exercise

Exercise and learning

We know that exercise is good for us. It improves our cardiovascular health and strength. It can also help to prevent injuries. But the idea that exercise can improve our brain functions is a newer idea. Research is slowly showing potential links between exercise and cognitive functioning, but of course there are other factors at … Continue reading →

Walkability and greenery both matter

The neighbourhood I live in isn’t great for walkability. There are sidewalks but they are often close to major roads. There are trees along some of the bike paths, at least the ones that haven’t been torn out, but they do little to shelter you from the noise. It is also definitely easier to make … Continue reading →

Get up and move

What kind of workout is cross country skiing?

On the surface, cross country skiing seems akin to something like running. You primarily work at a steady pace with occassional extra effort on a climb or a brief moment of respite downhill. However, competitive cross country skiers in both sprint and distance events have a much more variable output. In most races, the terrain … Continue reading →

Suppressing my appetite

So yesterday I completed a sprint duathlon. Just for fun and on my own because we are still in the midst of social distancing due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the morning I got up and had some Greek yogurt and fruit and then I went and did a 5 km run, 20 km bike, … Continue reading →

(Not so) Mini post: Do you exercise to get positive outcomes or avoid negative ones?

Admittedly, this topic is big, multifaceted, and developing, so today’s post isn’t going to look at the entire field. I’m focusing on one paper by Hannan, Moffitt, Neumann, and Kemps (2018). I was inspired to investigate this because I kept coming up with reasons that I didn’t need to go do the run I planned … Continue reading →

Bonus post: Mental health and exercise

This is an extra post this week in recognition of Bell’s Let’s Talk Day in Canada. I’m pretty diligent with my exercise and have been for most of my life. There have been times though when I’ve been criticized for this commitment. I distinctly remember one of my office mates during my PhD questioning me … Continue reading →

I was in pain today, so I went to the gym

I went to the gym today. I didn’t want to. I’m tired and my arm that has been a saga of five surgeries and three and a half years was giving me some definite grief, not to mention the pain of some of my other injuries, both recent and chronic. But I went with the … Continue reading →

Ever notice that kids have way more energy?

Kids have a lot of energy. Anyone who has worked or lived with one knows what it’s like when you’re full out exhausted and a kid or kids asks what’s next. In a recent study Birat et al. (2018) compared the fatigue and recovery rates of a group of boys around age 10 to a … Continue reading →

Cotton or Synthetic – physiology

There are two sides to the debate of cotton versus synthetic clothing for me. One, which I will address in this post, is physiological and psychological responses to exercise when wearing the different types of clothing. The second, which will hopefully be a future post is on the environmental side. Every backpacker knows that cotton … Continue reading →