It's a big secret that I am a huge fan of AARP.  Yes, you read that right, before today I have not yet bragged publicly about being a 7 year subscriber to the AARP newsletter.  Though I was offended initially that when I turned 50 there were "crickets" from AARP despite being told by nearly everyone that the day after I would get non stop circulars!  So after waiting an appropriate amount of time, I  signed us up and it's true - the mail never stops coming!  BUT honestly, that's not a complaint and, the AARP magazine has some of the best resourced, referenced health and financial news (plus other actually cool bits of info) of the many general public health newsletters I have read loyally over the years (Berkeley Wellness, Harvard Health, Harvard Women's Heart News, MedscapeNews to name a few) .  Really, the monthly AARP magazine is great. 

Now AARP is recruiting what they call a Cupid Crew to decorate and send notes to Seniors who otherwise might not get personal notes and cards.  Using the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday as the date it makes this (non sensical) day a good focal point early in the year to keep our mind on the altruism, compassion and thankfulness we all just experienced.  

If you're interested here's the link.  Or, if you are landing here after reading this in the January
Foley Physical Therapy Newsletter,  the sign up deadline is past so please stop by the
EngineHouse 16 and we will have cards here by February 3rd! 

After a lot of thought and even more debate with friends and mentors I have come to the decision that the risk of adding to your cluttered email inbox is one I must take.  I do not take this responsibility lightly having weeded (clearly I will not be a wordsmith) my personal inbox down to just these fantastic few newsletters that are essential for me:

Alison Roman
Ozan Varol  
Chris Johnson
Ooni Pizza Community

Don't judge me.

And I realize you too may just finally have a delicate hold on all the demands for your attention too.  My hope, however, is so be able to drop in your mailbox a monthly summary of physical therapy and health and wellness advice that saves you time and feels valuable.  I would love to answer questions proposed through this format by readers as well - that part would be really cool.  The selfish goal is to stay in your minds while you are healthy so you may return to us in the future!  It also saves me having to send personal emails to many of you (like Mom would do via snail mail) when I read something I think you might benefit from knowing about! 

Here is the direct link to the MailChimp signup form.
Please feel free to share it with someone who may not know us yet.

Happy Holidays! 

Finally, an article by my favorite medical science writer (Eric Topol M.D) including his perspective about why “scientists” feel “scientists” have done a bad job communicating about coronavirus.
Vaccines and prevention/protection related to COVID-19 and variants is a touchy subject not just within many (and my) families, among some (not my) friends and sadly with former (for a reason) patients.  I want to not muck it up with my additional commentary, except to say this: the fact is, there is debate where there should never have been and there is an expectation of absolutism where science never would place one. 
This is a fantastic group of panelists and really thoughtful questions about this mess are addressed.  
See what resonates for you and please share any thoughts in the comments section.

US Olympic Speed-skater Maame Biney  courtesy of Getty Images

Center of mass over the base of support is how one keeps balanced regardless of the activity. Standing from sitting or as history making Maame Biney demonstrates doing something high level where the base of support might even be the mobile segment or where use of external forces is necessary too.  Center of mass is a point at roughly about the belly button which can change based on height and/or movement in any direction. Sometimes people will ask about how to improve their balance and usually with some surface specific idea in mind: “How do I improve my balance so I’m not worried about falling on ice”?  A great question and a reasonable concern at any age, though younger, athletic people don't fear the fall, or really the landing, as much as older folks do.  Ice is a challenge because of the low friction coefficient which makes all the other skill building from balance training, mute. But there are some things you can do to help yourself. 
Here are my key points:

This article from January 19th Washington Post discussed the status of the James Webb telescope as it settles in to a resting place in space to begin sending images of the past, present.  "The Earth-sun orbital relationship produces 5 Lagrange Points which scientists have numbered L1 through L5.   Placing the telescope at L2 — in line with the Earth and Sun, where the telescope’s large shield can protect it from their glare and heat — will allow it to look farther, while also keeping its sensitive instruments at the super-cold temperatures they need to operate". 
Makes me wonder how people cannot be fascinated and extraordinarily in debt to all those minds who have studied and then proven and disproven, bit by bit, what we thought we knew about our world. From believing it flat to proving it's not and so very far beyond that 16th C  assumption. 

But then I remember the world we've been living in for the past nearly 3 years.