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My best friend and I have this in common: we find the purchase of new sports shoes a deeply moving, spiritual experience. For him it's more tennis shoes and for me it's more running shoes, but we have the same awestruck reaction. There is nothing else like it. Being present at the birth of your first child may come close.

The subject came up when I went to the doctor yesterday to check out a small growth on my face. The doctor had a close look but quickly pronounced it safe. ``Completely benign,'' he said, and I relaxed. ``It's an age thing,'' he said, which rather ruined the effect.

He gave me the option of having it removed immediately or later, and then asked how my achilles tendinitis was going. This had been the cause of a visit to his surgery five weeks earlier, and I gave him a brief and grumpy summary of my severely curtailed jogging program. The doctor listened and suggested moving off concrete paths and running on grass, and also considering new shoes.

``Anyway,'' he said, standing to end the visit, ``I'm glad I've been able to deliver good news. As I said, that little growth is nothing to worry about.''

``Who cares about the growth?'' I said, hardly listening while counting on my fingers.

``You're right! It's been almost three years. I'm off to get new running shoes!''

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Posted By: Chris Champion - Category: Exercise, Health, Interests

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Why is the Vegemite in the fridge?

April 28th 2011 03:45

American scientists have turned general thinking about the effects of tiredness and sleep deprivation on its head with a new theory that the brain is capable of giving groups of nerve cells a power nap when needed.

In other words, the brain can shut down parts of itself for small periods, which the scientists say could account for moments of absent-mindedness.

Forgotten where you parked the car lately?

The research, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and published in the journal Nature, showed that groups of nerve cells can go dormant while the rest of the brain remains awake.

“Even before you feel fatigued, there are signs in the brain that you should stop certain activities that may require alertness,” said the lead researcher, Professor Chiara Cirelli.

“Specific groups of neurons may be falling asleep, with negative consequences on performance.”

Scientists had previously thought that sleep deprivation affected the whole brain.

It all goes to explain why I, after breakfast earlier this week, stored the margarine on the pantry shelf and the Vegemite in the fridge.

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Posted By: Chris Champion - Category: Brain news and issues, Health

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Easter, health and chocolate

April 24th 2011 06:20

It’s Easter and therefore appropriate to reinforce a message which can sometimes get lost at this time of year.

The message is that, under no circumstances, should you eat chocolate.

Look, I know what you’re thinking, but the fact is that chocolate is just as bad for you at Easter as at any other time of the year.

Just remember that there is a long list of negatives arising from the consumption of chocolate, whereas research worldwide over many years has yet to establish even one objective benefit.

Remember, also, that it takes ongoing willpower to resist the siren appeal of chocolate. Let your resolve slip for a second and it’s easy to fall. The first sign is inventing excuses.

The exception to the absolutely no chocolate ever rule, of course, is Lindt chocolate. Eat some of that stuff and you feel like you rule the universe, which is an objective benefit in anyone’s language.

Another exception is any chocolate which comes in a wrapping. This can be eaten in an emergency, such as when you are awake and craving chocolate.

Otherwise, don’t touch the stuff.

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Posted By: Chris Champion - Category: Diet, Health

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Parkinson’s medication side effects

November 30th 2010 02:37

The treatment of Parkinson’s disease can create some brutal side-effects, something police, social workers and judges are well aware of.

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Posted By: Chris Champion - Category: Health

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Talk the walk

October 2nd 2010 11:08

Heaven

Dear Achilles Tendon,

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Posted By: Chris Champion - Category: 50s, Exercise, Health, Achilles tendonitis

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Green exercise

June 6th 2010 19:49

Some incentives to get off the sofa and burn a calorie work better than others. Here’s one that, for me, works very well indeed.

A team of British scientists analysed the results of 10 separate studies involving about 1250 people to try to determine what affects mental wellbeing. That’s a fancy way of saying mood

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Posted By: Chris Champion - Category: Exercise, Health, Psychology

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Smile if you want to live a long time

March 27th 2010 06:37

Julia Roberts, whose smile is the only Earth feature visible from Alpha Centauri, is expected to live longer than most of the known planets.

The secret of a long life could be in your face — in the width of your smile and in the depth of the smile lines around your eyes.

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Posted By: Chris Champion - Category: Health, Psychology

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Old age is in the eye of the beholder

March 20th 2010 06:26

The youthful Kathryn Bigelow

At what age does old age begin? Just how old is old? Not surprisingly, it depends on the age of the person you ask.

Researchers from the University of Kent in the UK asked 40,000 people in 31 countries: "When does youth end and old age begin

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Posted By: Chris Champion - Category: Health, Life questions

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Love thong

January 11th 2010 22:46

When nature designed the human foot, she did not have thongs in mind as a defining design criterion.

Thongs, for the non-Australians amongst you, are the cheapest and nastiest footwear on the planet. In Britain, they are known as flip-flops. The Americans are too sensible to have them at all

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Posted By: Chris Champion - Category: Health, Corns

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The Pilates Kid

July 9th 2009 00:27

I'm starting Pilates lessons this Saturday morning. I don't really know what Pilates is — this was one of those bilateral decisions which my wife made on a unilateral basis — but I intend to do a little reading before Saturday.

In fact, I'm looking forward to it, not as the start of something but as the continuation of something started in the week after last Christmas

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Posted By: Chris Champion - Category: 50s, Exercise, Health

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The long and windy groan

April 26th 2009 07:55

A deed of epic endurance and heroism has been done here this day. Despite overwhelming difficulties, I can place a tick in today's box on my exercise schedule. Or at least, I will once I get the frostbite treated and regain use of my right hand.

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Posted By: Chris Champion - Category: Exercise, Health, Vintage Sportsman

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Living, and caring, longer

April 22nd 2009 08:05

The New York Times web site has a section about issues relating to the aged and aging. They call the section The New Old Age (which they clearly borrowed from the name of this blog and I expect royalty cheques to start arriving any day).

An introductory blurb to the section says that, thanks to modern medicine, the over-80s is the fastest-growing segment of the population. This is positive in many ways, but requires adjustments from their children who are finding themselves involved in caring for aged parents for longer

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Posted By: Chris Champion - Category: 50s, 80s, Health

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Newly old medicine

March 30th 2009 23:34

Lucilia sericata, the green bottle fly

In some areas, modern medicine has significantly changed and improved our lives. In other areas, it has yet to match the efficacy of traditional medicine. And in other areas again, both modern and traditional struggle to get the job done.

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Posted By: Chris Champion - Category: Health, Leg ulcers

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