Important General Terms

There are many different terms that are thrown around in the athletic and healthcare fields and I wanted to set things straight for people who aren't familiar with kinesiology, the study of human movement. Feel free to ask me to put up more if you have some terms you'd like to clarify :)

Overweight - this refers to a person who is between 25-30 pounds over the recommended weight for their height, or with a BMI between 25-29.9

Obesity - the condition of being considerably overweight, a person who is at least 30+ pounds over the recommended weight for their height, or have a BMI of 30+

Another bunch of terms that are important to learn are what are referred to as anatomical locations. These are terms which describe specific landmarks and locations on the human body. Actually several of these terms can be used for more than just the human body...also animal species now that I think about it!

Reference point - usually the center point of the body the following terms are all used in reference to this reference point

Superior - positioned above the reference point

Inferior - positioned below the reference point

Proximal - positioned nearest to the point of reference (eg. Shoulder)

Distal - positioned farthest from the point of reference (eg. Fingers)

Anterior/Ventral - front of the body

Posterior/Dorsal - back of the body (like a shark or dolphin's dorsal fin!)

Medial - positioned near the middle line of the body

Lateral - positioned toward the outer parts of the body

Contralateral - positioned on the opposite side of the body

Ipsilateral - positioned on the same side of the body

I'm gonna stop here for now, there are more terms to be had, but they shall be added along with pictures later on!

Camping, S'mores, and Tents

It's camping time! I leave a week from Sunday for a 3 night camping trip with some college friends, super excited! I haven't been camping in a long while, so this will be my first time tent camping in over a year. Being outside is always fun and one can find something to do no matter what the weather throws at us. So, I'm going to share some of my favorite camping activities, for multiple weather scenarios. Oh! We are going tent camping, so that will make it even more fun!

For a sunny day:

-hiking - you're already outside and in nature, why not go out an explore?

-take pictures - momentous for after you leave. Try taking a photo of every place you visit and using them as starters for stories of what happened on each trip!

-campfires - s'mores, good company, (and drinks for those over 21) need I say more? 

-fishing - I'm not a big fisher myself (pun not intended) but catch and release is always fun

-swimming - in a natural or man-made lake or a swimming pool, swimming is always a good choice

-picnic - campfire frosted kabobs or burgers....mmmm

-mountain biking - riding a bike over rough terrain, you can find trails of different difficulty levels or ask your campground what they'd suggest your level be for their trails

-rock climbing - not all places have this (obviously) but its a lot for fun for kids and adults of all ages, just stay safe
-collect pine cones, leaves, or any nature related object of your choice for later crafts

For a rainy day:

-splash in puddles - yes I am a 5-year-old who loves to splash in puddles, but make sure you have dry cloths to change into after

-board games/card games in the tent - if its really raining so much that you'd rather stay inside, card games are always a good bet
-talking - when was the last time you sat down and talked to your fellow camper(s), tell them about your thoughts or just about whatever comes to mind, trivia and fun facts are always a good way to go

Anyways, what are some of your favorite camping activities? Any suggestions for additional things I do while camping?

First Long-ish Bike Ride

Since I've gotten out of my boot I've gone for one or two short bike rides down into town to the library to get new books, however today was a little different. Going into town is about 5 miles there and back total which is a nice ride, but not really a workout. I got super antsy and kinda cranky at home so decided that it was time to head out on a longer ride since my foot is still sore from being on it for 11 hours of work yesterday (not fun) so a run was looking less appealing. I went out and headed north on the Wisconsin bike trail. I put on the album "Awake" by Skillet and proceeded to bike until I reached the end of the album, then turned around and listened to in on the way back. I wasn't going for distance or for speed (though I did get up to 14 mph at one point) but was aiming to make it home in the same amount of time as it took for me to get out there. This was a success! I biked a total of 13 miles and I'm still feeling quite good! I'm actually feeling much happier, got those endorphins flowing! :P This was also the first time I got to wear my brand new helmet! :D We misplaced my other one (seriously.....I'm not sure were it is!) and so I got a new one about a week or so ago. 

I'm aiming to get out and ride my bike like 2-3 times a week? That's a little ambitious but I wanna get back into shape! What are you doing this summer to keep in shape? Where are your favorite places to ride? Any suggestions for more music to listen to while I ride?