The Confederate Flag

This is a fitness blog but at times I break my own rules and take a stance on political matters.

The horrifying events of last week have suddenly enlightened governors and legislators that the Confederate Flag is a symbol which – at this point in time – stands for white supremacy and racism. It did not take long for those who claim the flag to be their ‘heritage’ to argue vehemently against it. The flag, they say, honors their ancestors who have fought on the confederate side of the civil war. One wonders how those feel whose ancestors were victims of the romanticized antebellum South.

I also have a loved one who fought under a flag and ultimately lost his life from the injuries and illnesses from that war. It was my father who was drafted in Germany in 1942 at the age of 19 and who fought on the losing side of World War II. He grew up with the swastika as ‘his flag’.

As such, the swastika is part of my heritage. It is a part which I’d rather not claim; but we cannot escape our own history. However, we can learn from it.

Because of its symbolic value, the swastika is the favorite among neo-Nazis who understand perfectly well what it represents now: white supremacy, intolerance, and hate of foreigners. It is illegal in Germany to fly that flag.

True, the historic contexts of those two flags are very different but they share the symbolism which they have acquired over time.

Removing a symbol of hatred from public view will not stop hatred. But it will send a signal that we have recognized it for what it is now and are no longer tolerating its presence.

Sitting is the New Smoking

The news about the negative effects of prolonged sitting are getting worse and worse. If the musculoskeletal consequences are not bad enough, prolonged sitting has not been linked to a significantly higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer and depression, according to an article in the Washington Post.

Gavin Bradley, Director of Active Working (http://www.getbritainstanding.org/active-working.php) says: “Metabolism slows down 90 percent after 30 minutes of sitting. The enzymes that move the bad fat from your arteries to your muscles, where it can get burned off, slow down. The muscles in your lower body are turned off, and after two hours good cholesterol drops 20 percent. Just getting up for 5 minutes is going to get things going again. These things are so simple, it is almost stupid.”

Fortunately, the message is getting out. Standing desks are no longer a construction of boxes on desks but well-designed pieces of equipment. Standing or walking meetings are becoming accepted. (Personal sidebar: I wished we had had those when I worked at IBM. I am sure it would have shortened many endless discussions.) More and more devices are coming on the market which can be set up as reminders to stand up more frequently.

For me, it’s not a matter of how many years in my life, but how much life in my years.

Let’s get up and go!