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- Newsgroups: misc.fitness
- Path: sparky!uunet!usc!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!ncar!csn!stortek!blackcat!pae
- From: pae@blackcat.stortek.com (Phil Earnhardt)
- Subject: Re: StairMaster Technique?
- Message-ID: <1993Jan21.023302.5441@stortek.com>
- Sender: usenet@stortek.com
- Nntp-Posting-Host: blackcat.stortek.com
- Organization: StorageTek, Louisville, CO
- References: <1993Jan11.013813.11846@stortek.com> <1is7rkINN863@lynx.unm.edu> <1993Jan12.231818.2173@inmet.camb.inmet.com>
- Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 02:33:02 GMT
- Lines: 52
-
- In article <1993Jan12.231818.2173@inmet.camb.inmet.com> mazur@bluefin.camb.inmet.com (Beth Mazur) writes:
- >It sounds like the "you must do the StairMaster correct" crowd probably
- >thinks that it is pointless to run the Boston Marathon if you can't finish in
- >three hours.
-
- No. I think it'd be more accurate to say that the "StairMaster correct" crowd
- would think that it is pointless to run the Boston Maraton if doing so would
- prevent you from doing any exercise whatsoever for weeks after the race.
-
- >My point is that you don't need to use "correct" form to get an aerobic
- >workout. I grant that it is "harder" to do a workout without supporting
- >your weight, but working out supporting your weight is not exactly couch
- >potato activity either.
-
- You don't have to use the "correct" form when skiing, either. Come skiing at
- Keystone, CO any day this season and I'll show you a few thousand people who
- try this approach. They may feel like they have saved money by "teaching
- themselves," but they take far longer to learn how to ski, acquire bad habits
- along the way, and expose themselves to unnecessary risk on the slopes. They
- also usually have less fun.
-
- Beth, come over and read rec.skate for a while. Every few weeks, some beginner
- will join the group and report that braking is impossible on in-lines.
- Actually, what's difficult is teaching yourself how to brake with no
- instructions and/or instructor. In the mid-80s, I took 2 years to teach myself
- how to be in control on skates; I can now teach people most of what I learned
- in 2-3 hours!
-
- There's a lot to be said for asking advice from an expert when starting a new
- exercise -- especially when you don't think you need it! And, in Western
- culture, men usually have this problem more than women.
-
- >Frankly, unless we are talking competition (like the Concept II Crash-Bs),
- >the only concern should be whether the person is getting their pulse up to an
- >aerobic range for an appropriate amount of time.
-
- Rowing definitely *appears* to be this simple. It is not. Rowing is an
- extremely subtle exercise. Besides giving you an efficient stroke, learning
- how to stroke correctly can definitely prevent injury -- especially back
- injury.
-
- >All the rest seems snobbishness to me--like I'm so superior if I can do level
- >15 for 45 minutes--look Ma, no hands.
-
- If someone continues aerobic exercise for years and years, you'll ultimately
- put a high priority -- perhaps the highest priority -- on injury prevention.
- And you'll probably hope that you can communicate to other people exactly why
- that is such a high priority for you.
-
- >Beth Mazur
-
- --phil
-