Swimming vs. walking
Hey, Coach! I am about three weeks into my commitment of trying to walk for better health, but the weather has been cold and snowy, and I’m just not sure that prolonged walking is for me. A friend of mine mentioned that she swims and that she finds that to be a good workout for her. I was wondering if swimming would be better for me since my knees hurt a little and I also don’t like being out in the cold. How does swimming compare to walking?
Signed+..Better Health
Dear Better Health: There are many avenues which lead to better health, and walking and swimming are only two of them. If walking isn’t for you, then why not give swimming a try? There’s also biking and other cardio machines that may appeal to you, so the suggestion here is to try multiple activities. Also, many times it’s a good idea to mix up one’s workouts, so maybe you would still want to keep walking in the mix, your knees permitting. Depending on what one does in the pool, swimming can be one of the best workouts known because we can work muscles from head to toe, and there’s no impact on our bones and joints. It sounds as if you may have found a possible workout buddy, so we encourage you to give swimming a try. Good luck!
ML King Jr. Day
In recent years, it appears locally that a lot of emphasis has been placed on community service for students who have the day off from school. On this day, some students are out and about in our local communities giving freely of their time, energy and resources to accomplish some great things to benefit others. We commend not only these students, but also the schools that place a high value on activities like this. It’s too bad more days are not set aside for our youth to get involved. Participation in service opportunities can many times be such a positive experience that it leads to a lifetime of service for some. As far as an event, Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, had perhaps its best ML King event in the 14 years that the Coach has been at the campus. It had great meaning, and was a very moving experience. Part of the presentation had video clips (good and bad, so to speak) from 45-50 years ago with regards to segregation; especially in the south. It made the Coach reminisce back to his munchkin days when our father used to take the family south for vacations. At a Florida rest stop, the Coach remembers seeing a water fountain marked for white people and one marked for colored people. The Coach also remembers a restaurant in Georgia that had a place roped off in the back for black people. Segregation was an extremely sensitive topic when many of us were growing up. Our country has made a lot of progress, and we still have a ways to go in many regards. We all are encouraged to do our part so that all men and women truly are created (treated) equal.
Hall of fame ballots
If you have not yet joined or re-upped and you would like to be a part of the voting process for the class of 2011, this is a last call. You may get an application from our Web site at www.fayettecountysportshalloffame.com
. Another set of ballots will go out Tuesday afternoon, so please act by tomorrow so you get to vote for your favorite sports heroes from yesteryear. Annual dues are only $10 a year ($5 for students), with life memberships available from $50-100 depending on one’s age. Please get in touch if necessary.
Coach’s Comment: Most times it behooves us to act like a duck: Act calm and unruffled on the surface, but paddle like crazy beneath the surface.
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You can contact the Coach at askthecoach2002@yahoo.com.