Liz Davies: Guest Blogger

I was recently contacted by one Liz Davies who had just stumbled on this blog and she asked if she might write a guest blog here. I just finished reading it and it is superb!  Maybe it is happenstance or serendipitous in any case her article is about exercise for cancer patients. She makes a compelling argument to that end. We of course at Equinox are deeply committed to Cycle for Survival 2012 and I thought you might find this young recently graduated college student's article of strong interest. And here it is in it's entirety unedited. 

Fitness Inspiration for Cancer Patients

Those who have cancer may feel like the treatments are more draining than the disease itself. These can sap their energy, making them feel weak and tired all of the time. They may even feel nauseous and sick. This is not the way that they want to live, and they will be glad to know that it is not the way that they have to live. Something that many people do not realize is that exercise can really help them to overcome these feelings. It can help them to regain their strength and to feel better. This is true for all types of cancer including breast cancer, lung cancer and even rare forms like epithelial mesothelioma.

Increased Strength

First of all, exercise can help them by increasing their muscle mass and making them physically stronger. The body will be weak already, so this strength can help them to feel like they are able to be more active. They will be able to do more things, showing them that their life can still be as fulfilling as they desire. 

Better Blood-Flow and a Higher Heart Rate

Any exercise gets the heart working. This helps to prevent blood clots and other such problems. The rising heart rate can also make them feel less lethargic. This is one of the reasons that cancer patients have been shown to have a lower risk of a reoccurrence of cancer if they are exercising frequently.

An Improved Outlook

Exercise can just help people to feel better in an emotional sense. They will be more awake and alert. This will improve their mood. It can also help them to connect with those around them. 

The Best Exercises

Some exercises are ideal for cancer survivors. One such exercise is simply stretching. Increased flexibility helps with blood flow and allows more exercises to be possible. Resistance training with weights or machines is also a good idea since patients will have often lose muscle mass during their treatment. They could also have gained fat, and having larger muscles will help them to burn it off. As they start to feel better, aerobic exercises such as walking or swimming are encouraged. These can also help to reduce fat. 

How to Stay Motivated

When someone is not feeling well, it can be hard for them to want to do anything, let alone work out. They need to keep the positives in mind so that they can be encouraged to continue working out. They need to set goals for themselves. Even small goals, such as walking for a mile, can be helpful. Furthermore, they could reward themselves when they accomplish certain things. Maybe they have been denying themselves deserts. When they have reached a certain exercise goal, they could allow themselves to have a dessert that they love. They should also think of exercise as a way of showing cancer that it cannot rule their life.

Liz Davies is a recent college graduate and aspiring writer especially interested in health and wellness. She wants to make a difference in people’s lives because she sees how cancer has devastated so many people in this world. Liz also likes running, playing lacrosse, reading and playing with her dog, April. 

Space and Time

Kristen eluded to the fact that we were a “team” today in this a very rainy Saturday edition of KSC. She reasoned that because all of our bikes are so close together that we exchange a free flowing energy with each other. All the members of “The Team” are watching us and that is one reason why we give the effort we give. Kristen must know because although we are usually only focused on one set of eyes, hers she is seeing 110 eyes on those 55 bikes staring back at her. 

Now I think we happen to be so close together because it’s what the Fire Marshall will allow in what is virtually always a SRO Kristen’s Spin Class.  (SRO: Sitting Room Only)

But on the abstract or metaphysical level spin class at our EQ is more like a community of friends that may only know each other in a cursory way but nonetheless we share each other’s aura and that is a deeply personal exchange probably only possible because of  our instructor Kristen James and also  in large part to the type of members we enjoy in Woodbury.  

Sit next to Stacy Sable or any number of the plethora of riders that have a drive reserved only for dedicated athletes and you will find out exactly what I mean. And if you are a devotee of KSC you know and have experienced this phenomenon.  

We have limited space in the absolute in one of the largest spin studios on Long Island or anywhere else for that matter. Just try to move around before or after class off the Schwinn and you’ll know I speak the truth.   Maybe though Evil Woman has something there when she talks about our proximity and what we share with one another and in truth I wouldn’t want it any other way. And as far as time is concerned the minutes continue to fly by as if the minute hand was on speed attached to an interval linked to the upper reaches of 120 RPM’s on our consoles.  From the beginning for this rider it was a challenge to make it mentally through a whole hour and although it is even more challenging now than it was nearly two years ago I am never glad our time is through but it does set the day and readies me for the challenges of life on life’s terms.  

Space and time limited commodities in our lives and the same holds through of KSC.   

Across the Mid Line

The challenge of spin has helped me drop twenty pounds since May and the key might be more dietary than just how hard my effort in the pedal stroke is. When I got on that scale after class I was astonished how far left I am pushing that sliding bar.   Avoiding those empty calories at night could be pivotal along with the end of drinking diet soda. I think there just might be a conspiracy theory about such drinks because although they carry no caloric weight the secret ingredient might be that it increases your appetite for those heavily laden fat foods like Five Guys and Golden French Fries. Just sayin’. If I had listened to Kristen at the outset I would have arrived at this revelation sooner but I just wasn’t ready until now.  

Talking to David (he’s usually in #6) in the men’s locker room and he agreed with me that KSC has taken on a new dimension in terms of the degree of difficulty so having said that I know that I am not alone. And now 21 months in I can actually say that I am starting to feel fit. And I have not been in this zone since my feet were hitting the pavement on a regular basis. Which for me is eons ago. 

And how dumb am I? Don’t answer that! But why did it take me so long to figure out that I could cross the mid line of the bike with each pedal stroke? Left, right, left right.  Just a small shift to either side of the mid line of the Schwinn has given me and added boost of strength and probably affords me an even higher RPM which has always bedeviled me.    

Kristen Rising

Is there anything more I can say about spin class with Kristen James? After all how many times can I talk about her charismatic personality or even her mercurial moodscape that changes like the phases of the moon? Well 325 entries later she continues to break new ground not only in the anatomy of spin but now that she is concentrating on regulating our HR, we are moving past just a fabulous workout and she is creating a more exacting fitness that only her scientific approach can deliver.  Now what does all that gobbly gook mean? It means that we are athletes and I haven’t felt like that probably since running the Boston Marathon.  And that is no joke because I would train 75/100 miles a week.  We are always “training” one day I would love to take it further and find out just how fit we are in a race day atmosphere.  

Kristen seems to be mulling over having rowing classes. I would love that. I can’t say for sure but that might seem the perfect upper body compliment to our lower body workouts of spin. My imagination went wild thinking I would have a whole new “pull” of stories about stationary rowing.  Just think about that for a bit. Where would all these pieces of equipment go? Well if she can get the Mother Ship to build a new multi-million dollar studio like the one we have nothing will surprise me. 

I would like to with Peter Rothermel much success in Great Neck and the best of success to Louis Cohen in his new position as GM of Woodbury.  

   

23 Seconds

Calling it her signature, Kristen has a sentient connection to the song by David Guetta called: Without You.  It also has two distinct bridges of 23 seconds that lend itself perfectly to an all out anaerobic effort followed by what EW calls: Do Nothing. The song itself is perfect on the ears as well and relatively brief lasting only 3:30. 

And how about Jennifer Lopez with that new one called: Papi. I could never stand her with the overexposure the media paid her and Ben Affleck. It prejudiced me about her I must admit as I thought it was just another one of those no talent couples that looked more like a train wreck than a relationship. She has changed my mind so completely after her “On the Floor” and now this latest song that she is using in her Fiat commercial. Of course she is a ravishing beauty but now that I have found out she can really belt out a catchy song I’m all ears.  

Establishing herself as far and away the most skilled technician of spin that I know Evil Woman has punched through a new level playing with our hearts. And I mean that she has us elevating her heart rates and then letting them touch down in a perfectly orchestrated synchronous pattern that has me reeling in the saddle at the sheer brilliance of it. These are not just my sentiments because a lot of the boys are talking in the locker room about her choreography and just how different the tapestry is that she has woven.   

Spin Notes:

Did you see how Deepak and Anastasia got some favorable press from our Queen of Spin in Thursday’s session? Deepak is Mr. iPhone and Anastasia is the miracle workers of sorts with making us all look like Dorian Gray.  What about Heather Featherr and Cheryl? These two young women are optical experts par extraordinaire. I think we should check them out for all our eyewear needs. Heather fixed my broken glasses in short order and delivered them to me today in class. I have no lens to grind but give a thought to calling on these two.  

Everything is Temporary

Everything’s Temporary. A powerful phrase that I have touched on in several of my less fanciful yarns over the last year and a half, and when Kristen uttered it today it reminded me in the context of our spin sessions whether up or in the saddle that our time in the Lavender Palace is the shortest of intervals. It is the one-hour where we become devoted to ourselves alone.  And in our hurtling existence had we not taken the time, our own needs might never be met in the other 23.  

 The Evil Woman has often said that you can do anything for 30 seconds and when it’s boiled down to finite intervals like that my motivation instantly rises to increase my pedal stroke and I instinctively move out of my comfort zone. That’s another phrase that I will focus on one day because the comfort zone is a moving target. Comfort it seems to me moves along a continuum that leaves behind discomfort in its wake. No sooner are we pushing a deeper level of fitness do we find ourselves climbing steeper and steeper climbs via that damn red dial. I could feel it today my legs punishing the pedals and when she told me to increase the resistance I was taken out of my trance of thinking I was where I should be.

 Today for a plethora of reasons as I opened my eyes and cast my squinted glance at the digital clock reading 5:45 my impetus to rise was as a dead Duracell trying to light my way to the bathroom door, it just wasn’t happening. My desire was at low ebb and it would take all of my military school discipline just to muster donning my shorts and top and move my sorry ass to make the 8:30.  

But just as my AA idiom told me that bring the body and the mind will follow, once I heard the rhythm of the American Top 40 I felt like Jeff Bridges did in Starman as the Mother ship brought him back to life with those light rays from the heavens. So too did Kristen relight my blue pilot light that sometimes lets life extinguish my desire and enthusiasm. For many reasons I am in an emotional malaise but for this hour I forgot where I was and with the help of all of you my altered state of bliss returned albeit only temporary. 

P. S. 

Optical Image run by Heather Featherr and Cheryl Israeloff are my new Opticians.

I visited their store in Plainview last week and I can recommend them highly and after all I think we should support these friends in our home away from home EQ.  

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The Young Lion

I haven’t left contrary to popular belief. I have just been busy these past few weeks. On Wednesday with the absence of Kristen I elected to do a Napoleon Solo* around 4 PM. I was kicking my butt as best I knew how and just tried to simulate the call of our fearless leader. No easy task I can assure you but I was determined to get a cardio workout in so I tried counting pedal strokes (not exactly a fun thing) and pushing the resistance wheel up a ¼ turn for a 60 count up in #3 and 60 seated.  Some of our excellent MAINTAIN staff was hard at work tightening and tuning our beloved Schwinn’s where most often they function as they were part of our shoes.  

Lo and behold however at about 4:20 I see Young Atlas make an appearance for a 4:30 I didn’t even consider was on the schedule. I was more than grateful to see about 20 of you file in and pick up the slack in my unmotivated ride.  I have said it before this young man has been schooled well, very well.  Kristen has a great young lion here.  

As I finished my ride I thought I really did wish I could be two people and experience more than just Kristen and Tripp but for now it will be just the occasion like Wednesday that afforded me the luxury of being with Young Atlas.  

I think I had the flu with chills and fever and hope to make Saturday even though I will be on the L line for the 9:15

*Napoleon Solo- Spinning alone. 

The Tables Have Turned

When I think of what I’ve learned in KSC it would certainly include how to work that resistance wheel to get the most out of my workout but that is only one flight of stairs that I have climbed since February of 2010. I think what I’ve rediscovered is how to take it to my limit and manipulate my heart rate to help me shock my body out of my comfort zone. I had not actually thought that I would find myself there but when the Evil Woman spoke of it today I had to be honest I was spinning in my zone of comfort in parts of my workout. It was a wake up moment.  How could that be? I leave three huge puddles every single class but sweat doesn’t always mean results at least I don’t think it does.

Kirsten has me breathless virtually the whole ride and when she says anything about ‘faking it’ I know I am not in that equation. I actually cannot conceive who in her class actually is trying to be mendacious but I suppose from her vantage point she is the best judge of that. It still defies imagination that anyone would be here when they’d be better off on the elliptical or on one of the recumbent bikes in the main room.  And a lesson for some of the other instructors in her charge could be that paying attention to form of their riders should be the first order of business.  I for one have seen some that have their upper torso out of synch with their lower half and I just know that is inefficient at least for spin class.  I first learned how to keep my upper body “quiet” one Sunday in Carolyn Mellace’s class when she had us focus on this very discipline in a segment on one of her rides.  

 I have lost all my disdain for the musical selections in this class because this is what people want to hear nowadays I suppose. And to be truthful artists that gave me an earache last year I can actually tolerate now  and there are those that I can actually enjoy. People like Pitbull, Usher and even Jennifer Lopez have me at least listening with moderate interest. There are those too that I actually like Katy Perry, David Guetta and the Madonna of the 21st Century, Lady Gaga.  I would still love to hear more from the 80’s, as my own personal preferences like Erasure and New Order resonate with me like no other musicians since The Beatles.  

Spin Notes:

What the heck is Don doing in the second row? Does teacher need to watch him to keep him from throwing spitballs in class? Or is he afraid that the clock above his head might actually fall off the wall if he doesn’t “Get Up” when EW tells him to.  

There is new blood in class these past few weeks and months, which keeps it fresh and provides more foils for Kristen as she indoctrinates the uninitiated.  

Hamburger in His Pocket

There is always a foil for Kristen in the audience and  just like a  Don Rickles schtick  she always finds someone in the crowd who she can pivot on and get jocular with and make it last for the whole session if she so chooses. Deepak made the mistake of saying that she was killing him one morning. Oh boy. What a mistake to make-a.  It was comical how she took him through a Dean Martin roast.  Latest up was our back row miscreant Harold. Harold it seems is a big big fan of the hamburger. In fact the McDonald’s Hamburglar (Since passed away in 2003, rest his soul) and H were quite buddy buddy back in the day.  Now he is enchanted with “Five Guys”. Kristen thought he was inviting over five guys to her house just recently but it was a sackful of the newest sensation (or fad take your pick) of the now self proclaimed best tasting hamburgers. And so Kristen (not a hamburger fan) who lives on salmon, water and air was not about to ‘bite’ into Harold’s newest friend.  I instantly thought of Wimpy of Popeye fame who would exclaim: I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today’. I am not saying Harold is Wimpy but he did evoke a fond memory.

Contagion

Atop bike  #41 left me far enough away from spreading too many microbes in the direction of my spin mates this past Monday morning. Another round of bronchial asthma had me just a bit curtailed in giving my usual fanatical effort in the Queen of Spin’s class.  I love that back corner position in what is left field of the CS because it gives me a great view of almost everyone in the class except for Kristen. It felt surreal from that vantage point as my upper respiratory infection simulated a dose of sensory deprivation as well as me desperate to stay in the breathless zone.  

Now I don’t see myself as a narcissist but next to that full length wall mirror it’s hard not to take a look at my physiology which for all intents and purposes has seen a metamorphosis in these past few months. I used to have a ripped thoracic wall up until age 45 until a self-imposed 7-year sentence on the elliptical left me more paunchy than at any other point in my life since my college years.  And because of this regimen taking my shirt off this summer was something I did with regularity and even though Kristen says it was me who put in the effort there is no way I could have felt this good about my body as I do now without her adroit instruction. 

 I am 20 months in now and I can say with a deep conviction that spin has awakened me to my new life that is now upon me.  And as I celebrated my first year as a sexagenarian I almost can’t believe I am born again.  If indeed my spin stories have come to an end it was one helluva ride.  

My Spin Shoes

Resting comfortably in my walk in closet upstairs haven’t they haven't  had to do much this past week. In fact I am sure just a bit of dust has started to collect on my shoe tops since I left them flat footed on Monday.  I suppose that I haven’t forgotten how to put them back on and clip myself into my favorite Schwinn, but that’s not what worries me.  

What does worry me is that my stories, my little vignettes about this passion have run its course.  In the beginning it seemed that I had a treasure chest that was bottomless and that no amount of words could ever describe the feeling I got before during and after a class with either Kristen or my co favorite Tripp Doherty.  

There could always be another story for me to write and who knows maybe there will be but maybe just maybe this blogger needs to get on to more serious subjects like My Life After AA or my real passion to finish writing that mystery novel that I started 3 ½ years ago.  Have I run out of gas and like Captain Kirk asking Scotty to run engines on impulse power? Maybe my warp drive at least for spin class needs a new set of dilithium crystals.  

For more Jack Briant   http://jackbriant.blogspot.com/2011/09/stuck-on-230.html