A review of 40 studies of the effects of exercise on people with chronic illnesses concludes that working out eases anxiety over what ails you. Scientists from the University of Georgia, in a report in the Feb. 22 Archives of Internal Medicine, found that exercise alleviates anxiety in sufferers of heart and circulatory issues, fibromyalgia, arthritis, various other pain conditions, cancer, mental health problems and the breathing disorder chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. The only illness exercise didn’t seem to help: multiple sclerosis.
Learning from a governor’s fall down
A cautionary tale out of Colorado that comes just in time from what’s forecast to be a springlike weekend in North Carolina. Yesterday, Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (at left) took a spill on a morning road ride with four friends. His front wheel touched the rear wheel of the bike in front of him, he went down, he fractured several ribs on his right side. A bad crash that could have been worse for the governor had he not been wearing a helmet.
With exercise, is enough ever enough?
Jeff in Portland, Ore., writes: “Arrgghh . . . And just when I thought my 3 to 4 times per week of hitting the gym was an extraordinary feat. The recommendations from this study seem to support a growing consensus among researchers that ‘more is better’ when it comes to exercise.”
A bike for all reasons
Over the years, I’ve written several pieces attempting to match the right bike with the right person. I’ve written about the right bike for aspiring commuters, I’ve written about the right bike for roadie wannabes, I’ve written about the right bike for people who want to take a spin on their local greenway and the right bike for folks curious about mountain biking. One bike I haven’t written about, though, is a bike that can do it all — a little greenway, a little road, a little off-road.
A bike I’ve long suspected to be the cyclocross bike.
In appearance, a cross bike resembles a road bike. They were developed for cyclocross racing, a pursuit created a century ago by European road racers trying to stay in shape over the winter. The races take place off road, involve mud and have various obstacles that require a fair amount of hoping off the bike, throwing it over your shoulder and carrying it. As a result, the bikes have a higher bottom bracket
Carolina dreamin’ on a winter’s day …
Things I dream of doing if the temperature ever gets above 60 again …
Run in shorts. I having nothing against running tights and I’m not an exhibitionist. But you can’t truly appreciate the freedom running offers unless you’re in shorts and a sweaty t-shirt. (And, to a growing number of runners, no shoes.)