While the COVID-19 pandemic is still not over, 2022 saw a marked shift away from the practices and media coverage of the previous two years. And this change in focus played out on KineSophy as well. This past year, I returned to the topics that grounded this site in the … Read more
Bill Hayes is the author of Sweat: A History of Exercise, Insomniac City, and How New York Breaks Your Heart, a collection of his street photography, among other books. He is a recipient of the New York City Book Award for How We Live Now: Scenes from the Pandemic, and a Guggenheim Fellowship in … Read more
“What does not kill me, makes me stronger.” – Friedrich Nietzsche It has been 134 years since the German philosopher wrote those words in his book Twilight of the Idols. Recent scientific findings echo Nietzsche’s sentiments. According to the process of hormesis, certain toxins and physiological stressors can make you … Read more
Note: this article is the second of a two-part series on alternative therapies like acupuncture and cupping. You can read Part 1 here: Acupuncture and Cupping – Part 1: Ancient Medicine or Pseudoscience? In Part 1 of this series, I considered the claim that acupuncture and cupping are extreme and … Read more
Note: this article is the first of a two-part series on acupuncture and cupping. You can read Part 2 here: Acupuncture and Cupping – Part 2: Alternative Therapies and the Placebo Effect. At this point, you have likely heard of acupuncture and cupping. Acupuncture was practiced in Asia at least … Read more
In 2015, the World Health Organization deemed climate change “the greatest threat to global health in the 21st century.” Unchecked global warming will lead to extreme heat, increased flooding, food and water scarcity and more prevalent disease. It will also impact countless other aspects of our daily lives, including sports … Read more
Butch Phelps is the founder of the Stretch ‘n’ Release Technique and The Muscle Repair Shop. He coaches clients to regain the freedom of movement they once had and age more pain-free. He is a Licensed Massage Therapist and holds a bachelor’s degree in aging sciences. His studies have allowed … Read more
Seeing exercise as a pointless vicious cycle can establish a barrier to physical performance, health and fitness. But changing your outlook and stepping into such a training loop can turn it into a virtuous cycle of fitness. The Exercycle In the early days of KineSophy, I shared this cartoon satirizing … Read more
My search for the perfect footwear continues with Xero Shoes’s HFS minimalist running shoes and Alpine minimalist winter boots. Why Minimalist Running Shoes and Boots? As I’ve explained in previous KineSophy articles (e.g. this review), I prefer flat, thin-soled shoes with ample toe room. Such minimalist shoes allow my feet … Read more
In 2016, I inducted Serena and Venus Williams into the KineSophy Hall of Fame for their individual excellence in women’s tennis, their social consciousness and their unwillingness to conform to the unfair expectations of their detractors. And the Williams sisters certainly deserve their place among the groundbreaking figures in sports … Read more