What Makes Olga Run Book Review

As a blogger and an eBay seller, I spend a fair bit of time sitting at my computer in my chair. Maybe you do, too. My mind and my body know that this is wrong and I do try to work fitness into my life by getting to the gym at least a couple of times a week and walking daily. That last element becomes difficult but not impossible in the deep cold, snow and ice of our Canadian winters.

At my gym class there is an older woman who puts me to shame. She gets to the gym at least four times a week and sometimes more often than that. When she told me that she was reading a book called What Makes Olga Run? The Mystery of the 90-Something Track Star, and What She Can Teach Us About Living Longer, Happier Lives by Bruce Grierson, I was intrigued.

By chance, the next time I was out shopping I stumbled across it. Because my friend had mentioned it, I opted to take it home. I carried it to my book club, which for whatever reason is populated by women of my age. I guess we could be called middle-aged though I am not sure of the definition of that age group. Most of us have raised families and are empty nesters. A couple still have teenagers at home. Some still work and others are retired. Physically I would say they are an active group of ladies. Whatever our similarities, we are definitely all interested in the process of aging and we took up Olga's story as our next book club assignment.

What Makes Olga Run? is the story of Olga Kotelko, a retired Canadian school teacher who went looking for something active to do. She started with baseball but did not like it when she was almost run down on the baseball diamond. She then found track and field and went on to became a 90-something year old super star.

As the book says on page 2, "Just how good is Olga?" Well, she holds 26 world records. She enters more events than others her age and than others much younger. She often does as many as six throwing events, three sprints and three jumps at one track and field meet. She beats records in her age group by leaps and bounds, pun intended. In 2009, she threw a javelin 20 feet farther than her nearest rival and her 100-meter dash time would have beat competitors two age brackets younger than she was.

Writer Bruce Grierson took up with admitted difficulty the job of following Olga around as she went through her days and as she allowed science to look at and into her body. The question that the book looks into is whether Olga is a superstar because of genetics, because of lifestyle choices or because of a combination of those factors? A subject that intrigues most of us.

The book looks at all of the pieces that we know and think go into healthy living from sleep and diet patterns to personality, exercise and genetics. It is 228 pages of easy-to-read information about Olga and what makes her tick. It closes with a summary called Nine Rules For Living. I will not list them here because I believe you need the explanation that comes with them that is included in the pages of this book. I will admit that I have work to do in numerous areas and I do intend to try to embrace some of the ideas in this book in order to live a bit better. They are not all, by the way, about fitness.

This book comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me, a 50-something year old empty nester though I believe that anyone who cares about their body and how and why we age will enjoy this book. I particularly appreciated the fact that the book was very readable. I think you will, too.

How about it? Are you curious about What Makes Olga Run?

Brenda
Treasures By Brenda

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Review of Skechers Women's Go Walk Impress Memory Form Fit Walking Shoe

Reviewing a Great Walking Shoe

All Black Women's Walking Shoe

When you are traveling around the world like I am, you do a lot of walking and that means you need good walking shoes for travel!  So before I left the USA, I researched women's walking shoes, and decided on this brand:  Skechers Women's Go Walk Impress Memory Form Fit Walking Shoes.

I am so happy I did, as they have made my trip so much more comfortable than I thought possible. You see I have a back injury and I was worried about walking but didn't want to miss all the monuments and cool sights I went there to see in the first place. Because of these shoes I haven't missed a thing.

* All of the following shoes are available at Amazon.com by just clicking the photo. 

Black and White Women's Walking Shoe

So why do I love the  Skechers Women's Go Walk Impress Memory Form Fit Walking Shoes?

Well you have probably heard of memory foam because it is used in mattresses and pillows worldwide for its comfort.  It is very comfortable in shoes too! The memory foam extends to the heel so the whole shoe is very light! They have rubber soles, and are so well made that my feet have not gotten wet at all even though it has rained a fair amount on our trip. The midsole is cushioned too so that adds to the comfort level.  These shoes are so lightweight and flexible that it's like walking on air.  I love them!

Grey Women's Walking Shoe

I also love that they are slip on, as opposed to ones that you have to tie. People ask me if they are hard to keep on. No, they are easy to keep on. I have worn slip on shoes for years and  have never had a single problem. Now some people would rather have walking shoes that tie, so if that is you, check out my friend's review of walking shoes here: Inexpensive Home Fitness .

Skechers Walking Shoe Colors

I got mine in blue with a white sole, and believe it or not, the white still looks white! You can see it below. But if you like black,  the shoes are available in all black (meaning the soles are black too) or black with white soles. They are also available in 2 shades of gray. Funny that they call one of the shades gray, and the other one grey. One of these colors is sure to go with your travel wardrobe. I have shown a few of them in this review of women's walking shoes.  Mine also still look almost new and I have worn them every day for more than 3 months now!

Blue Women's Walking Shoe

So if you want walking shoes for travel that you don't have to tie, I highly recommend these wonderful women's walking shoes!



Bon Voyage!

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Inexpensive Home Fitness at 50

I am not a fitness expert. Nor have I had any formal physical education training. So why am I writing a workout review?  Because I am like many other busy women who want to be fit but have a really hard time committing time and energy to working out. If we share what works for us we will all be more apt to be healthier people. 

I want to be a healthy person.  I don't want to gain more weight.  In fact, I'd like to lose a few pounds.  But at age 50, it becomes more difficult to not only lose weight but to remain toned.  My muscles seem to be turning to jelly.  Everything sags.  My muscles jiggle.  I can feel that I'm losing strength and stamina.  And I don't like it.

I am very busy. By the time I end each day at my job it is often all I can do to get home, walk the dog, make something to eat, and wander off to bed. The lack of time and energy is my biggest excuse to avoid exercise.

My second biggest excuse is cost.  My budget doesn't allow a gym membership. Besides that, I don't want to work out around people. I am not a social sweater.  I want to sweat in private.

Those reasons to avoid exercise are excuses.  I know it. You know it.  We all know it. There are quick, easy and inexpensive ways to get some exercise, at my age and at home.  I'm going to share  three of my favorites with you.

Walking

I have always been good about parking a little farther from the front door of a store. Or walking the dog farther than I have to.  The nearest bush for the dog to potty on is about 12 steps from my front stoop. Instead of walking those 12 measly steps,  I always make sure I walk him to at least the end of my parking lot.  I have no excuse for not walking a bit more each day. Walking is free.  However, I should be walking around the entire block. At least.

New Balance Women's Walking Shoe

When I spend a little bit of money on walking, it is to buy a good walking shoe.  I have had good luck with New Balance walking shoes. I find that they seem to fit my feet well - my high arch, wide foot, and narrow heel. You may or may not have the same luck with New Balance. There are plenty of shoes to choose from that will meet your walking needs and the important thing to focus on is having a comfortable pair of appropriate shoes. 

Hula Hooping 

I enjoy hula hooping and now that I have my own grown-up hoop, I have no excuse for not hooping.  I'm not very good at it. But it is a great aerobic exercise and excellent for strengthening my core.  It is also a lot of fun.   It doesn't seem as though it would burn calories but it does. 

"An average woman can burn about 165 calories in 30 minutes of hula hooping, and an average man can burn about 200 calories in 30 minutes of hula hooping" - an article by the Mayo Clinic

Hooping doesn't seem like work. It seems like fun. So it isn't very difficult to hoop for 15 to 30 minutes at a time.

Yoga

Yoga is great for both strengthening and for relaxing.  The thing that triggered the writing of this article was getting back to my yoga DVD on a regular basis. I feel such a difference.  I enjoy this workout immensely and wanted to share it with you.

YOGA BURN with Rodney Yee

There are many things about this workout that I like.  My job is a high stress situation.  I become tense physically and mentally.  I love my Yoga Burn DVD by Rodney Yee.  It is not easy yoga and is called Yoga Burn for a reason.  It makes me sweat (in the privacy of my own home).  I cannot do all of the moves fully, hold them for the entire time, or get to the end of the workout.  But I modify.  I take breaks. And I do as much of the workout at one time as I can.  Little by little I can hold the poses and make it farther through the workout.  I like Rodney Yee's instruction, the pace of the workout and the difficulty.  It is not so difficult that I feel like it is impossible and end up quitting. But I definitely feel that I am working out. 

I ALWAYS feel better when I do this workout.  I can feel my spine re-align (as I loosen up and work out, I actually feel it pop back into place) and I feel my muscles strengthening.  I also feel more relaxed mentally when I am finished.

If you are looking for a way to become more physically healthy and relaxed, this workout may be a good choice for you too.

Photo Credit - photograph courtesy of Pixabay CC0

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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