Monday, December 13, 2010

Age,computers and exercise

I am a great believer in the 'use it or lose it concept', particularly when applied to life as we get older. Let’s consider the connections between age, computers and exercise, and 'use it or lose it'. My Dad retired from 40 odd years as a CPA at age 70. Now, I am not suggesting that this was the best thing for my Dad, because after all these years of a routine that work demands, and the fellowship and social interaction that is part of a working environment, I think a few years of ‘phase out’ would have been better.

However, my Dad’s way of fending off the probability of boredom, was to pick up on his training regime, and 18 months later, he completed his first full marathon. Yeap, 26 miles or 42 klms, whatever rings your bells! Was this altogether amazing? Not really, as Dad was a golf caddy from age 8, and at about 20 years old, he and four of his brothers, became golf professionals. Now, I can tell you that in those days, these guys did not have a Steve Williams, normally worked in association with a club maker and a golf club, as sure as eggs are eggs, did not fly in for a tournament in a personal jet. Go Tiger!!!

However, with this background, on becoming a boring CPA, Dad maintain a fitness regime of each morning going to the course, jogging the perimeter, and hitting about 50 balls. Oh yes, then there was the mandatory 36 (sometimes 72!!) holes in the weekends.

It was on the back of this, that at 70 years old, Dad had a body that did not going into a state of shock and horror when he hit the roads for his marathon effort. How long did Dad live did I hear? He just missed his 93rd birthday!!

Well what do I learn from this? 1) That a life time of some physical activity can be a platform for greater activity later in life, if required; 2) that to try and resurrect a body later in life, after a life of inactivity, is probably a real big ask; and 3) I believe that the mental conditioning required for regular activity, is a base for physical conditioning. Dad clearly, used it, and didn’t lose it!

Now, where does the computer fit into this discussion? I spend 7 - 8 hours per day at a computer. 7 years ago, this left handed dude (me!!) found that my right hand - arm and neck was at times painful. Now, I had run 3 or 4 marathons, but I did not think that I could blame any of that on this, and I had swum more pool laps than was good for my hair color. Please understand that when I started using computers, there was not one on each desk, but a pool computer, for specific, limited functions. Because righties rule the world, the stupid mouse was always placed on the right, so lefties had to learn to adapt!

And adapt I did, to such an extent that various professionals told me that "it is the mouse Rev - the mouse is causing the pain - it is the dreaded RSI!" Well, they were right of cause (righties rule, remember?), and as my time at a computer was increasing and not decreasing, I decided that it was time to use my head. The outcome? I found that there is any amount of literature pointing to the damage that a downward pressure computer mouse can cause to the user. I found, that if one looked hard enough, there were a few strange alternatives - yes, there was a foot operated one out there somewhere - but nothing that seriously addressed the issues that had caused me so much pain.

I now know that we can do so many tasks at the computer without the need for a desk environment to make a mouse work, and that with correct ‘point & click’ and ‘click & go’ programs, the keyboard is becoming redundant. I have a 40 foot range wireless keyboard and 30 foot range wireless mouse. Neither requires you to be anywhere near a desk, and really the only limiting factor is one’s eyesight. In fact, the traditional office chair is becoming a bit of a museum piece also.

M views on most computer use, is that prolonged or even moderate use can completely reverse the ‘use it or lose it’ concept, to more like a ‘use it AND lose it’ concept. Now, I am not sure what my Dad would have made of all of this, but I suspect that his advice would have been not to use the thing in a way that hurting you (well, he was quick like that), and either stop using the things completely, or Google ‘WeraMouse’ and buy decent equipment.

Please understand that the last piece I made up. Dad had never heard of Google, or of WeraMouse. Google, because he never went anywhere near a computer, and WeraMouse, because it is brand new leading edge technology.

I use a wireless, deskless computer mouse and keyboard, because I have to use it, and I don’t want to lose it. Fairy nuf? Oh yes, and at least 4 fitness sessions a week is a must for me.

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