As someone who’s always preferred to focus on her extremities rather than her core, it’s taken me a while to admit that I wouldn’t be able to achieve as a dancer without a strong core. (Good dance teachers know this — it’s why they incorporate crunches, oblique work and push-ups Read more…
While I’ve had my share of orthopedic injuries and issues, I’ve been thankful that my back has remained relatively healthy despite a diagnosis of mild scoliosis as a child. Problems like herniated discs are no joke, which is why it’s important for people to understand when they suspect this may Read more…
I have been lucky to work with first-year students for three years now, building on each year’s successes (and failures) to improve each time as I set out to work with the WRTR classes, a required course for research and writing. It has also helped that I’ve worked with one Read more…
One of the professors from the Women and Gender Studies department reached out to me a month ago and asked if I’d be interested in doing a Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon under the aegis of Art+Feminism. I’d never edited anything on Wikipedia, and had certainly never taught others how to do so, Read more…
I had my first major knee surgery more than 15 years ago, so I’ve been working with physical therapists for a long time. But I still continue to learn about various types of exercises and how they can help the body heal and grow stronger. I’d never really thought about Read more…
It’s strange having to care for your parents as you get older. Stepping in and helping them make decisions about their healthcare or their finances. Watching them lose their memory or their health. Both of my parents, and both of my grandmothers, are and were active adults. My mother continues Read more…
Despite my chronic pain and injuries from years of dance, as well as some mild scoliosis, I’ve never experienced much back pain, particularly something like sciatica, where something is irritating a nerve and sending shooting pain throughout your legs or rear end. I suspect treating such pain is far more Read more…
As our social sciences librarian is retiring at the end of the year, I have been asked to serve as the temporary social sciences librarian through the end of the spring term while SMU Libraries conducts a search for a full-time replacement. I’ll be able to continue my work on Read more…
I have been fascinated by plyometric exercise since I started hearing about it about 10 years ago. Unfortunately, my joint problems mean that I’m not jumping too much, particularly onto boxes or around obstacles. I have a hard enough time not tripping when I’m just walking up a flight of Read more…
One of the things I learned working for a (now defunct) online learning company for physical therapists was how much they can help patients with cancer. Having watched both of my parents-in-law fight lung cancer, I saw first hand how much the treatments affect the patient as much as the Read more…