Category Archives: Exercise

Pedometer Prep

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by Ann Votaw, CHES, MA

While researching pedometers for a corporate walking program, I’ve determined three factors: (1) cheap translates into useless landfill plastic (often branded with your company logo), (2) batteries must be easy to change, meaning the chamber must open with a regular-sized screwdriver, not a watchmaker’s tool, and (3) reset buttons must do their job within this century and with minimal effort.

A $12 New Balance pedometer, purchased last year at Target, exhibits all three annoying qualities of flimsy construction, poor access to battery chamber, and a reset button I must stab with a pen using diamond-forming pressure. I imagine how well this bad boy would hold up in a work-site wellness challenge, participants constantly asking for instructions or replacements.

So far, my favorites include the Weight Watchers PointsPlus Pedometer and the Omron HJ-113, both which match nearly every footfall and reset at midnight. (Unfortunately, I needed battery-changing assistance for the Omron at my neighborhood Radioshack because the screw was so tiny.) The PointsPlus is not as accurate but is the most convenient in that the battery chamber opens with a coin, the reset button does its job, and the numbers appear upside down — allowing the user to see steps right side up.

In the days that follow, expect a table depicting my suggestions. On-line searches reveal the Omron brand as a customer favorite as well as Fit Solutions SW-200 Yamax Digiwalker Pedometer, which I purchased on Amazon for $19.50.

Easy battery change is crucial as most die within three months. To my surprise, many health fair pedometers offer no way to get inside, likening them to carnival goldfish — enjoy them while they last.

Most free on-line walking programs range from six- to eight- weeks. My goal is to find the most accurate, inexpensive, and user-friendly step counters. I want participants to work out with well-functioning equipment, anywhere from eight weeks to eight years after the challenge.

Calibrating tiny leaps and bounds

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Counting paces through St. John Divine's Council of Pronghorn by artists Terry Tempest Williams, Ben Roth, and Felicia Resor.

by Ann Votaw, CHES, MA

I celebrate Leap Day with steps rather than jumps, 151 to be more precise.

Here’s the story: While testing pedometers for individuals in a work-site wellness program, I paced from one end of a New York landmark to another, first verbally counting my steps and then checking my work with two different pedometers, handy tools for measuring accumulated daily physical activity. (Exercise professionals recommend 10,000 steps per day to maintain health.)

I chose beautiful St. John the Divine Cathedral in Manhattan, the largest cathedral in the world, depending on whom you ask. A tour guide assured me once that the cathedral is the world’s largest in volume, the amount of space within walls and ceiling. At any rate, it is a place of elegant statistics and changing (and challenging) visual art work.

Current exhibits center around water as a precious resource. Thus, my stroll from the ticket booth to alter took me through an eerie circle of pronghorn skulls, representing dehydrated animal life. My walk back to the ticket booth was 150 steps, but two subsequent tests — conducted in the side aisles with fewer obstructions like people or sculptures – counted out to 151.

I tried my same paths with an inexpensive New Balance pedometer (pictures to follow in subsequent posts), and I logged 100 steps, making the New Balance pedometer off by 51 paces. When I tried Omron’s Walking Style, I collected 150 steps, making it pretty darn accurate and easy to use. The New Balance version features hard-to-push buttons.

Value of Water continues through March 25 at St. John Divine. During this exhibit, I will test a few more pedometers and rate them according to accuracy, cost, and convenience.

Ex-gawky girl runs in blue!

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Just one of a pair of really awesome running shoes, the Saucony pro grid, Ride 4, in the brightest colors I could find!

by Ann Votaw, CHES, MA, Inwood Resident

I have a confession. I am a forefoot striker, something I learned yesterday at Jack Rabbit Sports.

After watching me run twice on one of the store’s treadmills, my salesperson/angel (whom I will call Brad) said, “Interesting. Most people are heel strikers, which means they land on their heels first. You run on your toes.”

Brad re-played the video in slow motion. Embarrassed, I admitted that I point my toes and roll toe-ball-no heel. In essence, my running style is a series of mini jetes or leaps, carry-over from my years as a dancer.

Kindly, Brad explained that I should concentrate on a shorter stride in order to articulate through other parts my feet. In other words, don’t be Baryshinikov!

Brad, who was just super nice, asked if I had running goals this year. I pretended he was my un-paid therapist, disclosing that I am a later-in-life athlete who as a teen performed in The Nutcracker (as a giant mouse), covered her face when confronted with softballs, but who competed in karate championships in her early 30s.

In short, I am late bloomer who has yet to hit her stride. I would love to run a 10K and some silly races involving costumes, like the New York Road Runners’ Coogan’s Salsa, Blues, and Shamrocks.

“Running without a costume is really boring,” I explained, “but running in a hat really gets me going.”

Brad sweetly hooked me up with the brightest pair of shoes we could find that provided lots of cushion in the instep. He also procured Beginner I and II class information without making me feel like my gawky pre-teen self, the one who trudged through PE in a retainer and a regulation blue jumper, purchased from the now defunct Family Fleecewear Section of Belmonts, in my Indiana hometown.

Inwood Community Meeting: ‘The fire was ugly, but this is beautiful!’

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The Inwood community met Friday night at Holy Trinity Church Inwood to discuss rebuilding the block of businesses, 4945 Broadway, detroyed by fire Tuesday night.

by Ann Votaw, C.H.E.S., M.A. in Health Education

At tonight’s community meeting – regarding Tuesday’s three-alarm fire on 207th Street and Broadway – I found home.  After nine years of living in New York City within seven apartments from Queens to Hells Kitchen, I met true neighbors who crowded Holy Trinity Church Inwood and offered everything from construction services to meeting space.

The blaze destroyed the second story of a block of unique businesses, 4945 Broadway, that included a dentist office and my beloved Bread and Yoga, where I was once an employee and enthusiastic student. Representatives from Faceboook’s Inwood Community Group guessed that 200 to 400 attended, some listening from the garden outside or as toddlers in strollers.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” said Fr. Sam Smith, Interim Priest at Holy Trinity Church, which housed the event in its Pied Piper Children’s Theatre Auditorium. “What I keep thinking is, ‘What’s the passion? What does that say about what people are looking for?’ I’m stunned.”

Had the fire damaged large chain stores like Walgreens, I believe turnout might have been less impressive. One speaker mentioned Walgreens and earned applause when she said, “It’s a shame that the mom and pop shops are being pushed out; we’re not going to look like the Upper West Side. Nooooo!”

Fr. Smith echoed that thought, adding that much of the crowd seemed young, brought together through social media and a drive to serve.

Neighbor Richard Van Le, an organizer of tonight’s event, started the Inwood Community Facebook group after following Twitter for information about the fire. He said he wanted to create a community board and hoped to get 50 fans. At press time, the group has attracted 428 “former strangers,” Van Le said, myself included.

At first, organizers wanted the event to be at the Indian Road Café, but as interest picked up on Facebook, Van Le and others opted for Holy Trinity and its larger space. Michael Cudney, church treasurer and an Inwood resident since 1982, had said, “If you need a place, Friday is the one night where nothing is going on.”

To provide space for yoga, Cudney said he is willing to move pews in the sanctuary.

“The fire was ugly, but this is beautiful,” said Chris Travis from Everyday Church, who pledged $2,000 for rebuilding efforts.

Other speakers included the manager of the Piper’s Kilt, which faced the fire, real estate agents, and Fr. Robert Abbatiello from Good Shepherd Church on Isham and Broadway.

“We’re certainly with you in prayer and continue to offer our support,” said Fr. Robert who offered the church’s balcony and stage. “We’re your neighbors.”

Carol McKenny, manager of the Piper’s Kilt, said that his beer distributers were willing to donate drinks for a neighborhood talent show/fundraiser that would attract Inwood’s sizeable theater and arts community. “You name it in the business, and we’re here. Jump on the stage and chew bubble gum!”

One speaker offered to create bilingual print materials, so that Spanish-speaking neighbors, without computers, can learn how to help. Others suggested fundraising fleamarkets, a finance committee, and a watch dog group.

Eva El-Fayed Hernandez, Youth Program Director at Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Center, asked that rebuilding efforts involve teenagers in Inwood and Washington Heights. “For them, they need to understand the business ramifications of when something like this happens, with landlords and such,” she said. “They want to get involved. They don’t want to sit on Facebook all day long.”

Nancy Preston, a neighbor and fellow Bread and Yoga teacher, spoke earlier in the evening. When she looked into the audience, she said she couldn’t believe the turnout. “It was truly amazing,” she said. “Such a feeling of support and love and people felt like want to get their hands dirty and help.”

I’ll be talking to Preston more this year. Turns out, like so many others I met tonight, we’re neighbors.

Vegans in mankinis

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by Ann Votaw, C.H.E.S., M.A. in Health Education

Already a strict sport, as far as personal workouts and diet, bodybuilding now has vegan fans. Read this interesting article in the New York Times and watch the accompanying video linked on the left side. The above video came from YouTube and is also interesting.

One of the story’s featured bodybuilders gets up at 4 a.m. to work out and create his menus of tofu, fresh greens, and plant-based powder.

My favorite part is the mention of mankinis, bodybuilders’ competitive outfits.

Fire at my favorite yoga studio!

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Bread and Yoga, 207th Street and Broadway, experienced a terrible fire last night. My heart breaks. Happy to be of any service!

by Ann Votaw, C.H.E.S., M.A. in Health Education

Last night, Northern Manhattan lost a gem. Not only does Bread and Yoga, founded and directed by Marcela Xavier, offer fantastic yoga for all populations (including mothers and mothers-to-be), it has offered cooking classes and cleanses, where — with the support of neighbors — I learned to give up coffee.
 
Because of Marcela’s kindness in spring 2011, I was able to attend her exceptional Yoga Alliance-based pre-natal yoga teacher training. When I say exceptional, I mean it. There were PowerPoint presentations, personal stories, and demonstrations by birth educators, all while Marcela cooked us lunch in the studio’s big front kitchen. She hooked me up with a payment plan, that allowed me to take this training! Not many studio owners have that sort of spirit and trust.

Here's the room where I enjoyed so many classes, both as a teacher and student!

Legacies of songs and jazz hands

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by Ann Votaw, C.H.E.S., M.A. in Health Education

On New Year’s Day, I fought the resolution blues by volunteering at a Manhattan nursing home. My group’s assignment was to wheel elders from their rooms to a holiday sing-along where we were asked to hold residents’ hands and be their standing dance partners.

Most of the residents had some form of dementia, but when the musicians played “New York, New York”, the place turned into Liza Minnelli Land!

When we wheeled them back, some of the residents continued to sing and move. One said to me, “I just love going to concerts. I could sing all day.”

Which led me to believe that our current jobs — teacher, banker, social worker, etc. – are really uniforms covering the music inside us. When we’re older, these melodies are more obvious. Maybe in the end, we’re left with things less tangible than money or even talent. Maybe we’re left with a couple of hairs and a shuffle ball change. Not a bad legacy, if you ask me.

The above video highlights former dancer Sarah Robichaud and her Dancing with Parkinson’s Program.

Running toward 2012; party hat on!

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by Ann Votaw, C.H.E.S., M.A. in Health Education

Earlier this week, my once-a-year running buddy, a wonderful coach and outdoorsman, emailed that he was injured and could not join me in the New York Road Runners Emerald Nuts Midnight Run in Central Park.

Part of me was relieved. My hamstrings and hips hate running, especially on concrete and in the cold late at night. After a few half-hearted attempts to find another partner, I opted to turn in early with a good book.

But around 9 p.m., I was dying to wear a goofy hat! With that, I locked up my apartment and headed down to the NYRR office on 89th Street to sign up last minute.

Once inside the park, near the bandshell with other runners, I found myself dancing to the Black Eyed Peas and chatting with an awesome woman who took the above snap shot. She said her name was Chris and that she was on her way to a party. Thus, her choice of clothing was running shoes and a cocktail dress.

Her plan was to run the four-mile race and continue running to a New Year’s party, which I just loved. It had been a hard year for relationships and career, she said, but she planned to plow right through accompanied by party horns and fireworks. “Me too,” I said.

I’m a fairly slow runner who gets super bored, so when the race started, I ran without the goal-oriented Chris who was somewhere ahead in the crowd, probably already at the celebration.

That left me alone. Among hundreds of sober New Yorkers of every shape and size, whom the female emcee described as “a bunch of cr-az-ies!” I started near a woman dressed as Natalie Portman in Black Swan. I ended the race close to three M&Ms!

It’s been a tough year, New York, and not everyone understood half the stuff I did, but I’m still here, and I’ll run through whatever you got. Bring it on, New York. I’m wearing a foam hat, and I boogie for free!

 

Why dance tango?

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by Ann Votaw, C.H.E.S.

After my fabulous LivingSocial purchase, $49 for eight tango classes and four social dances, I am entangled with Argentinian tango. I feel my love affair was ordained by Al Pacino, the high priest of tango scenes, who recently sat near me at Café Luxembourg in Manhattan. No joke!

Tango brings out the Pacino in me, and step names – gancho, parada, sacada — trip off the tongue, a glorious vocalization of tango’s smooth and quick steps. As a former musical theater dancer, I am particularly drawn to tango’s wine-like qualities: Rather than becoming rancid, tango dancers get better with age, as suggested by Pacino’s scene in Scent of a Woman!

Recent studies note that tango may relieve certain neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s. Explanations include tango’s use of dynamic balance, walking backwards, and movement at various speeds. As part of a healthcare movement to integrate arts and wellness, tango – like other forms of dance – could be a useful way to coordinate mental, social, and physical well-being.

A Royal Northern College of Music study went further, surveying 110 tango dancers in the Netherlands and Germany. The researcher, Gunter Kreutz, sought answers to several questions, including “Why do people dance tango Argentino?” Reasons included: (1) stress reduction, (2) fitness, (3) emotions, and (4) intimacy.

I feel all these components when I tango. Had I been more on my toes, I would have asked Al for a dance, assuming he doesn’t mind towering women.

Super Yoga Playlists

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Ann Votaw demonstrates a double pigeon pose.

by Ann Votaw, C.H.E.S.

This post celebrates technology and yoga teachers short on time and money!

Spotify, a Swedish-born and UK-based music streaming service, launched its US service in July. As someone who finds herself in musical ruts, Spotify allows me to review tried-and-true-combinations. A paid Premium account enables members to access Spotify on mobile devices. A free account grants computer access to approximately 15 million songs interupted by radio-style advertising.

As of late September, all new members must have Facebook accounts. When FB friends join, their profile picture appears on the right side of the screen, along with their favorite selections. Participants can share through FB, Twitter, and Spotify. I downloaded my iTunes library and voila: most of my playlists made it onto Spotify!

To view my back-to-school semester picks, visit Ann Votaw-Wellness Education on Facebook. To hear the music, you must sign up for Spotify.