The Rec Center I occasionally swim at has starting blocks. I am aware that is a swim device that I am supposed to use once in awhile. The pool is very deep and used for daily swim team practice and some meets. Yet, there is always a bright yellow cone placed on the blocks during lap swimming hours. No one may use the starting blocks at this time. I find it irritating. No one could possibly get hurt unless they were especially idiotic. I guess they're worried about lawsuits. I saw someone doing backstroke starts once, but who wants to do those? This practice will discourage me from ever entering a non-OW event.
Former Member
anyone who would consider drinking the so called "coffee" that is served by mc d, deserves what they get, be it a burned crotch or big$, or both:laugh2:
Now "burnt big$" sounds painful.
:rofl:
I stayed awaked from 11-4am drving across PA one night thanks to a large cup of McD coffee. It works---you have to give it that at least!
Tonight, I was doing a nice 3000 recovery swim at my local rec center. Wasn't using the starting blocks of course. I happened to have a conversation with a triathlete/triathlon coach from another rec center (no use of starting blocks there either of course). He said that his rec center had concerns about the aqua-aerobics/noodling classes. Apparently, over a 12 week period, none of the noodlers were losing any weight and sometimes gaining weight. (So were the instructors unless they taught the course on deck.) He opined that immersion in somewhat cold water for 45 minutes with gatorade at the ready was only conducive to gaining, not losing, weight. He said the rec center was beginning to worry about being sued by a noodler for failure to lose weight. Seriously.
Geek: What are you doing now?
If the people who noodle would not otherwise be doing any excercise at all, it is probably of some benefit to them. At least getting them moving. Which would be better than them not moving... For them anyway:)
. He said the rec center was beginning to worry about being sued by a noodler for failure to lose weight. Seriously.
i suppose if this class was advertised as a guaranteed weight loss program, they would have a good case. anyway, its probably better if they leave the pool clear for swimming and noodle on deck.
Ah, the Geek emerges from his cave, cranky as the dickens, nostalgic for the days when the forum crackled with viscious, vulpine vituperation of the most uncivil nature...
That was when the forum had some real entertainment value. At least it's still got some great purple prose.
If noodlers aren't losing any weight, which I'm sure they're not judging from how slowly they move, is there any medical benefit at all from sitting in a pool with a noodle or other floatation devices?
I'm sure these classes are not being pitched as weight loss guarantee programs, but I guess there may some implicit message that it is somehow beneficial. But how?
I'm not sure that some of these classes can be considered exercise, particularly if there is no sustained elevation in heart rate.
Doesn't seem like "exercise" to me either. But then I know tris and runners that, when injured, use aquajoggers instead of swimming.
I found this of interest from wikipedia. Maybe health clubs are the next target after food retailers. (Not sure why certain parts appear in blue.)
The Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act, also known as the Cheeseburger Bill, was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in March 2004, but did not receive a Senate vote.
The bill was reintroduced in 2005 by Florida Republican Congressman Ric Keller. On October 19, 2005, it once again passed the House with a 306-120 vote (Keller actually missed the vote due to being rushed to the hospital.) The bill will now be sent to the Senate.
The Act aims to protect producers and retailers of foods—such as McDonald's Corporation—from an increasing number of suits and class action suits by obese consumers. To date these suits have been turned down by the courts, sometimes in strong terms.
Using precedent and expertise from suits brought in the 1990s against tobacco corporations, lawyers such as John Banzhaf hope to use the courts to pressure the food industry into providing more prominent health advisory information about its products. Banzhaf, founder of Action on Smoking and Health or ASH, argues that the joint liability established between tobacco companies and smokers will soon be recognized as being similarly applicable in the case of food retailers and their customers. He anticipates that more health warnings would change consumer behavior, contributing to a solution to the obesity epidemic.
Many state legislatures are considering or have passed their own versions of the bill
Yeah today when I swam I asked the lifeguard if I could dive off the block and she said no. The water is 6 feet deep, there is a 0 percent change that I could get hurt. Although one time at my other pool I was on the block and reached down with my foot to test the water temperature and I slipped and busted my ass on the side of the pool. But that was stupid. But still there is no way you can get hurt using a starting block in a deep pool.
Ask Nick Brunelli about that ...
If the people who noodle would not otherwise be doing any excercise at all, it is probably of some benefit to them. At least getting them moving. Which would be better than them not moving... For them anyway:)
I agree moving is better than not moving. Maybe noodling helps keep your body/joints more flexible. But is it really "exercise" that produces some other medical benefit? It's a little troublesome that clubs are worried about being sued for lack of noodler weight loss. If that's true, then the noodlers may soon be noodleless if all those waivers they may be forced to sign are really worthless.
the Cheeseburger Bill,
Anyone regularly eating cheeseburgers and noodling, deserves what they get. But they definitely do not deserve damages from health clubs.
