skylakeboatworks_at_yahoo.com wrote: > My left leg also goes numb first too. (snip) How flexible is the 'average' > paddler? Can you touch your toes? I am 6'/172lbs and get my finger tips > within 6" of my toes, after relaxing. Is there a relation between flexibility > and numb legs? > Marvin: as an old lower back sufferer (with the attendant sciatica at times) I turned years ago to hatha yoga and very religiously do the stretches (postures) every day, with a few just before paddling. Look for the issue of Sea Kayaker with the special feature on yoga for paddlers. Also, move around in the cockpit as much as you can: flex and unflex your feet regularly. Rotate torso, when the boat is still, by using the paddle as a lever on the side of the boat, twist around to look at the stern loop and hold for 20 seconds. Flex your spine fore and aft by trying alternately to arch your lower back, then flatten it the other way, using abs to flatten. All of this can help but especially work on flexibility through yoga postures. Dennis St. Paul > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Ken Schroeter" <kenschroeter_at_hotmail.com> > > > > > myself). Using my arms more may reflect less upper body rotation and > make > > me > > > tire more quickly (wimpy chicken arm boy that I am) while letting my > trunk > > > do most of the work requires less overt effort. Entropy in action :-) > > > > > > IRT sitting up, I've also played with this a lot. I feel more stable > and > > in > > > control seated more upright, but my left leg gets wicked numb after > about > > 45 > > > minutes. A touch of lean back and I can feel the efficiency leave my > > stroke > > > but my leg doesn't go numb (damn, I used efficiency and stroke in the > same > > > sentence... I should have been paying more attention to the efficiency > > > posts!). Moving the footbraces back just made them harder to reach. I > am > > > working on my flexibility, conditioning and posture in the boat. I > think > > I > > > am getting the posture/numbness balance down (more flex, less > > > cheeseburger...). > > > > > > Ken Schroeter > > > > > > Old Town Millennium 160 > > > Laconia, NH, USA > > > 43°32'25"N > > > 71°28'59"W > > > > > > There is no moral precept that does not have > > > something inconvenient about it. > > > > > > -- Denis Diderot > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed > here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire > responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. > Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net > Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net > Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ > *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Sat May 26 2001 - 12:34:04 PDT
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