Author: catherine w

I'm a feminist public health ethicist (yes, that's a thing). I'm interested in heath behavior change, particularly around eating and activity, and how things other than knowledge affect our health decisions.I'm also a cyclist (road, sort-of-off-road, commuter), regular yoga-doer, occasional swimmer and kayaker and leisurely social walker.
A dunning kruger curve Some beginner minds are less in tune with reality, some maybe more so…
fitness · research

Some beginner minds are less in tune with reality, some maybe more so…

catherine w1 Comment

Finally, finals are over, and I’m doing a bushel of grading. The bulk of it is logic exams, which we now give on paper because otherwise, students would cheat using GenAI tools.

Argh. Sigh.

Speaking of logic, though, I’m reminded of one of my favorite cognitive biases: the Dunning-Kruger effect. This cognitive bias happens when we wildly overestimate our own knowledge or competence when we ourselves have very limited knowledge or abilities in some area.

I’ve used this graph when I teach this bias in class. What it lacks in technical jargon it makes up for in humor and clarity.

Graph whimsically showing beginner confidence as climbing the peak of Mount Stupid.
This graph whimsically shows beginners climbing the peak of Mount Stupid.

My favorite example of this is a result from 2019, where a poll showed that 1 in 8 British men (12%) believed that they could take a point off Serena Williams in play. By contrast, only 3% of British women polled held this belief. What explains the difference?

This article from 2025 on overconfidence in beginner sports players offers a few insights. The bad combo of overconfidence and low self-awareness alongside low competence that some beginners have results in low performance (and sometimes injuries or accidents).

But what about so-called “beginner’s mind”? Isn’t being a beginner supposed to free us from expectations and limitations? This article explains:

It’s dropping our expectations and preconceived ideas about something, and seeing things with an open mind, fresh eyes, just like a beginner. If you’ve ever learned something new, you can remember what that’s like: you’re probably confused, because you don’t know how to do whatever you’re learning, but you’re also looking at everything as if it’s brand new, perhaps with curiosity and wonder. That’s beginner’s mind.

In yoga classes, I try to maintain beginner’s mind (to go along with my beginner’s ability), even though I’ve been practicing for years. It’s just more fun for me, taking it one pose at a time, exploring what it’s like (including the difficulties and physical limitations of my own musculature and range of flexibility) to do some pose or other.

Except for hero pose. I cannot now, nor have I ever been able to do that one. Go ahead, judge me.

This post came about not just because I’m trying to distract myself from grading, by the way. I saw this YouGov poll in which Americans were asked if they thought they could beat Donald Trump in a fistfight. Turns out that more Democratic women respondents believe they could beat Trump in a fight than Republican men respondents. Here’s the data:

71% of Democrat women think they could beat Trump in a fight, compared to 46% of Republican men and 19% of Republican women.
71% of Democrat women think they could beat Trump in a fight, compared to 46% of Republican men and 19% of Republican women.

So my question I leave you with, dear readers is: Is this Dunning-Kruger effect, some form of beginner’s mindset, or are lots of women fed up with Trump and locked and loaded for a one-on-one showdown? You make the call…

Happy Wednesday!

A raku ceramic vase of frilly pink and magenta tulips, all open. Remembrances for Mother’s Day: moving with my mother
family · fitness

Remembrances for Mother’s Day: moving with my mother

catherine wLeave a comment

Mother’s Day (and Father’s Day) are multilayered holidays. We celebrate, remember, mourn, avoid, look forward to, revel in, ignore– our reactions run the gamut of emotions.

My own mother is almost 83 years old. Our relationship has certainly run the gamut of emotions. She has had life-long mental illness, with all the strife that brings. That is not all she has brought to our relationship, though. My memories of fun with my mom include:

  • learning to play tennis at age 7 with her
  • riding bikes out to my aunt and uncle’s house in the country
  • going to the beach for the day, swimming in the ocean, heading home salty and satisfied
  • hearing about her adventures at the new gym in town, looking forward to being old enough to go with her
  • swimming at the local pool in summers, her looking up from her magazine, checking on me
  • tent camping and cooking on a camp stove, both of which yielded mixed results

I don’t have a lot of physical activity memories of my mom from my adulthood. She became less interested in swimming, tennis, outdoor walks, and instead we would drive to local parks and gardens and walk to see what was in bloom. We still do this, and it’s a nice experience for both of us.

My adulthood looks completely different from my mother’s on multiple fronts. I’ve been more physically active, more professionally active and more socially active. I plan to continue in the same fashion, and will adjust as needed. This is something I have also learned from my mother– when circumstances change abruptly, make adjustments, course corrections. She is still navigating life with a sense of openness to change, and I want that for myself, too.

I wish us all agility and nimbleness in our course corrections, today and moving forward.

Happy Mother’s Day.

A grouping of colorful tulips. By Ali Rashidi for Unsplash. Gearing up for spring and summer garden tourism– a sensory feast
fitness · season transitions · spring

Gearing up for spring and summer garden tourism– a sensory feast

catherine w1 Comment

It’s May in New England, which means: flower power time! In particular, the tulips are out and showing off all over town. Everything is blooming these days, and I am reveling in the colors, shapes and textures of spring.

For whatever reason, this spring I’ve been in search of novelty– I’ve been craving new experiences and sensory experiences. One way I’ve satisfied this desire has been to seek out more music and dance– I’ve gone to two modern dance performances and heard four classical music ensembles live.

I’ve also brightened up my home by buying flowers through the winter– mostly Trader Joe’s tulips (20 stems for $12.99– you can’t beat that deal). Now I have a spring flower share, which I’m loving.

But now that spring is really really here and the weather, while often rainy, is warmer, nature is beckoning. I just renewed my membership to Garden in the Woods, and am planning a visit there with friend as soon as my final exams are over.

I’m also planning a trip to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, a humongous place with a great variety of gardens and natural areas to explore. It’s in Boothbay, Maine, a place I’ve never been, which is also a plus in the travel novelty category.

Now that I think about, my need for color and shape and texture outside the four walls of my home is not particularly novel. I wrote about my search for May flowers a couple of years ago. You can read it below.

This just goes to show that everything new is also old again. Which is kind of good news, I think.

Happy spring Sunday!

In search of May flowers

A woman walking on a trail in the early morning, by Emma Simpson for Unsplash. Does exercise before breakfast burn more fat than exercise after dinner? And do we need to worry about this?
fitness · research · Science

Does exercise before breakfast burn more fat than exercise after dinner? And do we need to worry about this?

catherine w2 Comments

A 2025 study on fat oxidation rates and exercise timing is getting more press on social media this week. Because why not… 🙂 Here’s the deal:

In a study of (yes, you guessed it) male college students, researchers found that 60 minutes of morning exercise before breakfast, after fasting all night, resulted in 20% higher fat oxidation rates than an hour of the same exercise after eating dinner.

Uh, yay?

Actually, I think the more appropriate reaction here is: meh.

the word "meh" against a red background.
It bears repeating: meh.

Why am I not excited about this? I mean, it’s SCIENCE.

Yes, that’s so. It’s real science done by real scientists, on real experimental young male subjects. And, this is a real result. But, it doesn’t mean that we should all switch to exercising before breakfast. Why not? Here are some concerns of mine, plus some by the commenters:

  • The purpose of exercise is not necessarily to lose fat– we exercise for a host of reasons, and possible fat reduction is only one of them.
  • Fat oxidation does equal fat loss. In order to lose fat, there has to be a calorie deficit in addition to fat oxidation.
  • Some commenters argued that the results are largely due to the fact that the subjects had fasted before exercise; there’s no indication in the study that the time of day mattered (other than it’s easier to fast while sleeping– I don’t actually need a scientific study to assert this with confidence).
  • The metabolic effects on a busload of twenty-something males are not necessarily applicable to the larger population. And in particular, we know that metabolic effects of exercise vary by gender, so this result may not apply in the same way to everyone.

However, my main point is: newsy stories about studies that suggest “you oughta exercise like THIS rather than like THAT” ignore the value of just getting out there– to your neighborhood, living room, gym, yoga studio, pond, wherever you like to be while moving. Feel free to move wherever and whenever suits you.

And while we’re at it, moving before breakfast is something I plan on doing only if a bear is chasing me. Or if one of my friends (Samantha and Janet, I’m looking at y’all) manages to talk me into a very early-morning adventure. But even then, I’ll need snacks.

I love me some choices for exercise snacks. Granols bars, trail mix, chips. Thanks Nathan D for Unsplash.

The two signs from Nike and Asics. Not-overly-wordy Wednesday: bad sign, good sign, red sign, blu-ish sign
athletes · disability · fitness · running

Not-overly-wordy Wednesday: bad sign, good sign, red sign, blu-ish sign

catherine w2 Comments

Hi readers– remember Sunday, when I wrote about my love and extreme sappiness about the Boston Marathon? Well, I’m not alone in having strong feelings for all things having to do with this event. Witness the hullabaloo around the following signs put up recently in Boston by running shoe companies. Here’s one advertisement ill-advisedly run by a company that rhymes with “Mikey”:

Red sign saying "Runners Welcome. Walkers Tolerated," Really, Nike?
Red sign saying “Runners Welcome. Walkers Tolerated,” Really, Nike? For shame.

Bostonians and visitors alike were feeling serious consternation and not keeping quiet about it. Yes, the Boston marathon requires pretty ambitious qualifying times (e.g. 3 hours for men ages 35-39 and 3:30 for same-aged women). But lots of people who enter are raising money for charities, so their finishing times are much longer.

Also, those who are not runners and who complete the race in wheelchairs or in cooperation with others on dual teams were also mentioned in comments. Don’t they count, Nike?

After realizing their bonehead mistake, Nike made this tepid statement of non-apology:

“We want more people to feel welcome in running – no matter their pace, experience, or the distance. During race week in Boston, we put up a series of signs to encourage runners. One of them missed the mark.”

Ya think?

Then their corporate sign-makers got to work and put up this more contrite version:

The new Nike sign, saying"Boston will always remind you, movement is what matters." huh.
The new Nike sign, saying”Boston will always remind you, movement is what matters.” hmph.

Other shoe companies were not unaware of Nike’s gaffe. A company whose name rhymes with “basics” put this sign up in short order:

Purple-bluish sign saying "Runner, Walkers. All welcome."
Purple-bluish sign saying “Runner, Walkers. All welcome. Move your body, move your mind.”

And that’s not all.  The shoe company Altra put out an ad that led with “Run. Walk. Crawl,” and captioned a social post, “Go where you’re celebrated. Not where you’re tolerated.” Yes, I know that this is corporate piling-on for the purpose of rearranging market shares. But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it, right?

Congratulations to all those who entered the Boston Marathon and who completed it, regardless of mode. And speaking of signs, if any of these corporate folks need some tips, asking the people at the Wellesley scream tunnel for advice. Here are a few of my favorites. Enjoy…

Signs saying "blink twice if you need Dunkin'", among other things.
Signs saying “blink twice if you need Dunkin'”, among other things.
The Boston Marathon blue and yellow finish line, painted on the pavement. Catherine’s ready to watch Monday’s Boston Marathon, with coffee and kleenex
athletes · fitness · running

Catherine’s ready to watch Monday’s Boston Marathon, with coffee and kleenex

catherine w1 Comment

Tomorrow, Monday April 20th, is the 130th Boston Marathon. It’s a special day in Boston, roughly coinciding with Patriots’ Day, commemorating the first battles of the American Revolution in Lexington and Concord, MA. We also celebrate the rides of Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott from Boston to Concord (although Revere was apprehended by the British). Reenactors on horseback retrace the rides on Patriot’s Day and there are parades and reenactments of revolutionary things.

In fact, on one Patriots’ day, while I was cycling with a friend in Lexington, MA, we saw a lot of people on the side of the road. I said to her, “I think there’s a parade happening here.” She disagreed until we spotted a guy in Colonial garb clip-clopping down Mass Ave in our direction. We prudently and expeditiously pulled over to the sidewalk to join the rest of the onlookers.

A historical parade featuring two men on horseback, one dressed as a colonial figure in a black cape riding a white horse, and another in a red uniform on a tan horse. In the background, a group of people watches the procession from the sidewalk.
Three individuals dressed in historical attire ride horses along a tree-lined path.

These reenactors aren’t in Lexington, but the one on the left is riding down Mass Ave. in Arlington. The three riders on the right are playing Prescott, Revere and Dawes. It’s fun to watch them and the rest of the colonial pageantry.

But the main reason why there’s a bank holiday Monday in Boston is the Boston Marathon. Tens of thousands of runners, their friends and family and marathon fans flood Boston, roads are closed for the race, and much of the city stops what it’s doing to watch the wonder of the 26.2 mile (42.1Km) event.

I admit that I rarely head to the course to view the marathon in person, but I always watch it on TV. With coffee, maybe pancakes or an omelette and toast, I make sure I’m in place for the start (Men’s and Women’s Wheelchair and Handcycle at 9:06 am and 9:09am, 9:37am for the Elite men, 9:47am for the Elite women), and then do house chores with it going in the background. The Wheelchair Elites finish starting around 10:30am, The Elite men cross the finish line starting around 11:45, and the Elite women winner will cross the line by 12:10 or earlier.

It’s that women’s finish that always makes my heart swell and my eyes water. Every time.

I don’t follow professional marathon racing, so I don’t know much about the women runners prior to listening to the color commentators that morning. And I am not nor have I ever been a runner myself. But as they hit the 20-mile and head up Heartbreak Hill in Newton, I am glued to the screen. Watching their form, their speed, their demeanor– it just gets to me. In the best possible way. I’m cheering them, worrying about them, feeling sympathy for those running out of gas on the course, and anxiously awaiting the last push to the finish line on Boylston Street.

Sometimes it’s a tight race to the end. Other times someone has pulled out ahead and is the clear winner coming out of the Kenmore Square tunnel at mile 25. Either way, I’m on the edge of my seat on the sofa.

When the women are in sight of the finish line tape, I always get choked up. Happiness, pride, inspiration (in a good way), relief– I have all the feelings. Every time.

I love watching the women run and finish the Boston marathon. Their race reminds me of how hard they have worked to get a spot in the marathon (women weren’t officially allowed to enter until 1972, although two women ran and finished in 1966 and 1967) and how hard they have worked to make their way as professional athletes.

Readers, do you have a special women’s athletic event that you follow, that makes you all teary-eyed and proud? I’d love to hear from you. In the meantime, I’m getting my Marathon Monday breakfast all ready…

national-library-of-medicine-Ws4I05PAcHc-unsplash woman scientist with lab instruments. Research roundup: blurbs on new bits of possible knowledge about fitness
fitness · research · Science

Research roundup: blurbs on new bits of possible knowledge about fitness

catherine w1 Comment

Hi readers– starting this month, I’ll be posting a research roundup– a selection of information about new studies out that may be of interest to us (or not), of relevance to us (or not), and whether we should pay attention to them (or not).

Usually I’ll be posting on the third Wednesday of the month, but this is a special Friday edition. Woo-hoo! So here goes…

We get this message from time to time, but luckily for us (well, me, at least), science is still saying that:

Messaging saying "thick thighs save lives". Yay!
Messaging saying “thick thighs actually do save lives”. Yay!

So what could this mean, exactly? Here’s some info from the HumeHealth Instagram post:

Large population studies have consistently found that lower-body strength is one of the strongest predictors of mortality ever identified in human health research.

And the relationship holds even when researchers control for:
• age
• body weight
• cardiovascular fitness
• physical activity

In other words: strength itself matters

We know that there are lots of simpler tests and functions that can serve as proxies for more complicated physiological tests and body functions; lower-body strength seems to be one of those.

We hear debates about intensity vs volume in exercise, and some recent reseearch suggests that intensity has more impact than volume. This 2026 article says so, in fact.

But, consistency matters, too. At least in resistance training, says this guy (who seems really happy, maybe because he got on the news?)

This is Stuart Phillips, who is psyched to tell you the results of his research study.
This is Stuart Phillips, who is super-stoked to tell you the results of his research study.

“The best resistance training program is the one you’ll actually stick with,” says Stuart Phillips, distinguished professor in the Department of Kinesiology and an author on the Position Stand. “Training all major muscle groups at least twice a week matters far more than chasing the idea of a ‘perfect’ or complex training plan. Whether it’s barbells, bands, or bodyweight, consistency and effort drive results.”

We already sort-of-knew that science believes that exercise helps our brains in a bunch of ways– maybe it helps stave off cognitive decline, boost memory and reasoning, and loads of other things. You can read a CDC overview about brain benefits of exercise if you want a deeper dive.

But what about the other way around?

Which way does the causal arrow go? Maybe both ways! Thanks Ian Taylor of Unsplash for the pic.
Which way does the causal arrow go? Maybe both ways! Thanks Ian Taylor of Unsplash for the pic.

In a recently published study, researchers found a connection between a group of neurons in the hypothalamus and capacity for boosting physical endurance in workouts over time.

IN MICE.

What? Well, here are some of the details:

[Researchers] worked with mice that underwent a rigorous exercise training program. They ran five days a week on a [teeny] tiny treadmill, with a single weekly long run that increased in speed. This training significantly raised their endurance, which peaked about three weeks into the program.

The researchers found that some SF1-producing neurons had an uptick in activity. As the training program continued, these neurons became increasingly active, seemingly forming a kind of “memory” of past exercise.

When these neurons were blocked from firing in mice after their exercise programs, their endurance capacity did not rise. Taking the opposite tack, artificially increasing the firing of SF1-producing neurons after their exercise programs led to continued endurance improvement even at the three-week mark, when it typically plateaued in mice with normal SF1-neuron firing rates.

A cartoonish pink brain character with arms and legs, wearing bright pink sneakers, running against a light blue background.
A silhouette of a mouse running inside a wheel with a circular background and a syringe above.

Apparently the brain does something. And the brain stuff happens as the mouse is on the teeny-tiny treadmill. That’s all I got.

All this is very well and good, BUT: is anyone actually lacing up the sneaks and getting out there? Turns out, yes.

A CDC report released April 7 finds that nearly half of all US adults get the recommended level of physical activity. Here are some details:

  • In 2024, 47.2% of adults age 18 and older met the federal guidelines for aerobic physical activity, with men being more likely to meet the guidelines (52.3%) than women (42.4%).
  • The prevalence of meeting the federal guidelines for aerobic physical activity increased with increasing education level.
  • Adults living in the West were more likely to meet the federal guidelines for aerobic physical activity compared with those in other regions.
  • Aerobic physical activity was higher among adults without disabilities (49.8%), those with healthy weight (54.8%), and those with excellent or very good health (57.8%).

This is good news, as it shows an uptick in levels of physical activity, which (as we know) is good for a lot of things. Now, the fact that prevalence was lower among higher-weight folks and adults with disabilities shows (in my view) that we need more programs and more access and fewer structural barriers to physical activity for all of us. Don’t you agree?

A bunch of people playing with ribbons, doing gymmastics in a gym. Looks like fun.
A bunch of people playing with hula hoops, doing gymmastics in a gym. Looks like fun.

That’s it on the blurbs for now. See you all next month. If you have a request for comments or blurbs on any new research you come across, post it on our social media pages or add a comment down below.

A simple blue vase with lovely, frilly butter-yellow and pale pink parrot tulips. Ain't nature grand? (Almost)-Wordless Wednesday: a spring bouquet and the promise of more
fitness · season transitions · self care

(Almost)-Wordless Wednesday: a spring bouquet and the promise of more

catherine wLeave a comment

Hi, dear readers! This is the first installment of my spring tulip share from Five Fork Farms, a local and sibling-owned-and-run farm and CSA. This was half of my birthday gift to myself. The other half is their fall dahlia share (which of course I will share with y’all when it comes out).

Nothing says spring to me more than tulips– these are delicate yellow-and-pink parrot tulips on my dining room table.

A simple blue vase with lovely, frilly butter-yellow and pale pink parrot tulips. Ain't nature grand?
A simple blue vase with lovely, frilly butter-yellow and pale pink parrot tulips. Ain’t nature grand? And yes, that’s my robot T shirt hanging on a chair. Well, nature is complex and varied in its beauties, I guess…

There are two promises of more:

  1. I’ll share my weekly spring tulips with all of you– it would be selfish to keep them all to myself.
  2. I’ll share my new monthly regular Research Roundup post this afternoon. Stay tuned…

Happy spring and happy blog reading!

A kid doing a handstand in an outdoor pool. By Nellie Adamyan for Unsplash. Catherine’s birthday week in review
birthday · fitness · swimming

Catherine’s birthday week in review

catherine w2 Comments

Last Tuesday, I tuned 64, a pretty innocuous age to become, but I celebrated it with gusto. Here are the numbers:

  • 64 years old
  • 19 adults at a total of 3 celebrations
  • 4 dogs in attendance
  • 3 cakes (lemon pound, chocolate mousse, chantilly cream with berries)
  • 1 swim party at a local pool
  • 1 game of Pass-the-Parcel
  • 1 senior discount admission to aforementioned pool (savings of $2)
  • unknown number of candles on cakes
  • infinite fun

I love birthdays– mine, other peoples’, the general concept– I’m all in. I mean, what’s not to love? There are cakes, cards, sometimes presents, often games, people, often interesting food, and generally more hugs than usual.

Some of my favorite birthdays have involved activities. I’ve had skating parties, bowling parties, outdoor games parties, beach parties, and several swim parties. I’m now bullish on swim parties because it’s fun for all ages. My friend Rachel brought her 3-year-old Teagan, and my friend Roz brought her daughter Roxie. Because we spent all our swim time in the kiddie pool area, children and pool toys were swirling all around us. I personally enjoyed both to the maximum extent.

I’m also bullish on a birthday party game that’s new to me but a standard in lots of other places: Pass the Parcel. It involves wrapping one regular present, then adding layers of wrapping, with little gifts or sweets or messages in between the layers. You pass the parcel around with music playing, and when the music stops, the person with the parcel unwraps a layer. It’s a standard kids’ party game in the UK, but (like the swim party), I think it’s good for all ages. I plan to implement it at my nephews’ birthdays in June.

The addition of dogs at my birthday celebrations was new but most welcome. I met a new dog (hi Bindi!) and got to reunite with the others (Dixie, Ruby and Wylie). They patrolled the area for dropped food items, came over for pets, and looked very happy to celebrate with me.

Seriously, I think we underplay our birthdays in adulthood. It’s so nice to plan a fun break from the usual routines (or let others plan for you) and focus on the pleasures of the moment, enjoying the sweetness in all its forms.

So, in case I forget, dear readers– Happy Birthday to you all (in advance or after the fact unless it’s today).

A slice of confetti cake with ribbons and more confetti. By Coco Tafoya for Unsplash.

Yellow daffodils.By Tim Gouw for Unsplash. On Easter Day– movement and stillness, ritual and rebirth
fitness · holidays

On Easter Day– movement and stillness, ritual and rebirth

catherine wLeave a comment

This week has been a very busy one for me. It’s the week leading up to Easter Sunday, which is today. For those whose religious traditions celebrate Easter, there is a lot of preparing: through attendance at church services, cooking, crafting, dyeing and decorating eggs, pulling out spring finery from the closet, all in anticipation of this day.

And what is this day? As a feminist and church lady, it’s a lot of things to me:

  • a reminder of rebirth
  • a reminder of renewal
  • a reminder of spring (which we sorely need in New England!)
  • a reminder of the importance of community

Today I put on my big Easter hat, head to church, listen, sing, enjoy watching the kids hunt for Easter eggs, and sip on a mimosa (yes, my church has something for the kids and the adults for our Easter coffee hour!).

Then, I do some cooking, head to a friend’s house, embrace others, enjoy conversation, share food, and revel in more community.

Finally, I head home and get in bed, reflecting on the goodness that life brings (along with all the other stuff that I’m not talking about at this moment).

Isn’t it awesome that we get to experience, rejig, reimagine and revisit special days and rituals? I think so. Especially the reimagining part. My father died 25 years ago on Easter Sunday. That changed the holiday for me, and rightly so. But over time, those experiences and memories all became part of the day for me. I think of him as I watch the kids in their Sunday best and as I greet my friends, bringing pound cake to the party.

Tomorrow brings a return to the everyday: work and yoga and meditation and students and exams and regular cooking and walking. That’s also good. But for today, I wish you a good day of reflection or ritual or rest.

Happy Easter!

Me in my blue Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it.
Me in my blue Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it.