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Healthy People Die Too
The other day for some reason, I was thinking of Jack LaLanne, the fitness guru from the 50’s. Maybe it’s because I watch health nuts jog by from my sedentary perch in the bridge tower every day. I ought to jog, but I know myself well enough to admit that I never have and never…
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Crazy Bicyclists
The first thing most people think of when you mention Seattle is rain. Because of that, I was really taken by surprise at the number of people who ride bicycles in this town. Thousands of bikes cross my drawbridge every single day, rain or shine, cold weather or mild. You have to admire their determination,…
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The Weaker Sex
In the Victorian era exercise became all the rage for women, but if you look at instructions from the time, you’ll see that all the exercises were above the waist, because people believed that rigorous movement in the nether regions could cause women to damage their reproductive organs. They believed they weren’t firmly fixed to…
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Every Step Counts
Several months ago, my sister gave me a pedometer. It kind of hurt my feelings. I already know I’m fat. But her skinny little butt had a point. I’m a sedentary person. My job doesn’t help. Trying to get a bridgetender off his or her behind is like trying to shift a very large rock…
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Don’t Underestimate the Elderly
My landlady is 72 years old, and only 4 months out from heart surgery, and yet the first time I saw her, she was wearing short shorts, a tank top, and a half ton of jewelry. I’m convinced she’s in better shape than I am. I think she’s delightful. Back in the 80’s, I used…