WNYC’s Leonard Lopate recently broadcast an interview with John Coates, the author of “The Hour Between Dog and Wolf: Risk Taking, Gut Feelings and the Biology of Boom and Bust.” A successful Wall Street trader, Coates made a mid-career pivot to study neuroscience and the biology of how risk- taking transforms body chemistry. In response to the NPR interview and a general surge of interest in mind-body connections, I offer my take on swimming–which has helped me immensely. I hope it helps other PDK-readers.
Make it a habit: The body adapts over a period of time-no stress on any particular part. Have your stuff dried out and ready to go from your previous
swim. Find a time and place where you have a lane that’s free or shared with other swimmers who know pool etiquette. You’re free from gravity (the effects of those blood pressure pills and enlarged kidneys that pull your back out of whack). Your breathing gets synced with your stroke. Try different fins and hand paddles for resistance and variety. Long arm strokes and buoyancy helps to open the upper part of your lungs that is less affected by the pressure of kidneys pressing up on your diaphragm. Continue reading
