Be Fit With Biray

I’ll be presenting another workshop on blogging called “Stop, Blog, and Roll” at Chandler Public Library at the Hamilton Branch on Wednesday, March 26th at 6:30pm. Attendance is FREE and open to the public. Enter the blogosphere and learn the healthy ways of blogging!

UPDATE: Thanks to Ted Leibler from CPL, who helped organize tonight’s events. The facilities were terrific! And thank you to Roger Williams and Melissa Richards for taking the time to stop, blog, and roll. I look forward to following your blogs!

Last Thursday evening (1/24/08) I went to the premier showing of the documentary Spirit of the Marathon, a film showcasing the journeys of various runners preparing for the 2005 Chicago marathon. As a person who enjoys the sport (though I’ve only completed a half marathon) , I expected a lot more depth from this film. In the words of Inigo Montoya from Princess Bride, “Let me explain – no there is too much – let me sum up”:

Basically (without giving too much away), the movie documented the training season of several main characters: the pro-athletes, the average married couple, the first time runner, the recently-divorced single mom, the 70 year old man and his daughter… you get the picture. Though I liked the idea of juxtaposing these characters to illustrate the various reasons people participate in marathons, it simply failed to capture their energy and reflect their spirit. I’ve seen reality shows on VH1 with better storylines.

Who was the audience for this movie? For the athlete or fitness enthusiast, the movie will barely strike a chord. There are runners who – give them an hour – will recount their experiences with much more emotion, detail and animation.

Was it for the general public? Perhaps a way of bringing awareness to a popular sport? If so, this too fell flat. Outside of some fascinating bits on marathon history, the majority of the movie revolved around training schedules. “This week we are running a 10K” “Today we’re out for our 18 mile run” “This weekend watch us run our 20 miles” After 30 minutes… I wanted to run out of the theater, myself.

Was this a bad movie? No. Though I do think the 5-minute docu-dramas during the Olympic coverage are far more interesting. I suppose if I’d seen this movie on TV, I might not be so critical. But there is something to be said about watching a movie in a theater. You expect to experience something more profound. I wanted to walk out feeling inspired and in awe of what the human mind & body was capable of.

For instance, I’ve seen plenty of documentaries on the discovery channel about penguins (who hasn’t?) But the 2005 film March of the Penguins simply blew me out of the (cold) water, witnessing something truly magical. Same idea – if I have to spend money to buy a movie ticket, clear my schedule to watch on the ONE night it’s showing, drive all the way from my house to ONE theater that’s showing it – it better be damn good.

So, my advice to the next person who decides to make a movie about marathons – if you want people to engage (and possibly encourage a movement towards more participation in the sport) either get Morgan Spurlock to direct the movie or Morgan Freeman to narrate it.

This weekend I attended my college roommate’s wedding. The invitation read “Your presence is the only presents they request.” While I wanted to honor the couple’s request, I didn’t quite feel comfortable showing up empty-handed. After consulting my Twitter friends for ideas, I thought the best ‘no-gift’ gift would be one that would make their new world a better place. So, I made a contribution to an environmenal cause on their behalf.

As I was searching the internet for different charities, I came across a few search engines that exclusively supported health-related causes. Here’s what I mean: let’s say you search for the word ‘health’ on Google or Yahoo!, in addition to the results, you’ll find paid ads specific to health on the page somewhere. These ads help fund search engines so we can freely surf the web. Charity search engines perform the same tasks as Google and Yahoo! (often times they are powered by them) but donate generated ad revenue to a charity of choice!

A simple Google search for “charity search engines” will get you a list of various sites you can use or simply check out Top 15 Charity Search Engines. Each site varies between the cause they support (although most allow you to choose from a huge list of charities). Some range from 50-100% donations. Others limit the times you can search on their site, though most are unlimited.

I’ve been playing with a few, and have really found these to be either the most user-friendly or applicable to the health-fitness industry.

Clicks4cancer donates their ad revenue to various cancer foundations.

SearchGive helps you select charities by belief, cause, cure, or foundation. Just type in words like ‘diabetes’ or ‘wellness’ and you can usually find the charity of choice.

One of the reasons why I like GoodSearch is because you can select a charity by city/state. It’s nice to see local charities getting support within their community. Also, you can see how much money each charity has recieved from their searches. So, if you’re a non-profit looking for a fundraising opportunity, this is a great way to get listed and track your progress.

Some others I like are GreenSpider (a search engine that supports the environment) and Ripple (helping to fight poverty around the world). They seem to be more than just a search engine – they help promote a movement across the web. With corresponding Facebook groups, web apps and/or widgets to add to your blog, these help in spreading support.

If you’re like me, you’re probably online daily searching for information. Having found these resources, now we all can make our efforts online more meaningful! So go ahead – search for a cause !

Thank you to all who have been following my blog this year! I look forward to sharing more exciting posts in the new year!

Granted, I may spend way too much time drooling over technology. But at least I can step away from it every blue moon to enjoy an outdoor stroll.

(This was the suburban view of the Arizona sunset captured on my cellphone.)

(Okay, so I may have taken my web-enhanced, GPS-equipped, Twitter-capable geeky cellphone with me on my walk. But I only brought it as a safety measure in case of danger!)Have a great holiday weekend everyone!

Last month I wrote a post about how the lines between virtual game play and the real world were starting to blur. We are seeing more games incorporate a physical dimension with their computer interfaces. Yesterday, CNN.com posted another article about exergaming. Although the article highlights the exercise trend that video games like Dance Dance Revolution have started, it also mentions the possibility of a fitness buisness surviving in virtual communities. Virtual worlds like Second Life and companies like Expresso Fitness and Island Worlds are at the forefront of this exploration.

(Also, the article includes a few quotes by yours truly!)

The use of technology can be debatable when it comes to education – when is it appropriate to bring technology into the classroom, what kind of technology is effective in teaching, and how will it ultimately benefit student learning? These are some of the questions that are frequently appearing in today’s academic conversations. Check out Educause, a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology.

At Mesa Community College, I co-facilitate (with colleague Shelley Rodrigo) a sub-group within the Faculty Professional Learning Community (FPLC) specifically about new technologies in education (we call ourselves the “Jetsons”). A group of us (staff and faculty) gather regularly and discuss topics like podcasting, blogging, Second Life, wikis and other types of social media and explore how they apply to our own teachings.

I’m always interested in how these technologies apply to health and fitness education. Becuase I discuss a wide range of health-related topics in my classes, I feel it’s important that students have an opportunity to broadcast what they’ve learned with the public. This is valuable for two reasons: 1) the quality of work increases when students know their projects will be viewed by the public, 2) it is another way to increase health awareness in the our local and global community.

Technology allows people to easily create media messages and broadcast them online. So why not create more health-related messages? So, this semester I’ve been toying with the use of blogging, podcasting, and vodcasting in health and fitness education. Embedding these features within projects and assignments, I’m learning a lot about the effectiveness of this technology as my students discuss the pros/cons of their experiences in using them.

Podcasts: Every 2-3 weeks I give the students a challenge to create a podcast on an assigned question or topic. One week I asked them to interview people in the community about their barriers to exercise. The next day we listened to the podcasts and used these real-life scenarios to discuss ways to combat people’s resistance to physical activity. I found that Gabcast was the most convenient way for students to capture audio and publish the podcast simply by using their cellphones – no mics, computer audio programs, post-production edit, etc. (I’ve posted these student podcasts on the class blog.)

Vodcasting: With over 65,000 videos uploaded to YouTube a day, it’s evident that audio/video production is not as cumbersome as it used to be. Back in the day (when I went to school), asking students to create a multi-media presentation for class (unless it was a film/TV production course) was a challenge. I’ve found that this net-generation of students are less resistant to these kinds of opportunities. This semester each student is creating a health-related public service announcement (PSA). Using JumpCut to create their message, students can create an effective montage sequence coupled with music and informative text. They can share their work with friends, family, and the public (and get direct feedback)! (I’ve posted these PSA’s on the class blog.)

Blogging: I haven’t decided how to best integrate the use of blogs into my classes, yet. So far I have only offered assignments where students can follow certain health-related blogs and report feedback on them. Also, I’m keeping a public class blog and using it as the platform to share the students’ PSAs, podcast challenges, and research projects with the community.

I’m looking forward to exploring more of these technologies in hopes to find better ways to improve teaching and learning in health education.

According to the Entertainment Software Association, the statistics on video games state that the average video game player is 33-years-old. Well, today is my birthday and although I’m just shy of 33, I definitely fall within one standard deviation from that number. I guess that either makes me statistically significant or just your average game player…

I have played video games and computer games since childhood. Although the average game player has played for approximately 12 years, I exceed that by 7-8 years – at least. (Most of my friends don’t know this about me: my brother and I used to program computer games on the family CGA Compaq Presario and often played through lunch and dinner.)

Today, in order to celebrate my ‘geekiness,’ I have devoted part of my day to playing video games, discussing video games, and (dare I say) purchasing video games!

This semester at Mesa Community College, I’m instructing a class called Priniciples of Fitness & Wellness in the Exercise Science Department. Because a lot of discussion surrounds video games and their influences on our culture, I thought it might be an appropriate opportunity to focus on those physically interactive games (like Dance Dance Revolution – aka DDR – and Nintendo’s Wii-Fit) and their impact in the health and fitness community. Not only is this a great way to discuss the alternative ways technology is being used to promote healthful behaviors, but it is a legitimate excuse for me to bring my PS2 to class and set up the DDR play-offs for my students! (Needless to say, they LOVED it!)

Keep the spirit alive and be sure to “Get your game on today!”

I came across an article PC Magazine today that I thought might be interesting to everyone: 10 Great Gadgets to Stay Fit – Enjoy!

 
Did you know that Chicago was nicknamed the “Windy City” NOT because of their weather (although there is a lot of wind blowing), but because back when Chicago politicians campaigned, their speaches were simply thought to have been “blowing a lot of wind.”  Isn’t that hilarious?!

Anyway, my trip to Chicago was both professionally and personally refreshing.  Not only did I attend the Healthcare Blogging & Social Media Summit in downtown Chicago, but I spent some time being a tourist, as well.

First, let me tell you about the conference:
The conference was attended by healthcare and medical professionals who wanted to learn how blogging and social media tools might help to promote health and medicine.  Although my focus is slightly different from this audience, I was still able to pull relevant information to apply to the health, fitness, and wellness industry.

It’s a bit jarring when you’re at a health conference and 99% of the participants in the room are Twittering live and exchanging Facebook profiles instead of emails.  In one session which specifically addressed health-related blogs, a presenter asked if anyone was currently blogging (she meant, as in, did anyone have their own blog).  When one person raised his laptop and answered “I was, but I just lost my connection,” everyone laughed – he thought she had asked if anyone was blogging live during the session.  To say the audience was technologically-savvy would have been an understatement.

Most of us have at least heard of the term “blog.”  We either have one (whether we maintain it or not is another question) or keep hearing we should ‘get’ one.  (Why do I get the feeling that not having a blog on the web is like not having a fingerprint on your hand – you may exist, but your identity is unknown.)  The conference was less about “what is a blog and how can it be an effective tool in health” and more about discussing the deficiencies in healthcare (with regards to consumer care) and how blogging might be utilized to combat these issues.

According to Pew/Internet, 80% of Americans resort to the web for health-related information.  But what’s even more interesting, about 34% rely on user-generated content (such as a blog) to help in their decisions about health.  People are less hesitant to check a brand or company website directly.  They are more likely to rely on someone “just like them” for advice.  A popular example of this is the New2HIV blog - Dan, who was diagnosed with HIV recounts his medical experiences, shares his symptoms, and expresses his emotional side as an HIV patient.  If he were to say something bad/good about a medication, it would probably impact the consumer more heavily than the millions of marketing dollars used to promote that product.  This is one reason why healthcare and medical professions are interested in the roles social media and blogging have with consumers.  All very interesting stuff, I thought.

Social media policy was another topic discussed – in other words, what is the hospital’s or pharmaceutical company’s policy on implementing social media into their marketing?  For example, who is allowed to post on a blog and what are they limited (or unlimited) to say?  In a field where everything is heavily regulated, having some control seems necessary.  But if you have control over a blog, doesn’t that sort of defeat the purpose of the blog itself?  Isn’t the goal to have a forum for honest commentary on products and services?  Or what if the policy decides to not strictly control blogs.  If people begin blogging about things that are disconcerting (i.e. side effects of certain medications, poor doctor services, etc.) will medical professionals be liable if they are aware of these concerns?  Valid questions – no clear answers, yet.  As a consumer myself, I know I’m not alone in my attitude towards healthcare.  I am certainly skeptical and unsettled by what I see (or don’t see).  And this is probably a second reason why healthcare and medical professionals want to utilize social media – it could allow for more transparency and create a human side in healthcare.

I could go on, but I’ve touch on two conceptual take-aways from the conference.  Overall, I’m glad I went.  I met some amazing people and gained a new perspective within this big, crazy world of health-something… care? war? market? commercial?

Second, a few site-seeing features:
Although I hardly spent any time in Chicago, I did get the opportunity to see several nearby attractions.  Of course, you can’t be in downtown Chicago and miss Millenium Park.  And being a lover of live music, I had to check out Buddy Guy’s Legends.  As you know, nobody leaves the city without “singin’ the blues!”

Conclusion: I will definitely find a reason to come back to Chicago!