When preparing for a coastal passage go onto Google Earth to check the Longitude and Latitude of each point, harbour, etc along the route and measure the distance between them.
Then set up a table with columns for point or harbour etc Waypoint, Longitude, Latitude, distance, time in hours at 6 - 7 - 8 knots.
Print out the table and put it in a plastic sleeve at the nav station so all the crew can check how far, how long and waypoints at any time with minimum mental exertion.
Courtesy of Stu Walsh via Boating Oz Feb 08
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The 10 minute lunchtime workout
A lack of physical activity drains your body of energy. Sitting at your desk all day hunched over your computer and sliding further into your chair results in heavy legs and a tight lower back.
Greater benefits of finding time to exercise include wellbeing and elevated moods that help us to perform at our best and cope better during stressful times. The catch-22 is that when we do get busy and stressed one of the first things to drop from our schedules is our daily exercise.
Of course, if you have injury, haven't exercised for awhile or have other concerns, take care. You should feel the work but it shouldn't cause pain. Any issues talk to your exercise leader or doctor.
Here are a few exercises to do during the day: it doesn't have to be lunchtime, also think:
* if you're on a conference call and hands-free or if you're early to a meeting;
* wasted "waiting time" eg waiting for the kettle to boil for that cuppa, waiting for transport etc
* some can be done seated, so if driving, red lights present a great opportunity.
Wall push-ups – push-ups are an excellent exercise that uses your entire upper body. If you haven’t done a push-up for a few years you might find floor push-ups a real challenge, and besides if you’re all dressed up for work, you don’t want to go lying on the floor.
Stand about an arm’s length from the wall.
Put your hands or arms on the wall, shoulder width apart.
Stand straight, feet flat on the floor, tuck in your stomach and hold your chest up.
Keep your body straight and lower yourself to do a push-up against the wall.
The slower you go, the faster you will tone your muscles.
If you find this too easy, bring your hands closer together for more of a challenge.
Squats – are excellent for toning the front and back of your legs and your buttocks.
Stand facing your desk, move your chair back so that it is a little behind you and take off your shoes if you are wearing heels.
Stand tall with your feet shoulder width apart, then keeping your back straight, push your bottom out while keeping your chest up.
Squat slowly down in this position until your bottom just touches the chair (do not sit down), then slowly stand up straight again.
Breathe in as you descend and breathe out as you come up. The objective of a squat is to push your bottom out, keeping your knees over your toes. If you have ever been skiing, just think of that position.
Do three sets of ten of these.
Pec Stretches - poor posture at the computer invariably leads to forward rounded shoulders. When this happens the Pectinus (Pecs) on the front of your chest shorten, so stretching them out is important.
Stand in a doorway with your arm at shoulder height and forearm at a ceiling pointed right-angle. Holding your body firm and straight with your stomach gently tucked in lean diagonally away. Make sure not to strain your lower back. You should feel the stretch in your chest, not your arm.
Back stretch - again that rounded posture will strain your back, so
raise your arms above your head and lock your fingers together, palms up if you like.
Gently push arms backwards and raise chest to get a strong arch in your back. Breath deeply.
These next ones you can do anytime: sitting or standing eg at home in front of the TV or at your computer, red lights etc. Hold each for 5-10 seconds and also come back to neutral before doing the next move.
Chin Retraction –
Simply drawer your chin back towards your spine. It's a tiny move and to get the correct position I recommend starting with putting a finger on your chin and gently pushing backwards. That's it.
Note: there's no head tilting involved so you shouldn't be staring at the ceiling orfloor. You may feel a "nervy" sensation in your neck and arms, this should stop when you finish the move as it is the nerves being stretched.
Neck Stretches -
Simply turn your head slowly from side to side, holding for a few seconds at the end of the turn.
Drop your ear to your shoulder (don't bring your shoulder up! sit on your hand if you need to)
Drop your chin to your chest
Drop your head backwards and feel the strain on your throat, open and close your mouth (warning: this'll make you look like a dying fish!)
Shoulder Rolls - a great one to loosen the entire shoulder girdle.
Put on fingers on your shoulders and with your elbows drawer big circles (I said BIG) preferably backwards and slowly.
Remember with exercise it is quality over quantity. And with weight-bearing exercises, the slower you go the faster you build muscle.
... and for the rest of the time, sit properly with both feet on the floor (see my link on "How to sit at a computer" under Favorites), but also get up and move at least every hour for a few minutes.
Resource: http://www.blackmores.com.au/News/Detail.aspx?ArticleId=9180
by Jennifer Jefferies
Greater benefits of finding time to exercise include wellbeing and elevated moods that help us to perform at our best and cope better during stressful times. The catch-22 is that when we do get busy and stressed one of the first things to drop from our schedules is our daily exercise.
Of course, if you have injury, haven't exercised for awhile or have other concerns, take care. You should feel the work but it shouldn't cause pain. Any issues talk to your exercise leader or doctor.
Here are a few exercises to do during the day: it doesn't have to be lunchtime, also think:
* if you're on a conference call and hands-free or if you're early to a meeting;
* wasted "waiting time" eg waiting for the kettle to boil for that cuppa, waiting for transport etc
* some can be done seated, so if driving, red lights present a great opportunity.
Wall push-ups – push-ups are an excellent exercise that uses your entire upper body. If you haven’t done a push-up for a few years you might find floor push-ups a real challenge, and besides if you’re all dressed up for work, you don’t want to go lying on the floor.
Stand about an arm’s length from the wall.
Put your hands or arms on the wall, shoulder width apart.
Stand straight, feet flat on the floor, tuck in your stomach and hold your chest up.
Keep your body straight and lower yourself to do a push-up against the wall.
The slower you go, the faster you will tone your muscles.
If you find this too easy, bring your hands closer together for more of a challenge.
Squats – are excellent for toning the front and back of your legs and your buttocks.
Stand facing your desk, move your chair back so that it is a little behind you and take off your shoes if you are wearing heels.
Stand tall with your feet shoulder width apart, then keeping your back straight, push your bottom out while keeping your chest up.
Squat slowly down in this position until your bottom just touches the chair (do not sit down), then slowly stand up straight again.
Breathe in as you descend and breathe out as you come up. The objective of a squat is to push your bottom out, keeping your knees over your toes. If you have ever been skiing, just think of that position.
Do three sets of ten of these.
Pec Stretches - poor posture at the computer invariably leads to forward rounded shoulders. When this happens the Pectinus (Pecs) on the front of your chest shorten, so stretching them out is important.
Stand in a doorway with your arm at shoulder height and forearm at a ceiling pointed right-angle. Holding your body firm and straight with your stomach gently tucked in lean diagonally away. Make sure not to strain your lower back. You should feel the stretch in your chest, not your arm.
Back stretch - again that rounded posture will strain your back, so
raise your arms above your head and lock your fingers together, palms up if you like.
Gently push arms backwards and raise chest to get a strong arch in your back. Breath deeply.
These next ones you can do anytime: sitting or standing eg at home in front of the TV or at your computer, red lights etc. Hold each for 5-10 seconds and also come back to neutral before doing the next move.
Chin Retraction –
Simply drawer your chin back towards your spine. It's a tiny move and to get the correct position I recommend starting with putting a finger on your chin and gently pushing backwards. That's it.
Note: there's no head tilting involved so you shouldn't be staring at the ceiling orfloor. You may feel a "nervy" sensation in your neck and arms, this should stop when you finish the move as it is the nerves being stretched.
Neck Stretches -
Simply turn your head slowly from side to side, holding for a few seconds at the end of the turn.
Drop your ear to your shoulder (don't bring your shoulder up! sit on your hand if you need to)
Drop your chin to your chest
Drop your head backwards and feel the strain on your throat, open and close your mouth (warning: this'll make you look like a dying fish!)
Shoulder Rolls - a great one to loosen the entire shoulder girdle.
Put on fingers on your shoulders and with your elbows drawer big circles (I said BIG) preferably backwards and slowly.
Remember with exercise it is quality over quantity. And with weight-bearing exercises, the slower you go the faster you build muscle.
... and for the rest of the time, sit properly with both feet on the floor (see my link on "How to sit at a computer" under Favorites), but also get up and move at least every hour for a few minutes.
Resource: http://www.blackmores.com.au/News/Detail.aspx?ArticleId=9180
by Jennifer Jefferies
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
STRESS MANAGEMENT
Have to thank one of those horrendous emails that circulates the world for this, but I thought it good philosophy for life:
A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience,
raised a glass of water and asked 'How heavy is this glass of water?'
Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.
The lecturer replied, 'The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.
In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.' He continued, 'And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. ' 'As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.'
'So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can.'
So, my friend, put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while. Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:
* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply be kind to others.
* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have
a leg to stand on.
* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late. The second
mouse gets the cheese.
* When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one
person.
* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
* We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
Have an awesome day!
A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience,
raised a glass of water and asked 'How heavy is this glass of water?'
Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.
The lecturer replied, 'The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.
In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.' He continued, 'And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. ' 'As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.'
'So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can.'
So, my friend, put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while. Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:
* Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply be kind to others.
* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have
a leg to stand on.
* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late. The second
mouse gets the cheese.
* When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
* You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one
person.
* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
* We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
Have an awesome day!
Go Nuts!
We've known for awhile the benefits of most nuts (excl peanuts - which are a legume, not a real nut) and I've pushed Almonds regularly but do get bored with them.
The next nut phase: Brazil Nuts
Accordingly to an article on the Blackmores ezine, Brazil nuts do wonders for our immune system and skin tone. They contain selenium, which helps strengthen the immune system’s antibody response.
In her book The Top 100 Immunity Boosters, Charlotte Haigh describes Brazil nuts as one the best sources of selenium around. This mineral, she says, is central to the action of glutathione, a free radical-suppressing enzyme [2].
What’s more, Brazil nuts are rich in omega-6 fatty acids, which ease inflammation, enhance digestion and improve our skin.
Here’s some helpful ways to work them into your diet (but be warned, Brazil nuts’ high fat content means they go rancid quickly, so don’t leave them sitting in your cupboard for too long):
* Eat raw for a simple, satisfying snack
* Process them into nut butter or milk to eat with toast and cereal
* Add to stir-fries for a crunchy punch of protein
The next nut phase: Brazil Nuts
Accordingly to an article on the Blackmores ezine, Brazil nuts do wonders for our immune system and skin tone. They contain selenium, which helps strengthen the immune system’s antibody response.
In her book The Top 100 Immunity Boosters, Charlotte Haigh describes Brazil nuts as one the best sources of selenium around. This mineral, she says, is central to the action of glutathione, a free radical-suppressing enzyme [2].
What’s more, Brazil nuts are rich in omega-6 fatty acids, which ease inflammation, enhance digestion and improve our skin.
Here’s some helpful ways to work them into your diet (but be warned, Brazil nuts’ high fat content means they go rancid quickly, so don’t leave them sitting in your cupboard for too long):
* Eat raw for a simple, satisfying snack
* Process them into nut butter or milk to eat with toast and cereal
* Add to stir-fries for a crunchy punch of protein
Friday, February 8, 2008
Pilates
Pilates is a body-conditioning programme designed to teach efficient movement patterns and provide general well-being using controlled exercises and deliberate breathing patterns.
Regular practice will provide you with a strong core, good alignment and functional mobility whilst providing a unique approach to body awareness, posture and stability.
Pilates exercises are generally low impact and non-aerobic so are ideal for all levels of fitness: from the injured and sedentary to fit people wanting further improvements.
Unlike a lot of other types of exercise, Pilates emphasises basic techniques that should be observed with EVERY MOVE, in short:
1. Concentration - use your brain to put bones and muscles in place and isolate moves ... think about what is happening;
2. Breathing - lateral rib breathing takes a bit of getting used to, it's essentially expanding your rib cage out to the sides;
3. Alignment (including Neutral Spine) - Pelvis, ribs, scapulae (shoulder blades), head, neck, feet all have a proper position ... before, during and after each move;
4. Corset Activation - activating specific muscles to support alignment;
5. Precision - it's quality of movement of quantity. In fact, generally you won't do more than 10 reps of any movement.
Around the world there are lots of variations on Pilates. The most popular are -
Winsor or West Coast (CA) - focusing on 'the burn' or cardio component;
East Coast (NY) - comes mainly from the dance world, where people are very flexible;
Stott (Can) - a combination of both of the above it was developed by a professional dancer and a team of sport medicine experts who introduced the neutral spine & imprint techniques;
English - the above but moving more towards the remedial;
Australian - as with lots of things, we've taken the best of the best, modified it and designed a safe, progressive program, which can be tailored to individual needs starting at the most basic and gradually making moves more challenging.
Joseph Pilates also developed a series of machines to help challenge the body. The machine most people use is called the Reformer, which is a sliding carriage with resistance springs. There is also the trap table or "Cadillac". This piece looks like a table with bars above. Personally, I strongly recommend learning fundamental moves on the mat before progressing onto the equipment (however cool it looks!). Working on a stable floor helps with control and you can then also exercise at home.
There are two big precautions in terms of Pilates:
Find a qualified teacher: Pilates is great for preventing injury and rehabilitating people who've had injuries. But if the teacher is not qualified, the opposite can be true. Don't put yourself in unqualified hands.
If you do have a back problem or other medical issue, make sure that your teacher knows about it: what it is, how long it's been going on, any other information etc. Pilates has become known for helping people with back problems. This can be true, but it is not a one-cure-fits-all.
If you bear these two precautions in mind, you should be on track to reap the benefits of Pilates.
Regular practice will provide you with a strong core, good alignment and functional mobility whilst providing a unique approach to body awareness, posture and stability.
Pilates exercises are generally low impact and non-aerobic so are ideal for all levels of fitness: from the injured and sedentary to fit people wanting further improvements.
Unlike a lot of other types of exercise, Pilates emphasises basic techniques that should be observed with EVERY MOVE, in short:
1. Concentration - use your brain to put bones and muscles in place and isolate moves ... think about what is happening;
2. Breathing - lateral rib breathing takes a bit of getting used to, it's essentially expanding your rib cage out to the sides;
3. Alignment (including Neutral Spine) - Pelvis, ribs, scapulae (shoulder blades), head, neck, feet all have a proper position ... before, during and after each move;
4. Corset Activation - activating specific muscles to support alignment;
5. Precision - it's quality of movement of quantity. In fact, generally you won't do more than 10 reps of any movement.
Around the world there are lots of variations on Pilates. The most popular are -
Winsor or West Coast (CA) - focusing on 'the burn' or cardio component;
East Coast (NY) - comes mainly from the dance world, where people are very flexible;
Stott (Can) - a combination of both of the above it was developed by a professional dancer and a team of sport medicine experts who introduced the neutral spine & imprint techniques;
English - the above but moving more towards the remedial;
Australian - as with lots of things, we've taken the best of the best, modified it and designed a safe, progressive program, which can be tailored to individual needs starting at the most basic and gradually making moves more challenging.
Joseph Pilates also developed a series of machines to help challenge the body. The machine most people use is called the Reformer, which is a sliding carriage with resistance springs. There is also the trap table or "Cadillac". This piece looks like a table with bars above. Personally, I strongly recommend learning fundamental moves on the mat before progressing onto the equipment (however cool it looks!). Working on a stable floor helps with control and you can then also exercise at home.
There are two big precautions in terms of Pilates:
Find a qualified teacher: Pilates is great for preventing injury and rehabilitating people who've had injuries. But if the teacher is not qualified, the opposite can be true. Don't put yourself in unqualified hands.
If you do have a back problem or other medical issue, make sure that your teacher knows about it: what it is, how long it's been going on, any other information etc. Pilates has become known for helping people with back problems. This can be true, but it is not a one-cure-fits-all.
If you bear these two precautions in mind, you should be on track to reap the benefits of Pilates.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Better Body Bits
On 4 February 2008 I'll be launching my new online newsletter.
It's weekly and absolutely free and cover health & related topics. If you'd like to subscribe I'll need your email, so drop me a line at mail@balm-energy.com.au or fill out the form on my website: www.balm-energy.com.au.
Of course you're details will remain confidential and won't be shared with any third party.
It's weekly and absolutely free and cover health & related topics. If you'd like to subscribe I'll need your email, so drop me a line at mail@balm-energy.com.au or fill out the form on my website: www.balm-energy.com.au.
Of course you're details will remain confidential and won't be shared with any third party.
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