Procrastinator’s word

Aerobic vs Anaerobic Exercise: Which is better for you? By Mark Grevelding

Most people understand that regular exercise is important for optimal wellness and daily function. However, few understand how the breakdown of the food we consume is converted to an energy source that supports all of the functions we do on a daily basis. Understanding energy metabolism and how food is converted to an energy source known as ATP is probably best left for exercise physiologists. What is important to know is that you can train your body to be ready for any energy demand by including both aerobic and anaerobic exercise in your fitness routine. Aerobic exercise typically features longerduration exercise activities, such as walking on a treadmill, riding a bike or taking a Zumba class. This type of exercise is performed at a relatively steady state of energy output, allowing the body to produce oxygen to meet the demand of the fitness activity.  Anaerobic exercise features quick bursts of explosive exercises, such as squats and lunges or other forms of strength training. This type of exercise leaves you feeling breathless because the body cannot supply oxygen fast enough to meet the demand of these short-duration fitness activities. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), which features short bursts of all-out effort, is a popular form of anaerobic exercise.  Including both aerobic and anaerobic exercise into your regular fitness routine helps you become more efficient at handling daily energy spikes. Aerobic exercise will help improve your stamina to perform long-duration activities like gardening, house cleaning or spending the day walking around an amusement park.  Anaerobic training will prepare your body for sudden bursts of energy demand, such as climbing a flight of stairs, running from your car in a rainstorm, or chasing around a rambunctious grandchild or pet. Aerobic exercise is easier to come by as it includes simple activities like walking, biking or swimming. In order to include anaerobic training into your fitness routine, consider performing in-home exercises like squats, lunges, lowimpact jumping jacks or just some high-knee marches with overhead arms. Including both aerobic and anaerobic exercise in your fitness routine will ensure the healthiest version of yourself, one that is ready to take on any energy demand. Mark Grevelding is the founder of PoolFit, a fitness app and website that includes over 115 water fitness & in-home workouts suitable for older adults.

“A Horse with No Name” by America

BY: RANDAL C. HILL

We’ve all been through this before. You hear a new tune on the radio, and it grabs you by the collar, demanding your attention. But sometimes, when you get to thinking later about its rather puzzling lyrics, you end up scratching your head and asking, “What is this really all about?” We’re talking here about “A Horse with No Name” by UK-based America, a trio of U.S.- born folk singers—Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley, Dan Peek— who each had fathers who frequently relocated to military bases around the world.

“The song was born out of pure boredom,” admits leader Bunnell, a Neil Young-soundalike, who was just 19 when he created the million-seller. “I had just graduated high school in London, and my family moved up to Yorkshire…I wanted to stay in London, so I moved into the home of a friend and his family…I wrote the song alone in this guy’s bedroom that I share…I wanted to capture the imagery of the desert because I was sitting in this room in England, and it was rainy. I wanted to capture the heat and the dryness.” First called “Desert Song,” Bunnell built his odd tale on a foundation of three guitar chords. In 1971, the trio released their self-titled debut album in the UK, but since no issued single had caught record buyers’ attention yet, sales proved lackluster. However, when “Horse” became a successful British 45 that November, the America LP was reissued to great success, thanks to the Bunnellcomposed hit track. When Dewey’s creation was released in the States, it too became an overnight winner; the Warner Records 45 reached Number One here for three weeks, and the America album dominated the LP charts for over a month.

Image from Wikipedia

Dewey saw the desert as an existential epiphany but later admitted, “The song was a travelogue with an environmental message in there about saving the planet.” As to the enigmatic image of the horse? “I see now that this anonymous horse was a vehicle to get me away from all the confusion and chaos of life to a peaceful, quiet place.” Come to think of it, though, after all that time spent in peaceful desert solitude, wouldn’t the narrator have eventually come up with a name for his steed?

Just wondering.