JRRMAS Holiday Party – Saturday, Dec. 5th 10-1pm

Come one …Come all!!
To this years JRRMAS Holiday Party!!

The Holiday Party will be on Saturday Dec. 5th from 10am-1pm. All past, present and future students family and friends are cordially invited.

Pot Luck lunch (sign up in hall way) and Holiday Gift Swap (bring one small/funny gift to share)

Sign up for volunteers to help set up and/or clean up in the hall way.

Help pass the word;>)

Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publication – “Exercise and Arthritis”

Does exercise contribute to arthritis? Research says no
If you’re putting off getting into a regular exercise routine because you’re worried that exercise contributes to arthritis, think again. Studies show that exercise can be safe for joints, both in older, overweight folks and in athletes.
The knees of Framingham
In 1948, more than 5,200 residents of Framingham, Mass., volunteered for the Framingham Heart Study, which has produced major insights into the causes of heart attack and stroke. In 1971, scientists began a new study of the children of the original volunteers and the spouses of those children. Between 1993 and 1994, 1,279 members of the Framingham Offspring Cohort enrolled in a study of exercise and arthritis. Their average age was 53.
All the volunteers were free of arthritis when the study began. Each answered detailed questions about their patterns of exercise, including walking, jogging, being active enough to work up a sweat, and their overall exercise level. All the people provided information about knee injuries and symptoms of knee pain and stiffness. In addition, all the volunteers were weighed and measured, and they each had a full series of knee x-rays.
Between 2002 and 2005, the subjects answered the same questions about knee pain and injury, and the x-rays were repeated. All the x-rays were independently evaluated by two experts who had no knowledge of the subjects’ exercise histories.
When the results were tallied, the researchers found no link between exercise and arthritis of the knee. The most active people had the same risk of arthritis as the least active, in terms of both symptoms and x-ray abnormalities.
Exercise was as friendly to the knees of joggers as walkers, even though jogging subjects the lower body to much higher impact and stress than walking. And even though obesity is an independent risk factor for arthritis, physically active overweight members of the study group fared just as well as their slim peers.
Australian knees
Although the Framingham study goes a long way toward dispelling the idea that exercise causes arthritis, it did not confirm a fond hope of exercise enthusiasts: that repetitive exercise could be good for joints.
However, a high-tech Australian investigation of 297 men and woman without knee injuries or disease showed that people who performed the most vigorous weight-bearing exercise had the thickest, healthiest knee cartilage.
Runners’ knees
A 2008 study that compared 284 dedicated runners with 156 nonrunners also found little evidence that exercise causes arthritis. After a remarkably long 21-year follow-up period, the runners experienced significantly less musculoskeletal disability than did their less active peers — and the runners also enjoyed a 39% lower mortality rate.
The research is impressive, and it confirms earlier studies. Former varsity runners, for example, are no more likely to develop arthritis in their legs than former college swimmers, and champion runners are no more likely to end up with arthritic hips than nonathletes.
Exercise as therapy?
Exercise is often prescribed for patients with arthritis. Exercise may be safe for healthy joints — but is it also safe for arthritic joints?
In 2005, British researchers found that both walking and muscle-strengthening were safe and effective, reducing pain and disability in people with arthritis. And in 2006 and 2007, scientists in the Netherlands and the U.K. reported that graded exercise programs are safe and effective for patients with arthritis of the hip or knee.
Healthy body, healthy joints
To prevent problems caused by exercise, be sure your general health is good; older people and patients with heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, or other significant problems should get medical clearance. And all of us should get in shape gradually. Listen to your body as you exercise and report any problems to your doctor.
Warming up and cooling down will help protect your heart and your joints. Stretching exercises, good shoes, and good technique will also reduce your risk of musculoskeletal injuries. With these simple precautions and a dose of common sense, exercise will be safe for your joints.
Next excuse?

Students Promoted

Back row: JRRMAS Staff members, Marcia G.. 1st degree Black belt, Sifu Roy 8th degree Black belt, Jason K. 5th degree Black belt
Front row: Promoted to Yellow belt Alexis D. and her brother Peter promoted to Purple belt – Congratulations to them on their accomplishment…..the Staff too! Alexis is a Little Dragons graduate and has been practicing for 2 1/2 years and Peter has been practicing for 4 years….

Swine Flu/H1N1 – Update

We have had a fair amount of sickness reported this past week…both from students and staff.
I hope you are all healing, with no further complications…..so far so good on the complications!

I’ve got a few tips that I’ve come across that I would like to share. Thank you Janee, Wes, Lisa, MaryColleen for the input and articles.

Besides the main points of washing hands often and trying to “Keep Hands-off-the-face”, sanitizing common things that we touch….like keyboards, phones, door knobs, hand rails…etcetera.

*Twice daily gargling with warm salt water (or Listerine type products)

*Nettie Pot or salt water spray along with a good old fashion hard nose blowing at least once per day.

*Drink as much of warm liquids as you can (green tea especially). Drinking warm liquids has the same effect a gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

*Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C and D – If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets that has Zinc to boost absorption.

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it’s almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions.
It takes a few day’s for the virus to proliferate to sufficient levels to give you symptoms (your still contagious though). If you get them out of the nose and throat before they can proliferate…It could make the crucial difference or at least mitigate the viral load….. and …..it can’t hurt.

Wash clothing often, especially after any exposure to the virus. The virus is contagious for 2-3 day’s before any symptoms and I’ve heard from reliable sources…up to a week after the fever breaks (without med’s)…Yikes!

I so appreciate it when those that are sick stay home and take care of themselves. It’s very important, considerate and respectful to everyone at the studio.

Be well….stay healthy….practice Qigong!!

Symmetry – Balance – Yin/Yang – Wuchi

“In everything……. uniformity is

undesirable. Leaving something incomplete

makes it intersting, and gives one the feeling that

there is room for growth……

Even when building the imperial

palace, they always leave one

palace unfinished.”

Japanese Essays in Idleness

14th Century.
Great talk on Symmetry on TedTalks YouTube Channel – link is below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=415VX3QX4cU