Ways to rest so as not to have to suffer pain.

When we think of strength, the thought of exercise and movement comes to mind. Most of the time, we forget the fact that the body needs rest to grow and develop strength.

When we consider strength, it ought not to mean just sleep. We can perhaps sit down somewhere and relax the tired parts of our body. Give them a break for that is what they need to stay strong and healthy.

Most of us have been told through books, trainers and teachers or even parents that sleep is the time when tired muscles recuperate, release the tension from the muscles and grow in size and power. We wake up the next morning refreshed, the aches gone and we are ready for work and play.

However, sleep is not the only time when we can give our overworked body and its muscles rest. Change of activity and movement also gives muscles and tendons of a certain part of our body the opportunity to relax as other parts get into the new movements required in the change of activities.

Let us take a hawker as an example. Hawkers sometimes have to stand for long hours at their jobs. As a result, they overstrain their leg muscles and tendons. The end up with pain in their legs. If they could shift to another activity in their jobs then it is possible to avoid such pain. For example, after serving customers by taking food to the tables and returning with used bowls for an hour, they could exchange jobs with their assistants and do some washing or cooking instead. This can prevent overworking a certain part of body, giving it a reprieve during the exchange of activity.

White-collar jobbers face the same problem. They sit slouched at their computers for too long, sometimes straining their neck in a particular angle resulting in pain to the neck and the back. Again it is over-straining of a certain part of the body. What they need is to get off their chairs away from their computer to take a walk and do some other task. If that proves to be difficult as most of the work needs to be on the computer, then get a chair with a moveable, adjustable back and arm-rest so that positions can be changed every now and then, as often as possible. Otherwise, pain will be the consequence.

So, rest may not necessarily be total rest but rather a change of position or action which involves another set of muscles and tendons, thus affording rest for certain parts of the body.

Our back is weak.

This is the dumbbell I use for my rowing exercise. It is also being done to prepare myself for the next kayak competition that is sometime in October this year.
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No matter how big you are or how strong you appear to be, your back is one of the weakest part of your body.

As a masseur, I have come across numerous strong persons who suffer from a weak back. This weakness could be due to insufficient exercise for the back. Very few people seem to bother about muscles in the back, except for those professional or aspiring body-builders.

When we think of a beautifully, muscled body, we first think of the arms; big biceps, not even triceps, big forearms, chest muscles, and abdominal muscles. Well, man is an egoistic being and those are the parts he can exposed for others to appreciate most often. Of course, those who visit the beach and wear swimming costumes also think of their legs. But the back! Who looks at it? Even the guy himself hardly sees that part of his body. So, not much effort is put in to improve the back.

Imagine a front that has strong, taut muscled chest and stomach and a back that has hardly any developed muscles. A strong front and a weak back. no wonder we see quite a number of the body-building people forever arched forward for two reasons; compressing the front muscles to show them off or the back too weak to straighten the body. So we have a unbalanced body.

A weak back would mean no strong enough muscles holding up the vertebrae. The spinal column is not well supported by strong enough muscles. Therefore, if there is strain upon the spine, something may give way. It could be the weak muscles or the spine. Whichever it might be, there would be pain.

So most people suffer from pain due to twisting or turning the body too fast for the muscles to perform that movement well. So we have a twisted back. See how easy it is to hurt the back? Even picking up something from the floor can hurt the back if the back is weak and the action is wrongly carried out. Wrongly carried out? What do I mean? Well, there are two ways to pick or lift up something; the correct way is to bend the legs at the knees to go down and the wrong way is to bend the back to stretch down. The wrong way with a weak back can bring pain to the lower back. And once a part of the spine has been weakened, the problem can return again and again unless, we do systematic strengthening of the back. Improper method of strengthening can hurt the back. It has to be a slow gradual process and I believe yoga is the best way.

Even bending too long at a certain task can lead to back problems. There are those who sit at computers should get up every hour or so to stretch and straighten their backs. And it is important that we try to sit with a correct posture. There are people who slant their bodies or the angle of their necks as they work away at the computer. To prevent a painful back in future such people have to do something about their posture, straightening their backs or getting a better chair which would not cause them to slouch.

And how many people slouch in their chairs every evening as they relax in front of their television. That curved lower back will with time weaken and be the cause of pain. Why, some people even slouch as they drive around. Imagine their poor cramped lower back and they wonder why their backbone is tight and stiff.

So, the way we sit, move and pick or carry things are important in the prevention of pain to our back. Just as important is developing a stronger back. One simple exercise I use is a rowing action with weights. I choose a dumbbell that I can comfortable row with for at least fifty times. Choose a weight that is right for you without straining too much. Hold the dumbbell with both hands and turn it in a rowing action with your body straight, turning only as and when required just as you would in rowing a boat. The aim is not to build muscles but to strengthen the back. Even when the back is strengthened, use the right action to pick or lift up things and hold the body in a good posture always.

Fear alone is not enough.

The other day I met this friend who told me of a guy who had diabetes and heart problems.
"So what did you advise him?" I wanted to know.
"I told him to join me for evening walks."
"That's good. With his heart problem, he certainly cannot take on strenuous activity.
"Yeah but what's the use? The guy says he has sufficient exercise already."
"Well, if he really has enough exercise, that's good enough." I pacified him.
"Well, do you consider strolling to the nearest sundry shop which is a hundred metres away exercise?" he wanted to know.
"Of course not! Any activity can only be considered exercise if the heart gets to beat faster than normal and the lungs are forced to take in greater gasps of air," I explained. "Perhaps you ought to explain that to him," I suggested.
"I did but he was adamant that that was sufficient for him," he ended that with an expression of hopelessness.
"Well, sometimes, there's just nothing much more that you can do. You have done your part. The rest is his choice."

Well, every now and then, we meet individuals like the guy with health problems. They find it difficult to get out of their comfort zone and refuses to put out some effort to overcome their problems. And sometimes it is only when the problem has reached the critical stage that these people would want to act which might be too late.

Well, if things worsen and the guy dies, then all his problems could be over. But, sometimes, life is not that easy. A stroke may put them down and life is limited to a bed and four walls. And if funds are limited, with no help to turn the body, bed sores come to create greater misery. The disgusting smell, the fear of gangrene and losing limbs makes life frightening.

Unfortunately for these people fear alone is insufficient to drive them to move towards recovery at the earlier stage. At the later stage, when movement is too restricted to bring about any change, there is only prayer and hope.

Prayer? Talking of prayer, I remember these words: God helps those who help themselves. Of course, there are miracles but they are only for unbelievable occasions. That's the reason they are termed miracles. And hope is only there as long as there is enough energy and strength to find a means to get out of the situation; otherwise it is hopeless. And there can only be pain and suffering.

Is that what we want? That is a most important thought. And this thought ought to be voiced early, and action taken accordingly.

Heel pain requires time to heal.

Some three years ago, I jumped down from a higher level to the ground below at the hill and suffered a pain in the heel as my foot came into contact with a sharp hard stone. From that day on I felt a pain in my heel each time I stepped on the ground or moved that foot forward in walking and running.

Since I know how to massage, I did what had to be done which was to warm up the area and massaged it. Each time I bathed I would immerse it into almost unbearable warm water for a few minutes until the foot was red before transferring it into cold water.

As the pain stubbornly refused to go away, I wore three pair of socks to continue my daily exercise at the hill. That, of course, meant I had to get a pair of shoes one size larger. The socks did cushion the heel from hard contact with the solid ground and gradually after about a year the pain went away. As the pain reduced I changed to wearing only two pairs of socks, finally ending that painful period with just a pair.

Of course, not all pain at the heels require such a long period to heal. There have been quite a number of careless moments when I had hurt my foot but they require only a day or two of massage to be fine again. It caused me to realise that certain inflammation takes longer to go off, probably because I did not rest the hurt but aggravate it further by continuing with my walks and runs at the hill.

That was a good weakness on my part as it kept me exercising, strengthening my will against the pain and giving me the good health I still enjoy. I believed we should never be deterred by a little pain as if I had rested and the rest period was a little too long, it could lead to procrastination and laziness in the effort to maintain fitness.

Thank God for that, and today I feel no pain, and am still actively keeping my body trim and in excellent shape. Looking back, it was the right move to carry on despite the pain for two painful years without the wonderful exercise at the hill could have started me downhill to poor health.

Allow the child to grow into an adult

Today I read the story of a forty-three year old man breaking the arm of his father just because the seventy-one year old man stared at him for shouting at his mother.

Now, even if the old man was not the father, breaking someone's arm just because of a stare is obviously too much. The picture I got in my mind then was a gangster whose ego is such that even a stare cannot be tolerated. In my youth I have come across such a gangster who asked me what I was looking at. In my adolescent recklessness I told him how could he know I was looking at him if he had not been looking at me. So "Why the hell are you looking at me," I shot back. But, please do not emulate my then stupid action. For me at that time, I had the body of a body-builder and every other person is a coward if he is not confident of winning the fight. With no weapon and a body less rugged and faced with a guy who was certainly not timid, he knew the odds and went off.

In the present story, apparently he knew the father was too old to retaliate and dared to break his arm and kicked him. And he knew the others would not dare to intervene as he had a bowie knife in his hand. What a hero! Would he be brave enough to tackle someone his age and size?

Now, I detest such types; they who would take on someone weaker and show their sadistic streak harming those unable to defend themselves because of age, less strength and less power. They people should put their need to satisfy their ego to better use.

And once a child is big enough to be on his/her own, parents must let go and allow the grown-up child the freedom to find his/her own destination. In this sense I agree with parents in certain countries who get their children to be out of their homes or pay for their own expenses once they are capable of earning a salary. In this way, some children would have the opportunity to develop some maturity and be able to think right. When a child is not able to think correctly, his words and actions will not be right. And when words and action are not controllable by the brain, the person will always be in danger of committing wrong.

So, parents must allow the child to grow into a man/woman. Like a kite-flyer, parents must gradually lose hold of the string that hold and retards their child's growth mentally and spiritually. Allow the child to grow into an adult with all the capabilities of a fully-developed one.

Actually, it's easy to be a Malaysian.

I remember my childhood and schooldays. Though I was then fairly weak physically, I enjoyed my life playing the games all children play. In Wellesley Primary School, Hutchings School, then Penang Free School, we played and mingled with anyone who wishes to join in our fun. When playing with marbles in the primary schools, we play to win without any thought on our friend’s race. Darker skin, lighter skin or whatever shade or colour, all those do not make any difference to us. As we played ‘Police and thief’, chasing each other, we only thought of catching friends for our team to win so that we could exchange roles in the game. Later, in the secondary school, we play rugby, football and other games as sports house members. No matter how rough we could be, we just played among students of the same school without a single thought of anyone’s race.

During those days, like any other children anywhere in the world, we sometimes disagree, get angry and fight. Sometimes we come back together as friends. There was never any worry about the other child’s race. It was just, “I don’t like him because he dirtied my shoes.” or something like that. The reason has nothing whatsoever about race. And when we support or cheer someone in a quarrel or fight, it was always ‘That’s my friend.’ who could be of another race.

Well, it is so easy to be a Malaysian. That was and is because when a child is born, he/she enters straight into this country as a Malaysian. He/She knows no other place he or she can call home. Malaysia is his/her home. It is only when divisive policies created by power-crazy politicians hammer into our heads that our ancestors come from another country and therefore we are less equal, less privileged and less advantaged in this land that we realise, people think we cannot call the land we are born in 'home' which is so wrong. After all, except for the Orang Asli or the original people of this land, every citizen's ancestors in my Mother Land comes from elsewhere. And anyone with just a little intelligence will have to agree with this truth. The truth is also that people like me who are born here knows of only this Mother Land and no other. This is home. If i am just a visitor, I could pack my bags to return home but because this is home, I write this so that my children and others can understand where home is for me.

In all things we did those days up to the time of the implementation of the National Economic Policy, we were just friends, acquaintances or enemies but there was nothing racial in it. How is that so? Well, for one thing, there was nothing in society, our education institutions or our lives where somebody was made more special, more privileged or more advantaged. Physically, mentally or emotionally; yes, there are people who are more special or more advantaged. Those people were born that way, not made to be like that by a government that divided its people into races with the excuse that a certain race is less capable of achieving what the others have achieved. I say excuse because if we sincerely wish to help our less capable or poorer people, all we need implement is a system by which all those who are less capable or poorer would be helped. With that, if most of the people from a particular state or race need such help, then certainly the people helped would mostly be from that state or race. So, there is no need to divide the country into states or races. In such an instance, the capable and rich will not have any reason to disagree and the problem of race would never exist.

It is because a race has been made special, more privileged and more advantaged, that our country finds it so difficult to have its people united. And this race problem is not easy to overcome, even though the government is moving towards helping every Malaysian according to merit. Why? How many are matured, truly educated (those who can really think clearly and correctly) and understanding enough to understand that the National Economic Policy was to help the poor and not everyone, even the very rich, in a particular race? Tell these less matured, less educated and less understanding people that places in the universities, contracts and job opportunities will not be specially reserved for them because they belong to a particular race and although they have riches beyond most Malaysians, they would protest and demand that they must be treated more equal than other Malaysians. And it is happening even as I put these thoughts to paper. No pampered son, even though he no longer needs any further help, would ever agreed to have other siblings be treated just as fair.

Thus, it is not easy to do away a bad practice. Pampered children grow up expecting to be treated better than the other siblings. He believes being pampered is his right. That, despite some of them going through a tertiary education (not educated, only literate), and having acquired much wealth. Oh God, what can be done with such pampered children.

Always be careful with inflammable things.

The email below with a photograph of the uncle's badly burnt face and arm came to a friend. As it is a revelation to us about possible danger, I believe there is no harm in spreading the message. Even people in the food business may benefit from knowing what can possibly happen in such circumstances and do something about it to prevent such an occurance. Well, to be forewarned is be forearmed.
I have changed names of places and people so as not to embarrass anybody as that is never my intention. Of course, I have not posted the photograph as I do not know whether the person concerned would like that.
So please read and realise such a danger.
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Be careful when you eat steamed fish at the restaurants


Dear friends,

Just want to share a little bit of the sad story of my uncle in Kuantan that happened in the Siamese Restaurant, next to a Hotel in Kuantan, last Monday night at 8pm .

My uncle was having dinner with two of his friends, they ordered the steamed fish and the waiter put some liquid gel (not candles) underneath the fish to continue keeping it hot. This thing suddenly exploded and caused my uncle to be injured in his ear, face, arm, and thank God that he was wearing glasses (or else he would have been blinded). The restaurant manager was not responsible enough even to visit my uncle since this accident happened. We'll have to try to find ways to help my Uncle to claim some compensation as he might not be able to work for at least 6 months.

I'm not trying to condemn the restaurant but just want you all to be extra careful next time when ordering - steamed food - safer that they take away the "fire" below.

Regards,
Cathy

Pass along ‘the natural order of things’: a little love and humanity.

Here is one heart-warming story which a friend sent me through the email. Tears welled in my eyes as I read the story. The message it carries is great and I just must share this with all of you. I know not who the author is but if anyone does please tell us so that I could tell him/her of my appreciation of this beautiful piece of work that touched my heart and brought wealth to my soul. It simply is too lovely not to be read. Thank God there are people who can write such a wonderful piece. Well, enjoy it.

Two Choices
What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one.. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice?

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:
'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection.
Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do.
Where is the natural order of things in my son?'

The audience was stilled by the query.
The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.'
Then he told the following story:

Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.'

Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart.. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again.

Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.

The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.
The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.
As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over.

The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman.
Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.
Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates.

Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first!
Run to first!'
Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base.
He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!'

Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.

By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball . the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team.

He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head.

Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!
Shay, run to third!'

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!'
Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team

'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'.

Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

AND NOW A LITTLE FOOT NOTE TO THIS STORY:

We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people hesitate.

The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.

If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message. Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference.

We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural order of things.'

So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice:
Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?

A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.

May your day, be a Shay Day.

Only when sickness comes do people realise the importance of health.

Today Imet a young man who had pain in his backbone and he feared paralysis as the pain had crept down to his legs. His eyes were also affected.

He told me of his carefree life, his smoking and drinking and how he was also growing thinner with worry. i told him that there is a cure for his backbone and gave him a massage.

At hte end of the session, he was so thankful that he was worried that he had not put enough money in his red packet. I put that feeling out of his mind and told him to return for a few more sessions.

See? People always worry only when sickness and pain troubles them. Before this, the guy had not apid any attention to his health and body.

Well, perhaps that is nature's way of teaching us to care for our health. At least, for this young man, it is not too late.

There are some who deliberately look for sadness as a therapy.

Do you see people going to cinemas for film-shows? What kind of shows are popular where you are concerned?

For the active group, action films are popular. Then, there are those who go for detective stories. Next, we have ghost stories. Finally, there is a group who go for sob stories; sad stories which bring tears to our eyes.

People who like such sad stories are sentimentalists. They feel for other people's problems and for those approximately 75 minutes, they empathise with the characters in the film. They feel the very problems potrayed in the film and cry for the poor characters who are caught in such tragic events in the film.

Why do these people search for such sad movies to watch? I think those who do know the answer to this question? You see, I am one of those people who love to watch sad movies. They make me cry and after the flow of tears,this tough man does find the crying good. So, I have made an analysis of my action.

Do you know that such movies can be therapeutic? Well, this is how it works. Many of us have our own problems in love, life and work. In love, perhaps, we have lost a loved one either through death or a break-up in a relationship. Although time heals but the pain is still there deep within us. Like it or not, it stays although it seems to no longer bother us. It still hurts each time we remember the loved one. We never stop loving someone we truly love, do we?

Fortunately for us, there are story writers and film-makers who creates stories which are so true to life that we can relate to the incident or tragedy. We see the same sadness which we had suffered being enacted. We know we are not the only ones who carry the painful burden in our hearts. We know we are not alone; that others do suffer just like us. It makes our own suffering or pain more bearable. thus, each time we cry our soul out in the darkness of the cinema, we find relief in the knowledge that life is like this.

Then, as we understand that life changes all the time, from good to bad times and back again, from happy times to sad times and then back again, we understand that sadness is not constant. Not only that, we are able to appreciate even more the happiness we can find even more after having known sadness.

So, regardless of the source of the stories, sad ones have a place in our society. It allows us to let go of our suppressed emotions and give us relief. Without that release, the suppressed emotion could lead to some problems.

Such poor souls who find no such relief do exist in our society and we, as members of the same society, should do something about it to make this an even better world.

Stretch for a healthy, painless body.

Do you feel pain in your back after sitting for a long time? Perhaps you are an office worker and the chair is where your body spent most of its time. If that is so, and there is lack of exercise, it is just a matter of time before your backbone cries out in pain.

When you sit down, other than your muscles, your spine is the bone which holds up your upper body. If you sit too long in one particular position, gravity and your weight set down onto the spine. The vertebrae of the spine are weighed down, pressing onto the disc and perhaps a nerve. If the vertebrae were to compress onto a nerve, there will be pain.

However, such a problem can be easily prevented. All we need is movement. A person who sits for a long time needs to get up from his chair every hour or at the most two hours to take a short walk to the toilet or the window. A stretch or two would help the spine to straighten or unbend, or counter the forward bending over the table with a backward bend. Of course, do not overbend or overstretch in any kind of movement that is made. The movement should also be slow and not abrupt.

Such stretching or movement can help to lessen the tension in some muscles. It can help to strengthen muscles which otherwise are not given the opportunity to tighten and pull on certain parts of the body.

By changing the position of the body, by stretching and getting certain muscles to tighten and strengthen, and by moving the body to get better circulation, the body will be able to endure better your sitting position. These change in position, stretching and movement will prevent the spine from sagging downwards without relief for too long and so prevent injury and pain.

Too many people suffer from back pain due to sitting too long; especially office workers and 'computer addicts'. It is time they take correct action to prevent their back from suffering. If your back suffers, so will you. So, prevent it!

The pain of obesity.

In the Star Online today, I read of a Malay lady in Bukit Mertajam who, at the age of 35 years, is already unable to move out of her house. She was crippled by a body too heavy to be carried by her equally bulky legs.

At that age, whe was already 170 kg, a weight that gave her so much inconvenience. Even to get around in her house, she had to drag her body with her hands.

Apparently, at the age of thirty years, she was already 110 kilogram, Due to her weight, she suffered from muscular pain in her knees.

To find relief for her pain, she took traditional Indonesian medicine and her weight shot up to her present weight. In two weeks the pain did disappear but when she discontinued the medicine, the pain returned and presented her with the new problem of a swelling below the knee of her left leg.

Obesity can bring a lot of pain and joint problems to a person. I know of a retired lady teacher who was a colleague of mine who had this problem too. She was almost as heavy as the lady from Bukit Mertajam. She suffered from pain in her legs and eventually, one of her ankle joints slipped sideways and, as far as I know, is now warded in a hospital.

Another sixty-three year old lady who could not control her weight was constantly having body aches, back pain as well as pain in the legs.Her weight was just too much for her skeletal frame and it caused havoc on her vertebrae column or spinal cord as well as her knee joints.

All the above mentioned pains are common among very fat people. This situation is always aggravated with age which brings along muscle weakness and oesteoporosis.

This means young people can afford to be obese if they are able to reduce their weight as they grow older. This is because strong muscles of our body help to hold up the extra weight and reduces the burden on the skeletal frame. However, with age and a sedentary lifestyle, muscles weaken and degenerate into fat and the load, without the assistance of those strong muscles, fall heavily onto the skeletal frame, gradually compressing the joints and wearing out the protective cartilage and disc at the joints. When this happens in the spinal column, the bulging disc narrows the gap between two vertebrae and with nerves being pinched by any of the two vertebrae in the spinal column coming together, there can be pain.

Therefore, as we grow older, we should throw out any extra weight. The lighter we are, the less burden we place on our body. It is not just the weight. Our organs would not have to overwork so often if we can control out food intake, consuming only enough nutrients essential for the fitness, strength and health of our body. And if we wish to eat a little bit more, well, there is always the pleasurable brisk walk with friends in the morning each day to rid the body of excess calories.

Of course, to enjoy life, do not be too obsessed with anything we plan. Just have a healthy lifestyle.

Walk your pain away.

This morning, at the Sungai Pasir hill, I met a lady masseur who told me about a client of hers. This client of hers came not for a massage but to tell her that he no longer needed a massage as he did not suffer from his usual pains and aches. He told her that he had taken up horse-riding. But then, that was a really expensive way to overcome pain as it cost a lot of money to maintain a horse.

Yes, horse-riding can be an expensive way to exercise. But then, we have so many types of exercises we can do to overcome pain. Brisk walking is one of them.

Before I go further, I wish to stress on the word 'brisk'. According to my dictionary, brisk means 'quick, energetic and active'. It must not be a stroll. THAT IS NOT EXERCISE! To be brisk, we should be able to sweat and feel our beloved heart beat fast; as fast as when a voluptious nude or a virile hunk appears in front of you. (Sorry, ladies. I do not really know how your heart would go under the circumstances. See, there is still so much to learn, so much to find out.)

Taking a simple one hour brisk walk merely costs you a pair of walking shoes. Almost anyone with some kind of problems on their mind or a heavy head or headache can find relief from such a brisk walk. According to researchers, endorphins, some kind of natural pain-killer from your own body will be released from the brain after more than half an hours brisk walking. See, it not only relaxes your body, improve your circulation, strenghten your legs, improve your lung capacity and raise your body's immunity; it drives out pain. How wonderful brisk walking is!

Of course, if you can more than walk, do even more. At the hill, I walk up the steep slopes and when there is a level stretch and I am alone, I run. I believe that is good for me. Anyway, I have not had a headache for so many years that I do not know since when. Furthermore, I treat my run as a stress test. Well, that is what the doctors get you to do on a treadmill; run at a certain speed until you feel unable to go on after just a short while. It implies that you are so short of breathe without sufficient oxygenated blood reaching the heart due to a clogged vein. Well, as I can run at a fair speed for more than fifteen minutes, I know I can pass the stress test and my blood vessels are clear.

However, I wish to caution those who have been couch-potatoes for some time. Whenever we start some kind of exercise, we have to go from slow to medium and then to fast. Increase the speed, distance or time gradually and you will learn to enjoy your health. It is best that we have a friend who is just as enthusistic at the start. Later, when you already know the benefits and the joy of exercise, you can go it alone.

At the beginning, sometimes, enthusiasm have to be curbed a little. I have known people who decided to start running for their health, to find a few days' aches and pain from too excessive a start a deterrent to further health improvement.

Go slow initially. A slow walk just to enjoy the outdoors, the early morning or late evening breeze at a suitable unpolluted place. Gradually, increase the speed of the walk. After a few weeks or a month, when your legs are much stronger, you can do a walk gradually breaking into a short slow run. After that, you are the best judge of your own body. Just do what you like best and be aware of the improved feeling in your own body.

Love your body enough to have it at its best and it will love you by bringing so much benefits to you. Care for every part of it with sufficient nutrients, rest, sleep, cleanliness, oxygen and exercise to ensure that it is in tip-top condition always.