Interesting Links for 08-05-2022

[andrewducker]

1. Scottish Labour can continue to fuck the fuck off

(tags:politics Scotland labour GreenParty )

2. Final year UK medical students can't afford to pay rent

(tags:poverty UK university doctors )

3. A new generation of fitness instructors teaches simple skills that make a difference. Why is beginner-level exercise treated like a niche?

(tags:exercise )

4. "The Only Moral Abortion is My Abortion"

(tags:abortion hypocrisy )

Comments

[coth]

Not just final year medical students - this reduction in funding hit my daughter's final undergraduate year too, and we had to increase support for her this year relative to the previous two.

[andrewducker]

I'm glad you could, and I'm furious on behalf of the people who aren't able to.

[coth]

Indeed!

3. Fitness

[channelpenguin]

Good on these people! I've always been physically capable ... but having had some serious injuries I also know the need for "easier steps".

Ironically, I found many physiotherapists good at identifying what I should be able to do to (just to move, walk, carry, stuff) but could not do, but they were often lacking in the ability to give me the "easier version" to work up to. Which I pointed out was ridiculous. I used weight training examples - You dont start weightlifting 100kg if you can't, you work up to it as gradually as you need. But it seemed like many could not see past their own idea of some sort of base competency for simple "everyday" movements.

Depressing, I can only imagine and dread how they treat less fit patients. E.g. my BFs (sadly deceased) mother broke her foot. They gave her crutches ... but as an average, untrained, chubby 60+ lady she didn't have the upper body strength to use them!

It's also possible that those of us who look "fit" and have obviously above average general strength are assumed to have either no movement problems. I dunno. But I definitely do. I spent months where I could do heavy weights ... yet not walk for more than 5 minutes. (And I had to fix that myself in the end!)

Re: 3. Fitness

[andrewducker]

I'm glad you got there - but frustrated that they weren't able to do their jobs and help you!

Re: 3. Fitness

[coth]

I'd agree with this. I do Pilates routinely at least in part because if I'm physically okay when I do it I can use it to get stronger and more flexible, and if I'm not I can use it to rebuild whatever it was that I lost with my fall or sprain or frozen shoulder or whatever. When I'm not actually fixing something that's wrong I can add weightlifting or long walks or cardio or yoga, but they all start by assuming you're generally okay, and for so many of us so much of the time that is just not the case.