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General Wellbeing

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Re: General Wellbeing

Postby Stokey Sue » Thu Apr 22, 2021 3:28 pm

I use Ecover Zero - neither enzymes nor perfume

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Re: General Wellbeing

Postby Pepper Pig » Thu Apr 22, 2021 5:55 pm

Thanks Sue. I think we’ve tried it before as Josh is very green and had a big Ecover phase. I’ll ask him.

Re wellbeing. As we, hopefully, come out of Covid, the friend who I met today, and another friend and I are discussing how to restart our exercise regime. I’m fine as I swim even though a terrible swimmer I think the right muscles get a good going over. Friend A is contemplating joining a gym which she hates but she has put on a stone. Friend B used to do an exercise class called Use It Or Lose It which revolved around chair exercises. Unfortunately for her the group leader has had to move backup North because of the pandemic (shades of Susie Blake) and the class has closed. We are all 67+ and our local park has a very good, apparently, Tai Chi group which is almost free. I tried a class once at Champneys and couldn’t understand it at all. We’re going to chance it but are there any things we should look out for apart from stray dogs which are part and parcel of our park.

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Re: General Wellbeing

Postby KeenCook2 » Thu Apr 22, 2021 7:52 pm

Another NYT article - OH saw it and sent it to me.
Again, it provides a link so I imagine it's freely accessible.
This one explains how unlikely it is for the virus to be transmitted outdoors; although I realise this is the case, and given that living where we do by the river it's jogger central, it's good to be reminded that you're unlikely to be infected by a sweaty, heavy breathing jogger!

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/22/well ... =url-share

The viral transmission specialist cited in the article has a useful rule of two-out-of-three for deciding when to wear a mask in public spaces or when she doesn’t know everyone’s vaccination status.
In these situations, she makes sure she’s meeting two out of three conditions: outdoors, distanced and masked. “If you’re outdoors, you either need to be distanced or masked,” she said. “If you’re not outdoors, you need to be distanced and masked. This is how I’ve been living for the past year. It all comes down to my two-out-of-three rule.”

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Re: General Wellbeing

Postby Earthmaiden » Thu Apr 22, 2021 8:30 pm

I'd noticed that in the USA and some other countries wearing masks outside was 'a thing'. I saw pictures of friends in Washington State enjoying a day out at a wildlife park where there were few other people and both adults and children were masked to the hilt.

In these provincial parts it really hasn't been a thing apart from the school playground, where it is a requirement and people can get quite close, the only other place I have felt glad to wear one is in our town centre where many people of all types don't observe much in the way of social distancing and as I've been ducking in and out of shops I've left the mask on.

I can see that in London and other cities where people walk in close proximity it has felt right to wear one. Of course, they are supposed to stop you transmitting the virus to others rather than vice versa but still make one feel slightly more secure when exposed to coughing strangers :evil:.

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Re: General Wellbeing

Postby Stokey Sue » Thu Apr 22, 2021 9:34 pm

I see quite a lot of people on the street in London masked, and I’m often wearing one myself simply because everything is so close together on a city High Street that it feels easier to put the mask on in front of the mirror and keep it on until I’ve finished popping in and out of shops and even hopping on and off public transport

But few people wear them in the parks or if heading out for a proper walk

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Re: General Wellbeing

Postby jeral » Fri Apr 23, 2021 12:30 am

Pepper Pig asks if there's anything to look out for. I tend to wear a mask if others are likely to be close and especially if they're not wearing one, although I do forget if just nipping to the corner shop.

As to new exercise forms, I suppose the rule is always to do what one can comfortably do. I joined a karati club to exercise and hopefully strengthen some muscles. The stretching and bending was OK but the sharp movements (which was the plan with that type of training) caused me a pulled muscle so that was short and sweet. I think Tai Chi is more like meditative moving so shouldn't give rise to stressed muscles.

At the moment, being out in the cold whilst fairly static might be a bigger worry to me. Hope it goes well and do let us know if you decide to keep at it.

I notice that gyms now seem to have become more relaxed about not needing long contracts. I've found it hard to figure out local swimming pools whose websites are flashy but unfathomable. It will be good to be able to "do things" again though :)

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Re: General Wellbeing

Postby Stokey Sue » Fri Apr 23, 2021 1:23 am

Going back to Tai Chi after our Easter break on Tuesday - being doing it home in a Zoom class but now we are resuming outdoor exercise. I find it very good - not too strenuous, but I definitely know I’ve had some exercise afterwards

I only started doing it in July and it suits me, intend to do some swimming as well and to keep walking, need to get my walking speed up to keep up with others as we get less distanced

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Re: General Wellbeing

Postby ZeroCook » Fri Apr 23, 2021 7:35 am

It's good to be reminded that you're unlikely to be infected by a sweaty, heavy breathing jogger!

While that's probably true ...

I'd noticed that in the USA and some other countries wearing masks outside was 'a thing'. I saw pictures of friends in Washington State enjoying a day out at a wildlife park where there were few other people and both adults and children were masked to the hilt.


... I mentioned earlier that I wasn't going to get into the politics of the pandemic, but it really can't be avoided. Recalling the world starting at square one when the pandemic began - not knowing its precise MO - and the politicisation of playing it down as a hoax or just a flu bug etc etc before it exploded, the decision of many individuals in the US to wear masks and of many similarly inclined local governments, states etc issuing decrees requiring masks in all public places was a a necessary response that also sent a message to those who construed to themselves and to others that their freedom was threatened and refused to take any precautions at all. On the contrary, many deliberately went mask-less and gathered in large groups to make public political statements.

It became clear in the US at that point that no one was at the public health helm and that individuals, cities, states etc had to fend for themselves as best they could. Moreover, at the start of the pandemic the then hugely compromised CDC issued guidelines to the public expressly telling people not to wear masks when in reality universal mask wearing can cut transmission rates by up to 65%. I won’t go on as I’m sure people know all that.

Also just wanted to mention that people in mask mandated places also find it hard to understand why there was never a mask mandate in the UK.

Given that no one is out of the woods yet, an abundance of caution is not a bad thing.

eta a non displaying piece of text :?
Last edited by ZeroCook on Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: General Wellbeing

Postby Earthmaiden » Fri Apr 23, 2021 9:43 am

I agree, ZC. I do think that mask wearing makes people think and is no bad thing. On the down side, to enforce outdoor wearing too much is likely to cause public outrage and unrest - and they are so awful to wear!

I asked a friend recently if she found disposable masks cooler to wear. She said she loved them 'because there were 'nice gaps at the side to let the air in' :?.

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Re: General Wellbeing

Postby jeral » Sun Apr 25, 2021 4:25 am

ZeroCook, the main reason why the UK didn't mandate mask-wearing is that we didn't have any. The government expended £billions and failed to get any so the "scientific" benefit of masks was seriously downplayed versus EU thinking -that is, until we got some. Once masks were in the shops, the "scientific" benefit message changed, strangely enough.

In fact, the UK had a department specifically to look at possible pandemic risks but this was abandoned at the start of the current government, which I believe was similarly done by Trump in the US, so any stocks we had were years out of date, hence the need to panic buy at the same time as the rest of the world, bar those countries where masks were already commonplace.

I reckon people here will abandon mask-wearing soon whatever the guidelines say. Laws about such aren't really enforceable so people will do their own thing soon. Same as rushing out to be part of a crowd - some will, some won't.

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Re: General Wellbeing

Postby Stokey Sue » Sun Apr 25, 2021 10:10 am

I’m not convinced lack of masks is what stopped us from mandating face covering outside a medical setting - a scarf or a makeshift is still helpful, for activities like shopping it doesn’t have to be certified PPE

I think it was basically a lack of leadership, but the initial scientific advice was not particularly in favour of face covering, although that changed quite soon

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Re: General Wellbeing

Postby Pampy » Sun Apr 25, 2021 2:07 pm

Definitely a lack of leadership!

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Re: General Wellbeing

Postby Suelle » Sun Apr 25, 2021 2:31 pm

Earthmaiden wrote:I agree, ZC. I do think that mask wearing makes people think and is no bad thing. On the down side, to enforce outdoor wearing too much is likely to cause public outrage and unrest - and they are so awful to wear!

I asked a friend recently if she found disposable masks cooler to wear. She said she loved them 'because there were 'nice gaps at the side to let the air in' :?.


:lol:

I found a mask difficult to wear at first - I was using home made ones with no gaps at the side, as there are with the blue disposable ones. I've found that tolerance builds up.

After they became more or less compulsory at the Food Bank where I volunteer (even though it's in a warehouse with the shutter rolled up for ventilation), I now find I can wear a mask for at least 4 hours with no discomfort.
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Re: General Wellbeing

Postby Renee » Wed Apr 28, 2021 12:19 am

Pepper Pig, I practised Tai Chi for many years when I lived in the Rochdale area where there were two excellent classes, but there's hardly anything here in Chorley and certainly not what I want.

I have three DVDs for Qigong, also Tai Chi, but it is better to be in a class.

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Re: General Wellbeing

Postby Stokey Sue » Wed Apr 28, 2021 1:10 am

I did Tai Chi today, outside

I think with all unfamiliar exercise it makes a difference if the instructor is easy to follow and I think ours is very good, she doesn’t obfuscate with Chinese terms, but blends them with simple English explanations

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Re: General Wellbeing

Postby KeenCook2 » Thu May 06, 2021 11:35 am

For those who meditate - this is a lovely video - "The wandering mind is not your enemy"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFS8POFvrGM

:newhuggy :newhuggy

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Re: General Wellbeing

Postby PatsyMFagan » Thu May 06, 2021 10:01 pm

thank goodness for that KC2 .... I don't need to read any further ;) :thumbsup

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Re: General Wellbeing

Postby Renee » Fri May 07, 2021 12:19 am

Thanks for that, KC2!

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Re: General Wellbeing

Postby KeenCook2 » Fri May 07, 2021 6:08 pm

Yes, I really found it really helpful, Pat and Renee :thumbsup
It's good to be reminded from time to time!

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Re: General Wellbeing

Postby Earthmaiden » Fri May 07, 2021 9:36 pm

What I find odd is that I have learned to switch off without much trouble for meditation but when I apply the same principles to try to go to sleep my mind wanders all over the place!

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