Natural Hard Exercise - Stuart's Community Health Stewardship Continues

Reader Stuart Wood did a magnificent thing. He took charge and started teaching my work to reduce the high rate of strain-related injuries in his community for projects ranging from school health to senior health to water harvesting in his arid city of Tucson.

Stuart writes:

"The second group of pictures in the set are from a water harvesting project run by the Water Management Group here in Tucson. We spent 5 hours digging and bending and planting. The structures make use of street run-off in a way that reduces road and water pollution while at the same time "greening" the street by providing the plants with water which will eventually shade the side-walk and street and reduce the "heat-island" created by all the asphalt and concrete that attracts and absorbs sunlight/heat.

"This was my first time volunteering with them and I didn't get a chance to teach but I did figure out how to dig and bend correctly myself. It was a work-out and felt really good. I have dug in the past for long hours with improper bending and what it a difference it makes! Soon I hope to teach the other volunteers so that in addition to being good stewards of the community they can also be good stewards of their health.

"The watershed admin is thinking the best thing for me to do would be to teach the various instructors so that they could then oversee the volunteers throughout the city.

Stuart will retrain participants' bending so that their exercise is healthy for themselves and the community

"I was looking at your website (DrBookspan.com/Academy) and seeing the part about scholarships for Native Americans and the elderly, that intrigued me a lot. There is a large reservation just south of town for the Tohono O'odahm Indians, I have been thinking about how neat it would be to teach some of them.

"Recently there has been a wellness program implemented by the City of Tucson to reduce work-related strains and injuries. They have not been exposed to your work yet but they have been exposed to stretches that are potentially damaging at worst and ineffective at best! My friend spoke kindly of me and how your blog and my advice had helped him so, when I talked to his supervisor, he was more than helpful in suggesting ways in which I might be able to teach city workers in various settings and occupations."

More work is in progress. Reports to come.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that
other people won't feel insecure about you.
We were born to manifest the glory that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others."

- Nelson Mandela
1994 Inaugural speech

How Stuart Started All This:

• Reader Gains Academy Appointment for Making Community Projects Healthy

See Stuart's Work Teaching School Kids and Instructors:

• StuartShip - How To Start Healthy Movement Programs

Things You Can Do Too:

• Fast Fitness - The First Group Functional Training Exercise, Good Bending for Back and Knees
• Fast Fitness - Open Your Eyes and World View
• Fast Fitness - Strengthen Yourself by Lifting Up Others
• Fast Fitness - Pro-Social Behavior Improves Health of All
• Lifestyle Fitness Through Gardening
• Autumn Yard Work - Limiting the Person Instead of the Injury Again?
• Want Weightlifting? Plant A Food Garden

Random Fun Fitness Fixer:

• Living Under The Sea

Labels: children, gardening, International Academy of Functional Sports Medicine, readers inspiring story, shoveling/digging, spirit

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