Well we appear to have hit summer head-on — talk about nice weather for all kinds of outdoor or indoor activities, depending on your tolerance for sweat. This makes some of our outdoor camps a bit more challenging — remember to pack the appropriate water, hats and sunscreens if you have someone attending. Don’t forget to stock up on Red Cross swim lessons if you are headed to the rivers or lake.
If you like some active sports but it’s too hot outside, why not try out floor hockey or basketball in the arena or pickleball in the curling rink? I just took a walk through there and, boy, it’s a heck of a lot cooler in there than outside. The arenas aren’t air-conditioned, but with the new roof and improved insulation, it resists the heat of the day a lot better than the old roof. Just ask any of us that had to sit through a hockey arena grad ceremony in 30 degrees or so, feeling the life ebb from our bodies.
From the “Why don’t my pants fit anymore?” file: I just saw an article that looked at a 20-year study by Stanford University to try and identify the country’s obesity problem (U.S.A., of course — not us). The article indicates that obesity is not due primarily to overeating but rather a decline in exercise, which leads to an overall increase in body mass index (BMI). The categories the study covered were obesity, waistline obesity, physical activity and calorie intake. Their findings did not support the popular notion that obesity was primarily tied to long-term higher caloric intake of Americans but more a significant association between the level of leisure time physical activity and increases in BMI and waist circumference.
In 1994, only 19.1 per cent of women admitted to not having any physical activity in their lifestyle but by 2010, 51.7 per cent admitted the same. On the male side, it was 11.4 per cent that didn’t work out in ’94, but that rose to 43.5 per cent in 2010. The BMI has increased 0.37 per cent per year for women and 0.27 per cent for men.
So, you say, another study to add to the pile of studies previously done — true, but rather than get mired down in statistics and percentages, you easily can examine your own routines over the past 20 years and see if this might be pertinent in your current lifestyle. I’m not sure you want biscuits and gravy everyday with your bacon and eggs, but if you do, make sure you offset it with the appropriate amount of physical activity to keep your body humming along like the well-oiled (not greased) machine it is.
Neil Ostafichuk is the recreation supervisor at the Creston and District Community Complex.