Let's Get Physical (II)

Just. Can't. Do. It.

It's a quite rare thing really, something that I've tried to do and been up against the wall, hopeless, frustrated, and ready to give up before I've even gotten started. I think the last thing I felt that I just couldn't do was Teach For America - and we all know how that ended up.

This time though, this thing I can't do, this obstacle I can't seem to topple, well, it's not a job, not a city, not anything out there. It's internal. Not internal exactly - it's me... there's just so much of me!

Apparently these past 7 years of sitting on my ass and generally not caring enough about myself to do much of anything more strenuous than climbing the occasional set of stairs was just the ticket for me to balloon into someone I don't even recognize. And my poor me pity party doesn't stop there. Everything hurts - knees, ankles, neck & back. Shit, even one shoulder (which presumably doesn't have to support any of this magical extra weight) won't cooperate half the time. Delightful.

So I decide, as I do every couple of years, to do something about it. Normally I'd take a dance class or join a gym or pretend to use the elliptical while really just watching the news on those tiny, tiny TVs. This time, however, I'm so out of shape that I'm mortified to do any of this in front of anyone. So - pathetic, yes - workout DVDs it is. Ridiculous, I know. But I figured that I could make a sweaty asshole out of myself in the hidden comfort of my living room first and work my way back to semi-svelte before torturing anyone else with my huffing and puffing, swearing and crying.

Yep - that's all I can muster. Huffing and puffing, swearing and crying. I can't do this. I just spent 45 minutes cursing Billy Fucking Blanks and all his future offspring, not to mention the tiny grinning, high-kicking whore that's in all his videos. I mean, his lovely wife/sidekick/count-out-loud-girl.

I gotta find something better. Swollen knees and wobbly ankles aside, it really is now or never. Blah blah, we're not getting any younger and I, for one, am not happy about it.

Now accepting viable alternatives to berating myself while nearly passing out from the DVD workout hell. All options will be tested for potential compatibility. I don't need (or want) to run a marathon again (once was enough, seriously), I just want my pants to fit. So much to ask?

The hip bone's connected to the thigh bone...

This recently ran in Women's Adventure Magazine... Robyne had asked me to forward some press on her latest project along to them and they turned around and asked for a blog post on the same. Huh. Who knew? At any rate - enjoy, they're doing some really cool stuff for this year's Winter Olympics in BC.

all photos copyright Rachel Rabhan 2009

The Olympics are here! The Olympics are here! OK, they’re almost here and, clearly, there will be much coverage of the athletes, records broken, and dreams achieved. We love all that stuff; it’s what keeps us glued to our TVs with breath held and fingers crossed every four years.

This year though, I’m excited about the Winter Olympics for a wholly new reason – another dream achieved. I’m incredibly proud of my dear friend Robyne Kassen and her partner Sarah Gluck who have recently installed some unique designs at the Olympic Village in Whistler, BC. Their NYC based firm, Urban Movement Design, combines architecture, design and physical movement to bring us a whole new concept in both urban design and healthy bodies, and how the two, miraculously, fit together.

UMD’s bus shelters and bike racks are encouraging people to stretch and breathe and interact – even on the way to work – don’t wait for that next yoga class! These installations perfectly demonstrate their belief that movement and health, design and architecture can (and must!) be combined to give us human sustainability.

In other words – Robyne & Sarah are finding ways to weave strength, stretching and healthy movement into common street structures. Being active is not just for the gym – as every one of us who reads Women’s Adventure Magazine already knows. Healthy living can be incorporated into everyday activities – even those as mundane as waiting for the bus or locking up your bike.

By carefully analyzing both physically challenged and high performing athletes, their designs have programmed specific counter-stretches and warm-ups for winter sports into the urban infrastructure. And - these ideas, and installations, will last long after the Olympians have gone, returning Whistler to a quiet mountain town – sustainability at its best. “Accessibility, physical activity and mobility are essential for health and wellness, and we are excited that such a broad group of athletes, locals and visitors can enjoy and hopefully benefit from our designs,” says Robyne, co-founder of Urban Movement Design.

It’s a fantastic and timely idea, and I couldn’t be more overjoyed or thrilled for Robyne & Sarah and the work that they’re showcasing at this year’s Winter Olympics. I know who my favorites are this year, and for 2010, they’ll not be on the slopes or the ice, instead they’ll be on the sidewalks and streets of Whistler. Congratulations ladies, this is only the beginning!


Check out a couple of videos that show off the design & build process along with the human sustainability concept itself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIg3AiwlSkU
1:00 – 2:27 is a quick overview of this Olympic project and how it fits into our health and our daily landscape.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-6vvjrSLJM
1:40 – 2:20 is some very cool time-lapse video of the build.