Rolfing measurably improves running performance

I came across this interesting article the other day. Essentially, by aligning the body segments in relation to one another, releasing the muscular adhesions that make us less efficient, and getting the segments to work together as a unit rather than as a collection of discrete collection of parts (other wise known as integrating the function of the parts of the body), one becomes more efficient, more flexible, less prone to injury, able to heal more quickly, and best of all, faster.

Think about it. If you had an old Italian sports car, it was fun to drive, noisy, spunky and all but when tuned, the car runs more smoothly with less drama. That about captures the essence of it.

Good article on Ultrarunning and Structural Integration

*NEWSFLASH* Stress is bad for your health

No, really, and this is why. Everyday stressors cause us to constantly secrete stress hormones which are really meant for acute events like a car crash, a lion chasing us down, getting mugged, etc... The release of these hormones suppresses our higher functions and over time the chronic release of these hormones can wreak havoc on our systems like digestion (any one got an ulcer), reproduction (corporate ladies having trouble getting pregnant), liver function (cholesterol), immune function (autoimmune diseases, allergies, cancer, etc, etc, etc). When in fight or flight mode these functions are not necessary. When we live our lives in fight or flight mode there are dramatic tradeoffs. To hear more about this phenomenon have a look at Robert Sapalskys' website. 

Made for running

I've been learning to run lately and came across this article on the evolutionary components in our bodies that link humans with other species known to run over long distances. Now there are no excuses for further delay, we were made to run.