Functional Fitness Redefined: Layers of Life

 There are numerous definitions of functional fitness.  The idea that a complex movement is more functional than a biceps curl was something that was fought about a decade ago.  Today, the more nuanced definition of fitness, is what is required to do the desired task.  If the task is to run a marathon or lift 300lbs, then fitness is the ability to do this.  The fitness goal dictates the type and style of exercise.  

I think I have a definition that is better.  

When we are born we are essentially useless, helpless, and in total dependence.  Let's represent this with one solid black dot.  We start to crawl.  We explore the world around us, interacting with it with our hands.    Let's draw one small circle around are black dot. A concentric circle.  Our first layer.  We start to walk.  Another layer of exploring takes place.  A vertical dimension is added.  We also explore more of our world.  Again, lets's draw another layer around our circle.  

This goes on for decades.  We grow, we run, we climb, we play, we play a sport, we learn a skill, we learn more skills, we read, we combine skills, we struggle, we overcome, we add layer, upon layer, upon layer to our black dot.  

Somewhere at sometime without really realizing it, the layers stopped being added. Some layers grew thinner. 

 Somewhere the last warm up was done, the last sprint around the track, the last mountain climbed, the last goal trained for.  Perhaps it came fast or came slow.  But, the layers started to slowly peal away.  

Layers mean options, just like a healthy joint has more options of movement.  More layers to a person, means more life is available.  Imagine if you couldn't read, all the great books that aren't available to you.  If you can't walk, all the places you can no longer go.  If your knee hurts, less steps taken, but the hike with your grandkid isn't an option.  

They did a study about climbers, beginner and advanced.  They tracked their eyes as they studied a rock climbing wall.  The beginner saw one or two options.  The advanced climber saw many routes.  Fitness allows more options in life.  

They did other studies where they asked people to judge the height of stairs and hills.  Out of shape individuals thought the gradient was higher or harder.  They saw problems as more difficult.  

They go through life with the thought of not possible. 

When I was twenty I'd watch football with they eye that I can, will do this.  There was never doubts.  I watch now and wonder how my body survived 11 years of playing with almost no injuries.  I know it's not something my body can handle anymore.  

Elbow injuries make bench pressing impossible these days.  But at one time benching 395 was part of my psyche.  I know benching big number is not part of the layers of fitness anymore.  

A few years ago the idea of riding my bike 100 miles was crazy.  Now it doesn't seem that difficult of task.  I've done it several times, know how to train for it and it is just a fun challenge.  A layer was added.  

I looked back on my life and running a few miles was no big thing.  The last decade after years of injuries and lack of interest, running layer had been lost.  5 miles seemed crazy.  I reevaluated how to return to running and can say, the running layer has been added once again.  

One of the biggest metanalysis of mortality is grip strength.  It probably doesn't mean just train grip, but a strong grip means a level of strength (a layer ) that was never lost.  

Another important question for aging, can you cut your own toe nails and can you chew hard food.  Why? The ability to cut your own toe nails shows a degree of mobility, with less chance of ingrown toe nails that becomes uncomfortable and limits walking, limits movement.  Chewing hard food, mean more calories, more protein and less likely to lose your muscle.  

Aging is losing one layer slowly over time.  They have all these metrics about loss of muscle, power, strength every decade.  Percentage decline.  Delayering if you will.  The way you interact with the world shrinks. 

So what is functional fitness?  It's keeping your layers.  It's adding layers.  It's looking back at things you could do, that perhaps you lost and working to reclaim or keep them.  It could be a a mile run, it could be an olli kick flip.  Perhaps it's learning a musical instrument, or picking up one that's long been discarded.  Maybe it's training for a race in a distance that you never thought about.  It's rehabbing the shoulder or ankle that you just decided to live with even though it stopped you playing volleyball.  

Functional fitness is adding layers, it's thickening the ones you have.  It's keeping the interaction with the world in expansion.  It's keeping the mind seeing options and possibilities.  

Band Punch Glute Ham

Using the band punch helps to keep the lower back from driving into extension and allows the hamstring to be the main source of extension power.

The Dark History of Polio: More then just a Virus

 When I finished reading "The Moth in the Iron Lung" by Forrest Maready, I found myself fact-checking the publication date multiple times. Written in 2018, this book challenged everything I thought I knew about polio's history in America.

Like many, I grew up seeing the aftermath of polio. People with distinctive limps or affected lower limbs were living testaments to the disease's impact. In school, we learned about Jonas Salk, portrayed as the hero who created the vaccine that vanquished this terrible illness. But as with many historical narratives, the full story proves far more complex – and troubling.

The Two Faces of Polio

What most surprised me was learning the crucial distinction between polio and poliomyelitis. While both conditions cause similar symptoms – particularly paralysis of the lower limbs – they're distinctly different entities. Only through post-mortem examination of the spine could doctors definitively distinguish between them, a fact that complicated diagnosis and treatment for decades.

Traditional polio, caused by an enterovirus, typically begins in the intestines. In rare cases, particularly in infants whose intestines lie close to their developing spine, the virus can infiltrate the central nervous system, leading to paralysis. Remarkably, this paralysis affects only motor control, leaving sensory functions intact.

A History of Toxic "Cures"

The story takes a dark turn in the late 1790s, when doctors began treating childhood intestinal symptoms with what was then cutting-edge medicine – containing mercury. Today, we understand mercury's devastating effects on the nervous system, but then, it was considered a breakthrough treatment. As its use increased, so did cases of infantile paralysis.

The Agricultural Connection

Post-Civil War America faced an agricultural crisis. Moths and beetles threatened entire crops, leading to desperate measures. Enter Paris Green, the first widely-used pesticide. Its active ingredient? Lead. When insects developed resistance, farmers simply used more. Later, arsenical pesticides were introduced, followed by DDT after World War II. Each new "solution" brought its own set of problems.

What's particularly chilling is that polio outbreaks consistently peaked during growing seasons, yet this correlation went unnoticed or ignored. Laws even mandated the use of these toxic pesticides, with fines for non-compliance.

The Truth Behind the Decline

While the Salk vaccine is credited with eradicating polio, the timeline tells a different story. By the time the vaccine was introduced, polio cases had already dropped dramatically – coinciding with bans on mercury, lead, arsenic, and DDT. Today, polio outbreaks persist primarily in regions where DDT remains in use.

The Power of Propaganda

Perhaps no image better encapsulates America's polio panic than the 1953 LIFE magazine photo showing 33 iron lungs in California. We now know this photo was staged, yet it became deeply embedded in the national consciousness, driving public fear and policy.

Learning from History

This story illustrates how fear, limited information, and misguided solutions can create cascading problems. Farmers desperate to save their crops, parents trying to help sick children with mercury-laced medicines – all were making what seemed like rational choices with the information available.

The true lesson of polio isn't just about vaccine development; it's about understanding how environmental toxins impact human health, and how our solutions to one problem can inadvertently create others. As we face modern health challenges, this history reminds us to consider the broader context and potential unintended consequences of our interventions.

In an era of increasing environmental awareness, this historical parallel becomes particularly relevant. Perhaps by understanding this complex history, we can approach current and future health crises with greater wisdom and a more holistic perspective.