readers, I am paying far more attention to the feelings and outcomes of wearing these shoes.  I’d never pay so much attention otherwise. 

But I still find it interesting some of the early effects of these shoes.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve walked with emphasis on the outside edges of my feet.  This is a family trait according to my mother.  The Finns seem to be adjusting that as I notice that I’m stepping more squarely with the ground as I walk. 

And speaking of walking, these shoes almost feel better walking than they do just sitting at a desk typing.  There is a spring-like effect feeling almost ‘bouncy’ as I step.  I remember this same bounce feeling from my first pair of Doc Marteens years ago.  And I like it.  Maybe my dreams of slamming a basketball aren’t dead after all. 

I still feel a slight ache in my right foot around where the various supports are pressing into the muscle.  I am right handed and I am sure I favor that side as I walk.  Coincidence?  It’s not a big deal for me, but for some of lower pain tolerance may feel like switching their shoes for a day.

One concern I do have is heel pain.  If I am doing an abundance of walking during the day, then my right heel can get in trouble.  There have been evenings where I don’t want to exercise because it feels like my heel is crushing a bone. 

So far, I see no lessening of the heel strike effect with these shoes.  However, time would probably be the best judge of whether they help or not. 

Oh, and this small observation… I noticed my toes on both feet are spread further apart when I have my shoes off while standing.  Perhaps this is a benefit to my overall balance?  Dunno.  I certainly wasn’t tripping and falling beforehand, so this may be a mystery that is never unraveled.  Like Stonehenge, scientists may be puzzled for centuries over whether these shoes improve my balance. 

Well, that’s all for today’s shoe observations.  If anything interesting happens between today & tomorrow I’ll post the next follow up.  I think however, that I should return to this review in a couple of weeks to give a final opinion.  These are expensive shoes and regardless of style, you’ll want to make sure the technology you are purchasing is worthwhile.  Otherwise you can just grab something you like the looks of…

So if you haven’t already, subscribe to my RSS feed so you’ll be alerted to the next post in the series… 

Yesterday I wrote about my new shoe experiment with Finn Comforts. I wanted to see if the claims of comfort and improved bone alignment were true. Though, I have no way of telling if my bone alignment is bad or not. So no nagging.

Today I’ll note that after getting out of bed, I felt some muscle soreness in my shins and calf muscles. It was definitely bearable. I only mention it because it was unexpected.

It felt as though I had run some stairs the day before. Perhaps this is the added exercise benefit claimed by Finn Comfort? Feel the burn! Work out while you’re shuffling papers.

When I slid on the shoes after getting dressed this morning, it felt as though the lumps I mentioned yesterday moved toward the outside of the foot. Very odd indeed. Had the padding relaxed a muscle so much now another one was in need of attention and I was feeling pressure on it now?

Oh shoe of wonder, why do you riddle me so?

I will admit at first I was apprehensive that they were going to be painful today and I might be limping by lunch time. My plan was to switch to my old pair of Doc Maartens. If you remember from yesterday, they told me to only wear the Finns for 4 hours a day for the first few days. Or more precisely. Wear them for 4 hours at a time until 16 hours had passed.

However, the first couple hours I barely noticed them. There was still some burning in my calf muscles which is tolerable.

Also of note – there is so much toe room in the front. How to describe this? Almost like the rest of your foot is on the edge of a pier with your toes hanging out over the edge. You can move them up and down with nearly a full range of motion. I find it almost addictive to wiggle my toes around in this way. My old shoes were constrained to the point where my toes felt cramped. So this is a welcome change.

And to the women who asked, yes they make Finns for women too.

So all in all I wouldn’t say they are quite a utopia of comfort yet. But it’s the second day. I have up to two more days left before they are fully broken in. But like Jordan wrote in the comments yesterday, it may be worth the wait. He says they are the most comfy shoes he’s ever worn.

I’d be curious to know your opinions on the styles of Finn Comforts. I normally opt for comfort over style. But on the other hand I don’t want to look like I have been hitching rides on the freight train either.

When I was a kid I wanted a pair of sneakers that would help me jump higher. That’s how salesmen used to market shoes back then. They’d imply some tennis shoe would rocket a 6 year old into slam dunking a basketball on a regulation goal.

Back then, there were maybe two pair worthy of such a cause. Chuck Taylor Converse and Adidas. Neither of which could my family afford. But they did pick me up some K-mart specials and I was convinced they’d help me jump higher.

In the back yard I jumped, and jumped waiting for the magic spring like rubber to activate and send me to the roof of the garage. Sigh.. that of course never happened.

Today, I have no desire to jump higher. My days of trying to slam dunk a basketball are probably behind me – at least until my son challenges me to some one on one.

My main desire in a shoe today is a decrease of pain. As I’ve said in the past, I can put up with a goodly amount of pain. But it occurred to me the other day, there’s no good reason for me to put up with something as dumb as an uncomfortable pair of Doc Maartens.

So in browsing the shoe store I saw a lot of brand names I didn’t recognize. Has it really been that long since I shopped for shoes??? Was there a shoe revolution where all the old names were conquered and were now occupied by the names of Ecco, Steve Harvey, and Havana Joe? Nowhere were Doc Martins or Birkenstocks to be found.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a sign for Finn Comfort touted as the most comfortable shoes in the store. Every salesman there had a pair on. I picked up a Finn loafer. It appeared to have a similar footbed as Birkenstock sandals, but in a dress or casual shoe. Hmm.. we may be onto something.

The brochures were intriguing about how the insoles both exercise and relax the foot. The arch support supports the foot’s “4 arches”. Hey, that’s probably part of my problem, because I thought I only had 1 arch! The other three were being neglected.

There was talk around the store of the shoes stop backand knee pain and helping to correct posture.

The gears in my crafty mind started to turn. But not to make a snap decision, I decided to do some research. They were, after all, 3 times the price of a pair of Birkenstocks. I needed a second opinion.

Nobody I asked had heard of them, even though they’ve been around since 1945. Reviews on the Internet were sparse. I even brought up the subject with some trendy friends who have a $30,000 Aga stove in their house. Nada. Seems a shame the company has been making shoes for over 50 years and nobody has bothered to try a pair.

So I decided to give them a shot and post about my experience, good or bad.

I went in and talked to the salesman. Apparently, getting a pair of these shoes is a big deal. They measured my foot (I kid you not) 5 times. Two different people. The boss came out and looked at my Docs, mentioned his degree in podietry and grabbed up a pair of the Finn Comfort Dijon which weren’t the style I originally went in for.

But he made a good argument based on the front of my foot being too wide compared to the length. “These are the model designed for your exact shape of foot.” He said. Apparently, my foot shape implies I’ve descended from waterfowl of the duck or goose species – that or a mushroom strain in the family of the portobello. But I digress…

I tried them on. The first feeling was much different than any other pair of shoe I’ve tried. It felt like there were what I’d describe as massage lumps in odd parts of the shoe. They felt fine and I had plenty of toe room. He warned me not to wear them more than 4 hours per day for the first 3 to 4 days. “They will drastically realign your foot muscles compared to your old shoes. So take it easy. Then you’ll never want another pair of shoes – ever.”

“Yeah right,” I thought.

So this being day 1 I’ll explain the feeling. The most notable feeling was those “lumps” that seemed to pop up in the middle of the pad under the forefoot. It probably sounds bad, but it felt like it needed to be there. There was also more of a change to the arch than I’m used to. It felt as though it was stretching the foot as one might before running a marathon. Other than those two differences, the shoes felt good for 2-3 hours.

He was right – at least about the 4 hour time limit. Four hours was about as long as I could wear them today. They were very comfortable until 2-3 hours in. Then, the muscles in my lower legs started aching. What’s that all about?

After taking them off, I didn’t notice much difference from my normal taking shoes off. So will it help with some of the pain I have from foot muscles aching? I sure hope so.

Check in tomorrow and I’ll post what day two is like with these new Finn Comforts. Do they get more comfortable as the week goes on? What happened to those other three arches? Will I now be able to slam dunk a basketball?

At the end of this, we’ll know if these shoes are the shoes of champions or are destined for my yard work bin…

Here are some fun posts that I wrote on other sites. I thought some of you may find them interesting and or informative.

Customize Folder Icons in Vista for Extra Fast Location Of Your Files – it seems like I spend a horrendous amount of time hunting to find the folder I’m looking for. Here’s how I customize my folder icons in Vista so all it takes is a quick glance to find the one I want.

Take Your Best Driver’s License Photo Ever – After a recent two-hour sit at the DMV, I watched most people leaving bitter and complaining about the photo on their new driver’s license. Does that sound like you? Here are some tips to get a photo you are more than happy to give to the officer…

Nibble Your Way to Weight Loss This Holiday Season – I know this one is coming a little bit late. But with presidents day right around the corner, we all know the tendency areas to put on a few stubborn pounds while celebrating Lincoln’s birthday.

Any comments?

I admit, eating a lot of butter is not good for anyone. Moderation is key.

From my studies, I’ve found that real butter (in small portions) may be more healthy than margarine. And there might be some good health benefits to eating it. Personally, I eat a small amount on toast a couple times per week and last checkup, my doctor said my cholesterol and health were in good shape.

But if you are one of the people who prefer home churned natural butter and don’t want to pay the high store price for the real thing, here’s a way you can churn “guilt-free butter”.

What is guilt free butter?

What I consider guilt free butter is the type where you offset your butter eating by doing something healthy as you churn it. …Not perfectly guilt free, but not as bad as doing nothing.

Here’s what you need:

One Tupperware 2-Cup Quick Shake Container

1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream*

Salt to taste or go salt free

Your running shoes.

Pour the cream into the quick shake container and seal the lid tightly. Put on your running shoes and go for a brisk walk or jog. If you aren’t jogging, you’ll want to shake the container as you walk. Be sure to switch hands occasionally. It will take approximately 25-30 minutes for the cream to turn to butter. Once it’s butter, you can keep running or head back home. Spoon it into a small bowl and cover it. You’ll want to keep it refrigerated.

* Tip:   Most recipes for butter call for 1-2 cups. But by cutting it down to 1/4 cup you don’t have a ton of butter lying around the house. Plus, you’ll go through it quicker which means you have to get back out there and jog or walk to get more. Giving some of the fresh churned butter to neighbors and family is another way to deplete your butter supplies.