FINAL POSTING

FINAL POSTING

This posting contains links to the four comments I have made on my peer’s blogs and a list of the references used throughout the 6 blog postings.

LINKS TO PEER BLOGS:

I have commented on Anna Foster’s blog entry on Ergonomics http://annapo1.blogspot.com/2011/09/ergonomics.html?showComment=1319338700302#c8045992395198570924

I have commented on Lucy Kelly’s blog post on affordances- aesthetics http://lucyotkelly.blogspot.com/2011/10/affordances-aesthetics.html#comments

I have commented on Jess Akroyd’s blog post on blog 5 affords/presses/spirituality and communication http://jessakroyd.blogspot.com/2011/10/last-time-i-attended-gym-class-was-on.html#comments

I have commented on Erin Hancock’s blog post on lets be practical http://erinhancockparticipationinoccupation1.blogspot.com/2011/10/lets-be-practical.html?showComment=1319339955617#c2325617840029748465

REFERENCES:

Acosta, R. (2008, May 20). Ralph Acosta - poets page. Retrieved 10 24, 2011, from Poem Hunter: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/my-memories-6/

Bridget. (n.d.). The whole body spa testimonials. Retrieved October 26, 2011, from The whole body spa: http://www.thewholebodyspa.com/testimonials.html

Burkhardt MA (1989) Spirituality: an analysis of the concept. Holistic Nursing Practice 3, 69–77

Caulton, R. & Dickson, R. (2007). What’s going on? Finding an explanation for what we do. In J. Creek & A. Lawson-Porter (Eds.), Contemporary issues in occupational therapy (pp. 87-114). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Dunton, G., Berrigan, D., Ballard-Barbash, R., Graubard, B., & Atienza, A. (2009). Environmental influences on exercise intensity and duration in a U.S. time use study. Medicine & Science in Sports Exercise, 41(9), 1698-1705. Doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181a06c9b

Tomasetti, S. (2003). Selecting a running shoe. Armed Forces Comptroller, 48(1), 19. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Blog 6/6 Ambience

Blog 6 Ambience

"The relaxing atmosphere is a haven for me on Monday afternoons” Bridget (n.d). To me ambience refers to the atmosphere and how it influences my experience of an activity.

“I notice that there are not many people running around the lake today, usually I pass people every 2 minutes as I run but I am half way around the lake today and I have passed maybe three people I decide that this is because everyone is getting ready for the big game tonight, with this comes a peaceful atmosphere and I don’t feel the pressure to go faster or slower which is definitely an atmosphere I appreciate, the temperature is perfect and it’s lovely and sunny.”

That small reflection from my run is expressing the ambience I experienced as I ran today. Every day is different and it doesn’t always matter if there are people or not, this was just the feel I had with the atmosphere on this particular run, sometimes there can be feelings of tension, the weather often evokes different feelings in the air, a sunny day always feels enjoyable and a rainy day can sometimes express an atmosphere of struggle.

I believe ambience is what is in the air around us and present wherever we are, different situations, personalities, activities, occasions create different atmospheres which is what I would consider the ambience. 

Ambience can provide you with both positive and negative experiences, although for me I would usually notice a positive ambience and enjoy the experience, running often creates positive atmospheres for me, I feel like I am in my zone and the fresh air, whether it is warm or cold is always welcomed.  Perfect ambience whilst on my run would be a fresh sunny late afternoon run around the lake or by the river so I can take in the beautiful scenery, with a light breeze to stop me from overheating.

Bridget. (n.d.). The whole body spa testimonials. Retrieved October 26, 2011, from The whole body spa: http://www.thewholebodyspa.com/testimonials.html

 

                     

Blog 5/6 Practical considerations

Blog 5: Practical considerations

 “I get my trainers out of the cupboard ready for my run this afternoon. The first step is finding the appropriate socks as you do not want to pull your socks up mid run. I need to ensure I have shoes suited to my feet, which for me requires shoes with a raised heal as my calf muscles (gastrocnemius) get very tight when I am running so the raised heal allows me to run for longer and be more comfortable. I remember to tie my laces not too tightly as this has an impact on my shin’s (tibia's) and the surrounding muscles/tendons. Once I have considered all of these elements I know I have done all I can to make this run as comfortable as possible.”

For me practical considerations are the specific elements needed to perform the chosen activity optimally. These are things I need to consider in order to do my activity.

Having the correct shoes and socks and wearing them appropriately are practical elements I need to consider to prevent injuries and remain as comfortable as I can whilst performing the activity of running. Tomasetti (2003) states that “the proper running shoe is beneficial in helping to correct biomechanical errors that otherwise may lead to injuries and to alleviate pain associated with running injuries” (p. 19).

There are certain other elements I need to consider when running or preparing for a run; how do I ensure I have the correct gear? Should I see a professional to get shoes fitted for me? Can I afford to pay for the equipment? Is there certain terrain that will influence the type of shoes I need?

Tomasetti, S. (2003). Selecting a running shoe. Armed Forces Comptroller, 48(1), 19. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Blog 4/6 Affordance & Memories of my inspirational Nana

Blog 4 Affordance and Memories


Running through the heat of the day took me back to the time in my life when I was looking after my Nana as she was dying of cancer. I began running down the beach each day, sometimes twice a day, this for me was a way of coping, it gave me time to clear my mind, it kept me sane and meant that when I came back to look after nana I had a new sense of energy and a clear mind, sometimes when I would run I would just cry and let go of my emotions that I didn’t want nana to see, she was such a strong person that it didn’t feel right showing her that I too was in pain watching her suffer.

I found running was appropriate as she was a great runner herself and even qualified for the commonwealth games. Running to me means freedom, strength, and empowerment.

These days as I run I remember my Nana, her struggles, her enjoyment in running, our special memories and I find inspiration, I feel spiritually connected to my Nana, I feel her close to me when I get to the stage where I want to give up I feel she carries me, keeps me going and helps me as I once had the opportunity to help her.

It is important to understand memories as these can be important to an individual and can often give meaning and purpose for activities. As a therapist I think it is essential to understand why people do the activities they do and what the activities mean to them. Memories are a part of what makes some activities important and meaningful. 


“Don’t forget about the past, without memories there is no yesterday” (Acosta, 2008). This comes from a poem which is showing the importance of memories even though some memories are painful.

Acosta, R. (2008, May 20). Ralph Acosta - poets page. Retrieved 10 24, 2011, from Poem Hunter: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/my-memories-6/

My inspiration

This is a picture of my Nana as a young girl running in a regional event (In a dress and bare footed, I wonder how this affected her performance?)                      

This is my Nana receiving a trophy for coming 1^st place at another event

Blog 3/6 Affordances

Blog 3: Affordances

I guess my understanding of affordance is that the environment that surrounds us affords different actions and behaviours, so the environment determines what/how I do my run and this could be limiting or enhancing. Dunton, Berrigan, Ballard-Barbash, Graubard & Atienza (2009) researched the effects of the physical environment and running and found that the duration of exercise was greater when exercising outdoors than exercising indoors. I can relate to this as I can definitely run better outside as the footpath is easier to run on and the fresh air feels better than stagnant gym air.

Affordance & Spirituality:

There are many interpretations of spirituality and spirituality can mean different things to different people. For me spirituality comes from within, it lives in me, you and people who have passed, I find spirituality in the environment and any living organism. Therefore connectedness brings about spirituality for me, feeling connected to a person or the environment and while running I feel both connected to the environment and to people as you can see in my journal entry below:

“I am nearing the end of my run and I feel like giving up, my legs are tight and my lungs breathless. I try to think of ways to inspire myself to keep me going, at the moment I have been writing names of people that inspire me on my arm before I leave for my run. Today I have my Nana’s name on my arm and so I begin to think of her, I can hear her voice “Don’t give up Sarah; I know you can do this” so I push myself for a further 8 minutes.”

When I run I feel spiritually connected to my Nana I feel like her spirit keeps me going when I feel like giving up. I can feel her presence in my atmosphere and the environment I am in when running allows me to experience this connection.

References:

Burkhardt MA (1989) Spirituality: an analysis of the concept. Holistic Nursing Practice 3, 69–77.

Dunton, G., Berrigan, D., Ballard-Barbash, R., Graubard, B., & Atienza, A. (2009). Environmental influences on exercise intensity and duration in a U.S. time use study. Medicine & Science in Sports Exercise, 41(9), 1698-1705. Doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181a06c9b

Blog 2/6: Ergonomics

Caulton & Dickson (2007) explain why having understanding of ergonomics is important as they discuss the importance of making adjustments to an activity to ensure it works for the intended purpose.  

Running on a treadmill is not ideal for me, I always feel as if I am about to fall off the machine, but today it is out of my control. The weather outside is abysmal; pouring with rain (environment) so therefore my (person) run (occupation) needed to be adapted. This is an example of how the person, occupation and environment fit together to enable the end product, which for me was the ability to perform my activity even though the environment wasn’t permitting me to run how I usually would run.

So I didn’t fall off the treadmill today, although I am sure one day I will. How did I prevent myself falling off? Well I didn’t run as fast as I usually would, I turned the speed down low so I could keep at a steady pace. I shortened my running time too as I felt my legs getting tired and heavy which meant I didn’t have as much control as I normally would running on pavement which I felt increased my chances of falling face first on the treadmill.

So in summary the run wasn’t my ideal run and all goals were not met but my main goal was met and that was to run 4/7 days per week so I felt great afterwards and also felt a sense of pride knowing I conquered the treadmill (this time anyway) Sarah 1 Treadmill 0. If I had to run on the treadmill every week I don’t think my fitness would progress as much as it does being outside as I can’t run as fast or far as I do when I can run outside. Therefore I rely heavily on the right environment so that my running is successful.

Caulton, R. & Dickson, R. (2007). What’s going on? Finding an explanation for what we do. In J. Creek & A. Lawson-Porter (Eds.), Contemporary issues in occupational therapy (pp. 87-114). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.