Exercise

The best way to stay on a sinking ship

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Alignment matters, but not that much

We talk a lot about alignment in Tai Chi, but often this is done by looking at a static posture. The hip is aligned with the shoulder here, the elbow aligns with the knee here, etc… We do this because it’s easier to do it this way, but we should never forget that alignment is something that happens as you move.

Biomechanist Katy Bowman discusses this often ignored movement aspect of alignment in the first episode of the Katy Says podcast.

Give it a listen. I particularly like the analogy that ergonomics is the best way to stay on a sinking ship.

Redefine your idea of exercise

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Katy says

I hadn’t been aware of Katy Bowman, and her blog Katy Says, until I happened across this episode of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast:

It’s about how we aren’t designed to live the way we live in the modern world, and how that should change your approach to exercise. It starts getting interesting at 17 minutes, and again at 55 when she talks about the importance of walking more.

There are some great insights here, particularly the idea that:

1. We put our eyes into a cast by not looking at things far away often enough.

2. Everything we walk on is flat – this is really unnatural and we should have more regular access to uneven terrain.

3. Sitting down for long periods is very bad for you

4. Go barefoot – you get more aware of your feet because you have to protect them, plus your toes get to move sideways, which rarely happens in shoes.

5. You need to walk more than you do.

There’s a lot more here – it’s well worth a listen.