Hello, my name is Helena. In my free time, I enjoy practicing aerial silks. Now, you might ask, “why would you consider this defying gravity?” Well, gravity is almost always used when doing silks. When you do drops, you are using gravity in every way. But there are some cases where you wrap yourself in something I call a friction wrap. This is where you wrap yourself in a way where most people think you would just fall. No knots and nothing exactly holding you. But in real life, you are creating so much friction on the fabric that it almost gives up. There are so many places that there is such a massive amount of friction that it can hold your entire body weight up. This sounds and feels almost like you are defying gravity.
Now, although it might sound like it, the aerial silks don’t rely fully on friction and gravity to help you. A lot of it is also strength and grip. To get into many of these wraps, you have to hold yourself up and even do movements by holding yourself by gripping onto the fabrics and staying there for several seconds. For example, for the “hip key”, you have to hang on the fabric using the grip of your hands and do a windmill movement with your legs to be able to get into it. When you are learning these movements, you are essentially hanging on to the silks for dear life hoping you can finish the leg movements and wraps before your grip gives out and you fall to the floor. Obviously, when you get the hang of the aerial silks, you have a very good grip from doing so many exercises to engage your grip. This is a way gravity works against you. In conclusion, I hope that after reading some of my explanations and watching my video, you have a greater understanding and respect for the ways that gravity can work against you, but it can also be a great help when you use it correctly in the aerial silks. I hope this inspires more amazement in the art of aerial silks and other forms of circus arts and performing, and shows how complicated and precise that the aerial silks are, and the performers have to be while performing it!
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We hope you enjoy Part 3 of the blog by Dr Stijn Thoolen, an ESA-sponsored medical doctor who is spending 12 months at the Concordia research station in Antarctica conducting experiments. Do take a look at Part 1 and Part 2 in his series of blogs, talking about his great adventure to the world's southernmost continent. Dr Stijn ThoolenMedical Research Doctor, Concordia Research Station, Antarctica The end of our world is full of surprises… November 13, 2019, East-Antarctic plateau My arm has gotten tired now of wiping the freshly formed ice from my airplane window every two minutes, but I am too excited to stop. I almost can’t believe it. Everywhere I look is ice. We have been flying over this ice sheet at 5000 meters altitude for about three hours now, with just nothing at all on the horizon. Completely nothing. And even the horizon seems to disappear at times, thanks to the surrealistic way in which the ever-present sunlight melts the white clouds and the ice together. An endless, motionless ocean of ice, that almost makes us disappear as well. I am just wondering if the pilots have a better idea of where we are, when suddenly two familiar towers appear in the distance. Concordia! My new home! And if I already had any expectations from all those preparations of the last months (years), they were now considerably exceeded for sure. What a special and bizarre place, on the middle of that ice sheet, out of nothing: that people live here!  1000 kilometers of ice in all directions. That people live here! Credits: ESA/IPEV/PNRA–S. Thoolen Can you really prepare for a journey to the end of the world? I just hope that all those efforts of the past months haven’t been for nothing, but with all these surprises the past few days I am starting to doubt it. Since our arrival in Christchurch, New Zealand three days earlier it all went so terribly fast again. We hadn’t even left the airport yet, badly jetlagged and craving for a nice bed, when the IPEV/PNRA reception committee cheerfully told us that our next flight to Mario Zucchelli station was taking off sooner due to rising katabatic winds (I had to look it up as well). Here is your bag with polar gear, the key of your hotel room which you will never use, briefing in two hours, boarding in four, good luck! Another one of those confrontations with reality, which seemed to unfold a little differently than I had perhaps wanted. And somehow I was reassured when I saw my four crewmates looking around just as lost as I was. The fatigue didn’t make the situation any clearer, and perhaps it is not so bad then that you don’t control the situation anyway. “C’est l’Antarctique”, they said. In other words, don’t complain. You better deal with it. So there we go again. Quickly shovel in some of the welcome refreshments, nervously improvise a set of warm clothing for our arrival in the cold, one more picture with a stranger who thinks I am a polar hero (I have no clue myself anymore), and then at full speed, eyes shut towards Hercules C130 for a third night on a plane. It all feels quite strange to me. Everywhere I look reality forces itself upon me, and everywhere around me I see Antarctica: Antartica hotel, Antartica terminal, Antarctica posters and Antarctica pictures complete with Antarctica quotes, and even Antarctica as a bus destination (but how?). At the same time, the entire scene feels unreal (everything is so new, that I have difficulty processing it). In the dark, in the rain, in my polar suit: as if I am part of a movie again. Just like all those other red and blue polar suits I let myself be pushed into the cargo plane by Italian military personnel.
 I feel like I am part of a movie again. Credits: ESA/IPEV/PNRA–S. Thoolen  Just another flight to Antarctica. This is as normal as it gets. Credits: ESA/IPEV/PNRA–S. Thoolen After a six hour-high in that plane I look outside, and am surprised by the ‘mountains’ below that rise above the clouds. When I recover my wits (I am not the fastest anymore at this point), I realize that there aren’t supposed to be any mountains or clouds out here all. We are flying over ice, and this is (really) Antarctica.  My first steps, mentally fried, and amazed, at coastal station Mario Zucchelli, at 04:00 in the morning. Credits: ESA/IPEV/PNRA–C. Marie-Sainte It was all so different from anything I had ever seen before, and I was constantly feeling pleasantly surprised. Amazed. I tried to absorb all these wonderful new impressions the best I could, and in Mario Zucchelli we were lucky to have two days to do so, before we would continue our journey to Concordia. Ecstatic from the pristine, unprecedented, almost out-of-this-world nature and the realization that we had arrived at such a special place, also these days our expectations were blown out of the water.  Explorers of a new world, even though we weren’t the first. Credits: ESA/IPEV/PNRA–S. Thoolen December 29, 2019, Concordia I have been at this special place for one and a half month now. Back home, family and friends are interested: is all this what I expected it to be? And I realize that I am struggling to answer that question. What were my expectations anyway? Did I really have those, or was it just plain curiosity? Or has the Antarctic already put a stop to it all? That is something the time here as taught me by now. Things don’t really go the way you are used to, or the way you would perhaps want. Ideas and plans constantly changing. Too many factors (weather, logistics, culture, you name it) have more to say here than you do, and that is something you better accept. The frequently used “C’est l’Antarcqtique” is the beautiful way of reminding you that it is better to leave your expectations behind, that you better don’t try to stick to your old ways of thinking too much. That way you won’t be so disappointed either. In any case, it definitely makes the surprises at the end of our world a whole lot more beautiful. Maybe that alone is already worth this whole adventure. One of the positive psychological effects that polar sojourners can experience is being described in the literature by the term ‘salutogenesis’. In other words, you learn to think in a way that promotes your physical and mental well-being, based on an increased sense of understanding of the world around you, and trust that things will work out positively. Exposure to all these surprises and the positive stress they induce teaches us to cope better with new, sometimes difficult situations, and we become better at solving problems. It makes us flexible. The challenges of a new world can help us to grow. Perhaps the same thing applies to us as a crew this year. Expectations seem high sometimes, about what food should be served, what we can and cannot say to each other, or how we should spend our time to become a coherent crew. I like to think that such high expectations can only fill our thoughts, and make us less receptive to anything new, less tolerant of the differences between us. And if then it doesn’t really work out the way we had planned (as long as there are not 12 Stijns living in this station, I suppose that is inevitable), chances are high we get disappointed. But this way we would miss al the beautiful things we can learn from each other. If we are open to those surprises at the end of our world and allow ourselves to learn - after all that is the reason I got on that plane - I am sure it will be wonderful year. C’est, after all, l’Antarctique. Note: this article was originally posted on the ESA blog website (LINK) and permission has been obtained to republish it here.
Authors: Prof Samira Bulcão Carvalho Domingues*, Prof Flávia Porto** and Prof Jonas Lírio Gurgel****Master's Degree student, Exercise and Sports Sciences/Institute of Physical Education & Sports/UERJ
 Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay When faced with the COVID-19 global pandemic, a reduction in the numbers of people circulating is essential. It’s important to know there are differences between social distancing, isolation, quarantine and total lockdown, however, all of these strategies have one goal in common, which is to contain the speed at which the virus spreads and limit the collapse of health systems. In extended social distancing, those establishments considered to be non-essential are closed to avoid the gathering together of people, while in selective social distancing, people belonging to at-risk groups, especially the elderly, are encouraged to stay at home. In isolation, sick people (with suspected or confirmed disease) are separated from the non-sick, whether in a domestic or hospital environment. Quarantine is carried out by those people who have come into contact with or are suspected of having come into contact with the virus and, even if not presenting symptoms, they are isolated from others. When none of these measures work, a total lockdown is declared, like a community quarantine. Although essential, staying at home involves a radical change in the habits of a population, which may harm health in some way. Within the context of epidemiological normality, work, academic and leisure activities require a variety of effort that, taken together, maintain the minimum level of daily physical activity necessary for health, especially for sedentary individuals. An immediate interruption of these activities has a negative impact on the cardiorespiratory and muscle systems, responsible for maintaining functional capacity. This, in turn, is directly related to quality of life and the development of comorbidities. Similarly, and at the same time, physically active individuals are compelled to abruptly interrupt their exercise routines during this period. The damage caused by this halt in training includes losses in muscle strength and mass, aerobic capacity, and joint flexibility and mobility, in addition to alterations in body composition. The change from a physically active to sedentary life can affect important variables for health maintenance, including blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol levels.  It is therefore advisable to use countermeasure strategies to combat the disuse. One of these is the practice of exercise - known to be the best non-drug health promotion strategy. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has already taken a position on the importance of staying physically active during isolation. The weekly recommendation for asymptomatic individuals is 150 to 300 minutes of aerobic exercise, plus two strength training sessions. One could, for example, do 5 workouts a week of 30 to 60 minutes, adding muscle strengthening exercises to two of them. The intensity should be moderate, as very light stimuli may not promote benefits, while very high intensities are associated with impaired immunity. Although many people doubt the feasibility and efficiency of home training, the literature shows that results similar to those obtained in traditional gyms can be achieved by using one's own bodyweight as a load. Routines can include exercises based on calisthenics, both in aerobic (stationary running, climbing stairs, jumping jacks) and strength (squats, push-ups, planks) training. Accessible materials can help: elastic bands, skipping ropes, and even household items to increase the workload (water bottles, backpacks with books, bags with groceries). Training at home, although proven to be easy, affordable and efficient, can be difficult to adhere to on a larger scale. The motivational aspect is certainly one that can suffer, as a large part of the population is sedentary and is not in the habit of exercising; therefore, the absence of commitment to a time and place for training increases the chances of giving up. Another difficulty is in adjusting the intensity and volume of training, especially for individuals with low levels of physical fitness, which can lead to the occurrence of musculoskeletal injuries. Knowing how to do each exercise and how much is essential for the desired positive result, which highlights the importance of professional guidance, because the assumption that "doing anything is better than doing nothing" does not apply to training.  Prof Samira providing online exercise guidance to community members during the pandemic period Tele-assistance is a reality that is already being used in the health area; and it should also be explored for the prescription of exercise. The options for interaction are varied and can serve the needs of diverse populations. From individual video calls to virtual group meetings, and guidance by messaging apps, the virtual presence of a professional can contribute to both an increase in the motivation of practitioners, and to ensuring that each individual receives the appropriate dose-response exercise.
From Space to COVID-19: what can we learn? We can learn that exercise remains a valid countermeasure to the effects of disuse (as proven by research involving astronauts onboard the International Space Station), that Telehealth can be used in different ways to make practice safer through professional guidance, and that obstacles to training can be similar, especially when there is a drastic change in routine, which alters people's mood. At the present moment, when the home has become a fortress against the virus and the importance of having good health is latent, we hope the practice of guided physical activity at home can be recognised as a way to alleviate the adversities of this very difficult scenario in which the world finds itself. Authors: Prof Samira Bulcão Carvalho Domingues*, Prof Flávia Porto** and Prof Jonas Lírio Gurgel****Master's Degree student, Exercise and Sports Sciences/Institute of Physical Education & Sports/UERJ
 Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay Diante da pandemia mundial de COVID-19, diminuir a circulação das pessoas é algo essencial. É importante saber que existe diferença entre distanciamento, isolamento social, quarentena e bloqueio total, porém, todas essas estratégias têm o objetivo comum de conter a velocidade de propagação do vírus e evitar o colapso dos sistemas de saúde. No distanciamento social ampliado, estabelecimentos considerados não essenciais são fechados para evitar aglomerações, enquanto que, no distanciamento social seletivo, pessoas pertencentes a grupos de risco, em especial, idosos, são estimuladas a ficar em casa. Já no isolamento, pessoas doentes (com suspeita ou confirmação da doença) são separadas das não doentes, seja em ambiente doméstico ou hospitalar. A quarentena é realizada por pessoas que tiveram contato ou suspeito de contato com o vírus e, mesmo não apresentando sintomas, ficam isoladas das demais. Quando nenhuma dessas medidas funciona, finalmente, é decretado o bloqueio total, como uma quarentena comunitária. Apesar de imprescindível, a permanência em casa implica em uma mudança radical nos hábitos da população, o que pode prejudicar, de alguma forma, a saúde. Em um contexto de normalidade epidemiológica, atividades laborais, acadêmicas e de lazer solicitam esforços variados que, somados, mantêm o nível mínimo de atividade física diária necessário para a saúde, especialmente de indivíduos sedentários. A interrupção imediata dessas atividades impacta negativamente os sistemas cardiorrespiratório e muscular, responsáveis pela manutenção da capacidade funcional. Esta, por sua vez, está diretamente relacionada à qualidade de vida e ao desenvolvimento de comorbidades. Da mesma maneira, no momento, indivíduos fisicamente ativos precisaram interromper bruscamente suas rotinas de exercícios neste período. Os prejuízos do destreinamento incluem perdas sobre força e massa musculares, capacidade aeróbia, flexibilidade e mobilidade articular, além de alterações na composição corporal. A mudança de uma vida fisicamente ativa para o sedentarismo pode impactar variáveis importantes para a manutenção da saúde, entre elas, pressão arterial, glicose sanguínea e taxas de colesterol. Assim, é oportuno lançar mão de estratégias de contramedida ao desuso. Uma delas é a prática de exercícios - sabidamente a melhor estratégia não-medicamentosa de promoção da saúde. O Colégio Americano de Medicina Esportiva (ACSM) já se posicionou quanto à importância de se manter fisicamente ativo durante o isolamento. A recomendação semanal, para indivíduos assintomáticos, é de 150 a 300 minutos de exercícios aeróbios, além de duas sessões de treinamento de força. Pode-se, por exemplo, realizar 5 treinos semanais de 30 a 60 minutos e, em dois deles, acrescentar exercícios de fortalecimento muscular. A intensidade deve ser moderada, pois estímulos muito leves podem não promover benefícios, e intensidades muito altas estão associadas a prejuízos à imunidade.  Apesar de muitos ainda desconfiarem da viabilidade e eficiência dos treinos em casa, a literatura demonstra que se pode conseguir resultados semelhantes àqueles obtidos em academias tradicionais usando-se como carga o próprio peso corporal. As rotinas podem conter exercícios baseados na calistenia, tanto no treinamento aeróbio (corrida estacionária, subir escadas, polichinelos) quanto de força (agachamento, flexão, prancha). Materiais acessíveis podem auxiliar: faixas elásticas, cordas de pular, e até itens domiciliares para sobrecarga (garrafas de água, mochilas com livros, sacolas com mantimentos). Embora comprovadamente fácil, acessível e eficiente, o treino em casa pode ter dificuldade de adesão em larga escala. O aspecto motivacional é, certamente, um deles, já que grande parte da população é sedentária e não tem na prática de exercícios um hábito; logo, a ausência do compromisso de horário e local aumenta as chances de desistência. Outra dificuldade está no ajuste da intensidade e volume do treino, especialmente para indivíduos com baixo nível de aptidão física, podendo levar à ocorrência de lesões musculoesqueléticas. Saber quanto e como fazer cada exercício é essencial para o resultado almejado, o que ressalta a importância da orientação profissional, pois a premissa “fazer qualquer coisa é melhor que fazer nada” não se aplica ao treinamento. A Profa. Samira fornecendo orientação de exercícios on-line para os membros da comunidade durante o período de pandemia O teleatendimento é uma realidade que já vem sendo utilizada na área da saúde; e deve ser explorada, também, para a prescrição de exercícios. As opções de interação são variadas e podem atender a diversas populações. Desde chamada de vídeo individuais, reuniões virtuais em grupo, até orientações por aplicativos de mensagens, a presença virtual do profissional pode contribuir tanto para aumentar a motivação dos praticantes, como para garantir que cada público receberá a dose-resposta adequada de exercício.
From the Space to the COVID 19: what can we learn? Podemos aprender que o exercício continua sendo um válido método de contramedida aos efeitos do desuso (como comprovado por pesquisas realizadas por astronautas a bordo da Estação Espacial Internacional), que a telessaúde pode ser usada de diferentes formas a fim de tornar a prática mais segura através de orientação profissional, que os obstáculos à realização dos treinamentos podem ser similares sobretudo pela mudança drástica da rotina, que altera o humor das pessoas. Neste momento em que a casa se tornou uma fortaleza contra o vírus e que a importância de se ter uma boa saúde é latente, esperamos que a prática de atividade física domiciliar orientada possa ser reconhecida como forma de amenizar as adversidades deste cenário tão difícil.
 Göttingen DLR School Lab Logo Hi, my name is Edgard, I'm 12 years old and at the age of 9 years I participated for the first time in the InnovaSpace project "Kids2Mars", asking the question 'why is Mars red?'. I'm Brazilian, but I have lived in Germany since 2009 in the city of Göttingen. I'm now finishing sixth grade, and my 3 favourite subjects are Mathematics, Experiment Workshops, and Natural Sciences - oh and in fourth place comes English! Since September 2019, I have been participating in the Flugmodellbau Project (model airplane construction) at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) School Lab, building model airplanes - Macht Spaß! (it's fun!) Too bad it ended just before Christmas. But my history with DLR began much earlier, when we came from Brazil in 2009, as my father started his PhD at the DLR. As the months went by, our house became full of posters and materials related to spaceships, airplanes, and wind tunnels. There was always a new technology and he promised me that as soon as I was older, after all I was only 4 years old at that time, he would take me to participate in the DLR/School Lab (Photo 1). I never forgot what he said, and it's a good thing my dad didn't either! And so I discovered the DLR.  School Lab, in a deactivated Wind Tunnel The years passed by and finally my time to participate came. After a long wait and never forgetting that world my father had introduced me to, I arrived in the sixth grade of school and with it came the offer to participate in after-school activities (every semester my school organises an extra activity, called "Club", involving sports and leisure activities). I have already done climbing, and currently I am doing gardening. In 2019 I signed up for the DLR, which once a year offers the option of building aircraft models. There were only a few vacancies but luckily, and with a little bit of divine help, I managed to enter. It was great and I started having activities at DLR every week. Some colleagues from my school (2) also participated in the project with me and I made new friends too at DLR, who came from other schools. Altogether there were 16 of us. I like the workshop, it has various tools and lots of things to assemble. Macht spaß! I began by assembling various model airplanes in paper and styrofoam to understand how aerodynamics work and how airplanes fly - a new model every week! I really like going to the DLR. The coordinator, together with the activity monitors (3) are really friendly and know how to teach things about airplanes well. I think this activity is important because I like airplanes, doing experiments and technology, and the DLR environment is really cool. I have already learnt very important things about physics, stuff that I don't even have at school yet. I've dedicated myself because I think it will help me in my education and it will be good for my life. I don't yet know what I will be when I grow up, for now I'm thinking about being an architect, a designer.  Model airplane with motor In January this year, 2020, I began the second (advanced) module of the model airplane workshop because I wanted to continue learning. Only myself and 2 other colleagues continued on from the first module, joined by 3 new friends, making 6 of us in total. When I finish this module, I intend continuing on to the next one and, who knows, maybe enter the School Lab for real one day. I consider myself to be a normal child. I don't always like to go to school, I have hobbies like riding my scooter and playing video games. I like doing sports like badminton, swimming, running and walking. And I dream of winning the Lotto, buying a house and having a very peaceful life. We welcome guest blogger Christine this week, writing about the popular sport of skiing, which can take place in extreme environments, with below-zero freezing temperatures, avalanche risk, altitude and unpredictable conditions, in addition to the inherent dangers linked to hurtling down a snowy slope at speed. Christine WangFounder of TheSkiGirl.com, a blog created after her experiences learning how to ski. Her goal is to provide skiers with the resources they’ll need to improve their skiing abilities and enjoy all that this amazing winter sport has to offer.  Skiing is an exciting and thrilling pursuit that is loved by many adventure seekers and adrenaline junkies around the world. High speeds, steep slopes, and a genuine connection to the natural world are some of the many reasons why this winter sport is loved by so many people. But many of the same factors that make skiing so amazing, also create inherent risks. Let’s take a look at the dangers of professional skiing and how to avoid them here. BODILY INJURY One of the most common risks associated with skiing is bodily injury. The high speeds involved with the sport alongside natural and manmade obstacles make injuries an everyday occurrence on the ski slopes. No matter how skilled you are or how cautious you ski, the risk of injury is present anytime you head downhill. According to research by Kevin G Shea et al. (2014), knee injuries account for approximately one third of injuries in skiers. This makes sense as you have two long planks attached to your feet when you are skiing - a bad wipe-out, wrong turn, or hard impact can put a tremendous amount of strain on your knees. Knee sprains, ligament tears, and even dislocations can occur when skiing. Upper body injuries can also occur when skiing such as dislocated shoulders, broken collarbones, and sprained wrists. One of the most dangerous and worrisome things that can happen on the slopes is a head injury. This can be very serious and even result in death so it’s important to always (and I mean always!) wear a helmet when you are out skiing. Sadly, actress Natasha Richardson (wife of Liam Neeson) was not wearing a helmet in 2009, when she suffered a seemingly innocuous fall while skiing on a beginner's slope on Mont Tremblant, Quebec, subsequently collapsing and dying from a blunt force trauma injury to the brain. HOW TO AVOID BODILY INJURY WHEN SKIING ● Always ski in control. Many injuries occur when you ski too fast or beyond your ability levels. When you get in over your head, accidents occur much more frequently. Play it safe and stay at a good speed at all times. ● Wear a helmet. This is a must. A helmet can very literally save your life and is easy protection against one of the biggest dangers when skiing. ● Stay alert. This means you should always keep an eye out for other skiers around you as well as any other obstacles. Make sure you scout any jumps or obstacles before you ski off of them. Watch for any other people below you as well. ● Get in Shape. Many skiing injuries occur due to being in poor physical condition. Approach skiing as you would any other physically demanding activity. Exercise and strength training before stepping foot on the snow to limit your chances for non-accidental injury. COLD EXPOSURE Skiing is a wintertime activity. That means that cold temperatures and large amounts of snow can be your best friend in terms of great snow and a long season. But these same elements can be dangerous as well. If you are not properly protected from the cold and snow you can risk putting your body, and even your life, in harm’s way. Any exposed skin you have while skiing can lead to frostbite. This is a serious and dangerous skin condition that can be really painful and even lead to potential amputation. Cold and wet weather can also cause hypothermia, which can be a life-threatening condition that causes your body to shut down when it gets too cold. There are 3 stages of frostbite: Early stage (frostnip), superficial frostbite, and deep frostbite, most commonly affecting extremities, like fingers, toes, ears and the nose. Prolonged exposure to extreme cold can often lead to deep frostbite, involving all skin layers and requiring amputation of affected areas in severe cases.  Avalanches claim an average of 100 lives in Europe every year (Info source:EAWS) HOW TO AVOID COLD EXPOSURE WHEN SKIING
● Wear proper warm weather clothing/gear. You need to insulate your body against the cold and wearing the proper clothing is key here. Always wear gloves to cover your fingers. Properly layer your clothing to provide additional warmth and protection. ● Stay Dry. Another critical aspect of keeping your body warm and limiting cold exposure is keeping your body dry. Always wear waterproof ski pants and jackets to repel snow and moisture and keep your internal layers dry. ● Go inside when needed. If you’re feeling really cold, the best thing you can do is find a warm place, such as a ski lodge or other indoor location, to warm up. NATURAL DANGERS Skiing is full of natural dangers as well. Obstacles such as trees can cause severe injury and be really dangerous. But Avalanches are also a concern, especially if you are skiing in the backcountry. These giant snow slides account for 20-40 deaths a year in North America and can be truly terrifying for any skier who has seen one or knows the danger they pose. Avalanches are nothing to take lightly and proper education and knowledge is key to avoiding them. HOW TO AVOID AVALANCHES WHEN SKIING ● Educate yourself. One of the best ways to avoid avalanches and limit your potential danger is to be aware of certain conditions that cause avalanches and learn how to identify and avoid them. ● Play it safe. It’s always better to play it safe than to risk getting caught in a slide. If conditions look sketchy, don’t ski. It’s as simple as that. One good run is not worth your life. FINAL WORDS Skiing is a dangerous activity. There is no way around that. But you can limit the dangers and avoid potential risks by following the highly recommended tips found above. Have you ever been injured while skiing? Do you think it could have been prevented? Let us know - visit our site!
Welcome to Part 2 of the blog by Dr Stijn Thoolen, an ESA-sponsored medical doctor spending 12 months at Concordia research station in Antarctica. He facilitates a number of experiments on the effects of isolation, light deprivation, and extreme temperatures on the human body and mind.
Dr Stijn ThoolenMedical Research Doctor, Concordia Research Station, Antarctica November 8, 2019, somewhere above Asia I started early today, at 05:00 AM. Despite my sleep deprivation from a too long Nintendo farewell, I now jumped out of my friend’s bed without struggles. I give him, still half asleep, a last hug, and while I walk out of the door that radio in my head spontaneously starts playing again:
 Liftoff! With 6 flights I figured to put on my compression socks… Credit: S. Thoolen
Today it the day, finally. There have been few days in the past months where Concordia didn’t cross my mind. Enough thinking, enough talking, weeks of preparation and training, deadline after deadline finished: now it is time to make it happen! From Amsterdam to Paris, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Christchurch, and then off to the Antarctic, via the Italian coastal station Mario Zuccheli to our icy Dome C. It is only six flights and a day or five. What a party, and that fun is only further enhanced by all those happily-surprised faces of airport staff to whom I have to show my travel plans today (“Oh wow! Best of luck!”).
Today I am focused, bouncing from airport to airport full of curiosity, but the past few days were quite different. I have been ready for Concordia since the end of my training period early October, but over the past month more and more moments of realization squeezed through the goals and automatic pilot of my preparations, that I will really be away, for a full year, from about everything I see around me. Not that it bothered me much at first. It was quite funny actually (hah, Dutch gray rainy day, shall I miss you too?). But with my departure getting closer and the goodbyes less and less trivial, I was now getting overwhelmed with a feeling of uncertainty, a bit of fear perhaps, that I have not felt in years. So there I stood, sobbing and sniffling in my girlfriend’s arms at JFK airport in New York (you can imagine how awkward it is when at the same time a control-savoring security guard is screaming at you: “Sir, I need you to step out of the line, right now!”) Authors: Prof Flávia Porto*, Prof Nádia Souza Lima da Silva* and Prof Jonas Lírio Gurgel***Institute of Physical Education and Sports, State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ)
 There are few known coping strategies for dealing with the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), but social isolation stands out. While this provides an effective way to reduce the spread of the virus, it also brings a range of problems for individuals and families, especially the elderly, such as limiting their in-person participation in health promotion programs. In a society highly connected through the Internet, a large number of seniors form part of the group that is digitally excluded, showing greater resistance to the use of digital technology tools. The current situation has imposed changes in our behaviour, serving as a catalyst for alterations in everyone's habits and leading to increased use of digital tools in order to mitigate social distancing. In this context, it is essential for health maintenance that physical exercise programs are continued during social isolation, particularly so for the elderly population, and should be part of public policy. Given this scenario, telehealth resurfaces as an instrument for health promotion and prevention, which are even more essential in the current situation. The strategy of using digital tools, like videos and web conferencing, enables continuity in physical exercise health promotion programs, which are essential to overcome the disuse imposed by confinement. In this sense, we would like to share our experience of using telehealth for the continuity of the program Elderly in Movement: Maintaining Autonomy (IMMA). How did IMMA come about? On October 17, 1989, Professor Dr. Alfredo Gomes Faria Júnior (22/08/1937 - 11/06/2019), Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Porto, created the IMMA Project, which offers regular and free physical activities and assessments to people over 60 years of age, at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Brazil. It was a little early at that time to be thinking about the ageing process experienced by retired people in our country. The Brazilian demographic pyramid and entire socioeconomic context back then showed that caring for older people "was not important”. Times have changed and scientific evolution and world society has proven that longevity can (and should) be accompanied by more autonomy and quality of life for the individual. The creation of the IMMA was one of the historical milestones in Brazil, disrupting the thinking about health promotion for the elderly, predicting that, yes, these people would retire, but they would still be a part of society and, therefore, should be included. With a great chronological leap, IMMA continues to innovate and try to include the elderly in a society that is once again discussing the importance of older people in the composition of our community. When Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro proposes vertical isolation, i.e., the elderly remain at home without contact with younger members, who can continue generating the necessary wealth for the country; and when recent speeches by the new Minister of Health suggest that if faced with a choice between saving an elderly person or an adolescent, priority should be given to the young for economic reasons, it is time to return to defending the portion of the population that is most vulnerable.  IMMA participant Maria Avelar, 93 years of age and still exercising! The IMMA in current times This new coronavirus has left us living in a time of crisis and local authorities are asking us to remain isolated at home whenever possible, and for this reason, activities at the UERJ have been suspended. Nonetheless, given this scenario and considering the importance of its students remaining physically active, the IMMA decided to continue functioning. In an innovative way, physical activities always guided in person, in addition to "live" hugs and greetings, gave space for a greater exchange of messages via WhatsApp. The IMMA team's major concern was to minimise the functional losses that physical inactivity could cause in the elderly, both from a cognitive and physical point of view. Therefore, daily cognitive games were initially proposed, giving the team the necessary time to set up the training routines to be performed at home by the elderly. Participation was immediate, interaction was great, and everyone’s mood lifted in these times of uncertainty. Good-humoured reports and thanks also came from family members of the participating elderly. After the round of cognitive games came the first physical exercise classes, which were joined by parents of the Physical Education students, members of the IMMA team, who served as models in their videos and instructional photos (as a university project, it is worth mentioning that the IMMA serves as a field of pedagogical activity for Physical Education academics at UERJ). The adherence of participants was inspiring, especially as the elderly began to send videos and photos of their individual routines. Finally, in these confusing and difficult times, the IMMA continues to maintain its social commitment, innovating, stimulating and contributing to the health and quality of life of its users, demonstrating that we can unite, even at a distance, to combat the adverse effects of confinement.
Authors: Prof Flávia Porto*, Prof Nádia Souza Lima da Silva* and Prof Jonas Lírio Gurgel***Instituto de Educação Física e Desportos, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ)
 A pandemia do coronavírus (COVID-19) nos impõe poucas estratégias de enfrentamento, das quais se destaca o isolamento social. Se por um lado tal medida proporciona uma eficaz forma para reduzir a proliferação do vírus, por outro, traz uma gama de problemas para os indivíduos e para as famílias, em especial para os idosos, como limitá-los a participarem presencialmente de programas de promoção da saúde. Em uma sociedade altamente conectada, através da internet, boa parte dos idosos ainda compõe o grupo dos excluídos digitais, apresentando uma maior resistência ao uso de ferramentas de tecnologia digital.
A atual conjuntura vem impondo mudanças em nosso comportamento, servindo de catalisador para modificações dos hábitos de todos, levando-nos a aumentar o uso de ferramentas digitais de modo a mitigar o distanciamento social. Neste contexto, formas visando a continuidade de programas de exercícios físicos durante o isolamento social, principalmente para a população idosa, são essenciais para a manutenção da saúde, devendo fazer parte das políticas públicas. Diante desse quadro, a telessaúde ressurge como mais uma ferramenta de promoção e prevenção da saúde, as quais são ainda mais essenciais na atual conjuntura. A estratégia de utilizar ferramentas digitais, como vídeos e webconferência, possibilita a continuidade dos programas de promoção da saúde através do exercício físico, que são essenciais para superar o desuso imposto pelo confinamento. Neste sentido, gostaríamos de dividir nossa experiência com o uso da telessaúde para a continuidade do programa Idosos em Movimento: Mantendo a Autonomia (IMMA). InnovaSpace is pleased to welcome Dr Stijn Thoolen to tell us more about life at the Concordia Research Station in the Antarctic, an extreme environment where temperatures can fall below −80 °C (−112 °F) in the winter months. As an ESA-sponsored medical research doctor, Stijn will remain at the Franco-Italian research station for 13 months - definitely not an activity for the faint hearted! Dr Stijn ThoolenMedical Research Doctor, Concordia Research Station, Antarctica  Location of Concordia Research Station. Credits: ESA 75 ° 05’59 “S; 123 ° 19’56” E. I will spend 13 months of my life at these coordinates from November onwards. Far away from my girlfriend, my family and friends, from everything that I know and have loved for the past 28 years. A small 1700 km away from the South Pole, situated on a 3270-high ice sheet, with 40% less oxygen than at sea level (the atmosphere is thinner at the poles), a humidity lower than in the Sahara, average temperatures of –30°C in summer and –65°C in winter, four months without any ray of sunshine (is this lunchtime, or should I go to bed already?) and without possibility of evacuation for nine months, the Franco-Italian research station Concordia on Dome C in Antarctica sounds more like a base on another planet. Every year the European Space Agency sends a ‘hivernaut’ (a winter version of an astronaut?) to this abandoned outpost at the bottom of our globe to perform biomedical experiments on the crew, in preparation for missions to the Moon, Mars and who knows what’s next. This year it’s my turn, and those 13 months are starting to get awfully close… I hear you ask: why (…would you do that for God’s sake)? “In our history it was some horde of furry little mammals who hid from the dinosaurs, colonized the treetops and later scampered down to domesticate fire, invent writing, construct observatories and launch space vehicles” – Carl Sagan  ‘White Mars’, ‘planet Concordia’, you name it. Credits: ESA I sometimes ask myself that question as well, but you can imagine that the answer is as obvious as the undertaking itself.
Maybe we should start with a short self-evaluation: Self-evaluation is not something we often do. At least, I was never good at it. When everything goes according to plan, and everyone around you screams how wonderful it is that “little Stijn wants to become a surgeon!”, you aren’t really encouraged to take a critical look at yourself, right? But sometimes a shock (or two) helps to adjust a bit. A lesson in humility perhaps. For me, that first shock came about five years ago. I had said “yes” a little too much, a good friend died, my parents divorced, and with about ten suitcases of mental luggage I left for a research internship in Boston, USA, during my medical studies. In such a new environment, full with material to reflect on, things became a little more relative. I realised that nothing is as obvious as it seems, that some things might actually be bigger than us (the Universe, God, the flying spaghetti monster, you choose), and, even better, how beautiful and special it is that we are able to witness all that (I know this sounds dull, but I dare you to try with your eyes fixed on a bright, starry sky). |
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