The View from Sports Center

Follow me on DougKelsey.com!

Just a quick update -

I know some of you have been wondering where to find my writing.

I have a new site and I invite you to follow me there.

I focus on how to "actively age" - overcome aches & pains, get as healthy and fit as possible and stay that way. ! typically post 1-3 times per week.

Recent posts on DougKelsey.com:

• Two Exercises - No Gym Required - To Boost Longevity
• Exercise and Food: What Should You Eat And When?
• Three Simple Fixes To Avoid Neck And Shoulder Pain
• Men: How A Fat Belly Can Mess Up Your Sex Life
• Keep Your Back Feeling Good With This Exercise

I hope you'll join me on my new site.

Thanks much.

Cheers -

Doug Kelsey, PT, PhD

Why You Need Friends

I have a friend, Dan, whom I credit for getting me through PT school (he says the same thing so I guess we managed to keep each other in school).

I don't see Dan often as we live far apart but when I do see him it's as if I saw him just yesterday. We just seem to pick up where we left off.

When I was in PT school, on my last clinical rotation in California, I was having a rough time personally. My marriage, at the time, was falling apart, I got booted from one clinical rotation so I was in danger of not graduating (a bit of a rebel, I guess). Dan flew to California from New York just to ride on the plane home with me. He just showed up in LAX, found me sleeping on some chairs, and said, "Hey Buddy. Let's go home."

THAT'S a friend.

All of the good things we experience from friends come from the "space" between friends. It's that space, the energy, we covet more so than the person. It's in the space where we find connection, inspiration, hope.

Researchers at the University of Virginia asked 34 students to participate in a study. They took them to the base of a steep hill and then asked then to wear a heavy back pack. Standing at the base of the hill, wearing the backpack, the students were then asked to estimate the steepness of the hill. Some of the students had a friend stand next to him or her; others didn't. The students who stood with friends gave lower estimates of the steepness of the hill. And the longer the friends had known each other, the less steep the hill appeared.¹

Friends make the burdens we carry lighter. They lift us up just by being present. Like riding on a plane home from a long and rough clinical rotation.

Each year, we have a special gathering: The Hall of Fame party at Sports Center. This is to celebrate the victories, the return to the "game of life" of so many people and every year it's a very uplifting and humbling experience for me. Just being present; enjoying the "space" between people and just being part of the celebration is very rewarding.

For those Hall of Famers out there, I hope you can join us this April 21st, 2011 from 6PM to 7:30 PM and celebrate. We'll have drinks, hors d'oeuvres, and a surprise gift for each of you. It's always a lot of fun so plan on stopping by Sports Center (1600 W. 38th St. Suite 201).

ON FUSION

Some good things happening on the Fusion site over the past couple of weeks:

How Muscles Can Make You Look Older Than You Are & What To DO: Part I

Can You Go a Little Further?

How Muscles Can Make You Look Older Than You Are & What to DO: Part II

Why You Must Practice These Mind Altering Drills

Does "Cardio" Cause Heart Disease?

It's really easy, and free, to sign up to get my articles in your email. Just visit Fusion and enter you email. Simple!

JOB OPPORTUNITY

We have currently have openings for a physical therapy technician. This job is a great way to to do something good for people, learn about physical therapy, and work in one of the most unique physical therapy settings anywhere. And I say that because that's what ALL of our other PT Techs have said. So, if you or someone you know wants to be part of the SC Team, email us at [email protected].

 

Reference:

1. Schnall, S., K. D. Harber, et al. (2008). "Social support and the perception of geographical slant." Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 44(5): 1246-1255.

Photo: Fr. Stephen, MSC

What You May Have Missed on Fusion

Just a quick note to let you know that we had some good stuff posted on Fusion over the past ten days or so and in case you missed it, here it is:

1. How Much Protein is Enough?
2. How Much Protein is Enough - Part II
3. Stop Working Out
4. Question from a Reader - Back and Reps: How Do You Decide?
5. How Old Are Your Joints?
6. A Simple Way to Lower Blood Pressure

And, one of our FusionTribe members had this to say about being a member:

"By the way, Carbon rocks!  Huge volume of work when you consider 5x15 reps per side.  I can't wait to see what else Fusion has in store for me!"

If you haven't signed up to get  free articles in your email, you can do that here. Just fill in the form, you'll get articles in your email and you'll also get my latest book, "Build a Rock Solid Core: Stop the Sit Ups and Save Your Spine" for free.

You won't want to miss the next series of articles - they're about the muscles that can make you look older than you are and what to do about it. Good stuff.

See you on Fusion?

---

New Video for The Runner's Knee Bible

I've had numerous questions since the release of the book that basically boil down to this: Should I buy this book?

Well, I understand the hesitancy. So, I made a short video of a simple self test that will help you decide. 

Now, some people with Runner's Knee have pain after they run but during the day - walking, climbing stairs, etc, - they don't hurt. This test is not for you. This test is for those people who notice knee pain soon after they start running, or even just have pain with routine every day tasks and they can't run.

I hope this helps.

 

Make Your Best Better...

Well, it's here.

I've been talking about this for a few weeks and my new project is off the ground.

It's called Fusion.

And I would love for all of you who enjoy the View to sign up for my posts and newsletter from Fusion.

And, you'll get a free e-book too.

But you might be wondering, "What exactly is Fusion and is it something for me?"

Fusion is a method of training and lifestyle changes to help you build a more resilient and youthful life. It's based on a monthly fee membership - less than the cost to fill up your car with gas. Of course, there's plenty of free material too and even a one week free membership so you can get a taste of what we call the FusionTribe.

But, it might be easier to tell you what Fusion is NOT.

1. If you want to bench 350lbs and deadlift 500lbs, well, Fusion's not for you. 
2. If you want to train your arms on Monday, your back on Tuesday, your legs on Wednesday, do "cardio" on Thursday - the old school bodybuilding stuff - Fusion is not for you.
3. If you want to train until you puke, Fusion's not for you.

But, if you want a method that helps you get fit and stay fit and makes you feel younger as you get older, Fusion IS for you.

You'll be in great shape, have a great shape, and people will ask you, "What have you been doing?"

You won't get bored, you'll know your abilities, and you can take Fusion with you - train at home, on the road, in the gym. 

Now, if you're ready to build a new you, get fit, healthy, and enjoy more of your life, join the FusionTribe fitness movement.

One last bit of shameless self promotion. You might be familiar with one of the old TV ads for Hairclub for Men where the Sy Syler, the President says, "I'm not only the Hair Club president, I'm also a client!"

Well, I'm a FusionTribe member too.

Before I decided to launch this idea, I had to see if what I was offerring really worked. And I figured that if it worked on me, age 54, with a ton of othopedic issues, a creaky spine, degenerative joint disease, etc, then, well, it would certainly work for a lot of other people. Granted, you might have some learning to do but that's the whole point.

When I started "walking the walk" this past spring, here were my metrics:

• Body weight: ~230 lbs
• Body fat: ~30%
• Waist measurement: 39.5 inches

Okay so I have to fess up to one thing. I could not actually write down the real waist size. It was too big. Scary big. It really was 40.5 inches but I could not, absoultely refused, in any manner, to write down that number so I wrote down 39.5 inches. There. The truth is out. No wonder my 36 inch waist jeans felt like a corset.

Now a lot of people have told me that they never thought of me as "fat". Well there are two reasons for that. One is that I'm tall so I can carry more weight without appearing to be overweight and two, our societal standards have shifted. If you see someone who is 30 lbs over weight, you won't think that person is actually that heavy. We've become accustomed to seeing these proportions.

After 88 days with the FusionTribe, my metrics were:

• Body weight: 195 lbs
• Body fat: 10.5%
• Waist measurement: 34 inches

And I feel better too. Lighter. Quicker. More agile. Although I still can't dunk a basketball - yet. And, this is important to consider, while I was building what were to become the Elements of Fusion that were part of my training, I was still recovering from a rotator cuff tear in my right shoulder and a meniscus tear in my right knee.

I'm not going to kid you. This journey was tough. But well worth it (and it included a change in my eating habits as well - more on the later).  My wife says I'm like living with a teenager (I think that's a compliment :) - I eat constantly and my clothes size keeps changing.

Most of my writing will be on Fusion. I have a number of posts already. Here are a few of my favorites:

• He Threw Up. I Didn't.
• The Road to Transformation.
• How to Get the Right Heart Rate.
• Just When You Think You Can't

Some of the posts are free; some are part free and part for members only and some are for members only. I will write here from time to time but if you want to know the latest stuff, sign up at Fusion.

Joint the FusionTribe, get in the best shape of your life and have the time of your life.

Hope to see you all at Fusion.

 

 

What We All Need to Do More Often

Nothing.

Try it.

For two minutes do nothing.