Wii Feel Your Pain
I laughed when I was first told that some people who play the popular video games Guitar Hero or Wii experience shoulder, elbow, wrist or thumb pain hours and days later.
But a sports medicine specialist assured me that overuse injuries aren't just confined to people who do too much typing or play too much tennis.
Check out my story on "Guitar Hero Thumb" and "Wii-itis." The next time someone in your household wakes up with a sore hand or shoulder, you can ask them how much time they've been spending with the X-Box or Play Station.
My thanks to Elizabeth Tauben, Carlos Garcia and Michelle Lange for sharing their insights and guitar-playing skills. They were so good at articulating what it feels like to have this kind of pain. And I discovered something interesting while talking with them. Initially, none of them linked the pain they were having to playing video games. It took them a while to realize the pain went away when they played less, and came back when they played more often.
I enjoy working this beat because I often get to report on medical advances and new health findings. But every now and then, I love stories like this, based on anecdotal reports experienced by real people.
This story of mine won't help cure cancer, but hopefully it will give you a little chuckle and food for thought, like it did me.
Ten Toes Can Lead To Better Health
Check out my story on Ten Toe Express that aired during Healthbeat Friday. It's a great concept that should get you thinking about how to incorporate activity into your life a little more often.
A group called Citizens for Modern Transit is expanding its program called Ten Toe Express. Now, commuters will be able to join in. Ten Toe Express began as a way to get St. Louisans over 55 walking more often and using public transportation along the way.
Here's how it works. You can register on-line or in person at several sites over the next few weeks. You fill out a health survey because Ten Toe Express is funded by the Missouri Foundation for Health, which wants to see whether the program is really improving health.
Then, you receive a Ten Toe Express bag that includes a pedometer, maps and MetroLink tickets.
Check the schedule and join an organized walking group, or just go on your own. There are more than 80 suggestions for how to take MetroLink and Metro buses to locations ranging from the Zoo in Forest Park to Cherokee Street.
I went along on a walk/ride recently while gathering information for my story, and loved it. It made me feel like I was on vacation, since I often use public transportation and walk to sites of interest in cities I visit.
Grab the kids, pack up the jogging stroller, and give it a try. Or simply put together some excursions of your own. It's a great way to get in a work-out while having fun.
http://www.cmt-stl.org/tentoes/ten_toes.html
Cherishing Pregnancy
I had the fortune to find a unique group of women recently who reminded me of what a special time pregnancy can be. They're learning belly dancing as a way to enhance their pregnancies, labor and delivery.
Many moms continue dancing right into the postpartum period.
Stephanie Larson is the founder of Dancing For Birth. She's a certified doula, someone who accompanies women in labor for emotional, physical and informational support. She's also a child birth educator with a background in dance.
Most importantly, she's the mother of four children under nine, and that has given her a unique perspective on the birth process and how to use her love of dance to enhance it.
Larson started teaching belly dancing to prenatal and postpartum moms eight years ago, while living in New Jersey.
She moved to St. Louis in 2003 and started up classes in Maryland Heights.
She says women come for many different reasons. Some to ease their fears about delivery, others because they love dance, and some want to learn ways to enjoy their pregnancies more or enhance the birth process.
Larson found belly dancing really enriched her birth experience and she wanted to share that feeling with other women.
I want to remind any woman who is pregnant to check with their doctor before starting any new activity.
But what I love about the idea behind Dancing For Birth is that it puts a special value on a woman's body, and those precious nine months of pregnancy.
Too often we dwell on the extra weight or the aches and pains. But let's not forget that pregnancy can also be one of the most special times in life. I know it was for me.
Classes are $15 a session. They're held at the Maryland Heights Center at 2344 McKelvey Road.
For more on Dancing For Birth, including information on classes or becoming an instructor, call 866-643-4824.
