SCOA Globe Walk

(Captains:  Don’t forget to report your March kilometres)

It’s a good thing that we are travelling via the computer and imagination.  Rome, like many other cities is almost deserted right now.  So along with our “visit” we are sending wishes for recovery in Italy – which has been hit hard during this pandemic.

Here are some interesting facts about the Colosseum:

• Built between 72 AD and 80 AD, the Colosseum was constructed by tens of thousands of Jewish slaves. Even today, construction of a stadium that size would be difficult to build in only 9 years. It measures 190 metres long, 156 metres wide and 50 metres high. It is the largest amphitheatre in the world.

• The Colosseum could seat around 80,000 spectators for gladiator contests, animal hunts and re-enactments of famous battles, including mock sea battles (they flooded it with water). There were 80 entrances/exits and 30 trap doors connecting the underground to the surface.

• The Colosseum had an early form of a Skydome, using a retractable awning.

• The animals that fought in the arena included lions, tigers, rhinos, elephants, crocodiles, giraffes and bears. It’s estimated that over 400,000 people and over a million wild animals died during the centuries that the games took place (the North African elephant was hunted to extinction). Some games lasted up to 100 days.

• Emperors paid for events themselves. Entry and food was free for all Romans (I don’t think they served hot dogs and cold beer!).

• Seating in the Colosseum was arranged by class, citizenship and sometimes even gender. Like today, a numbering system at the enterances was used to help people find their seats.

• Gladiator contests stopped in 435 AD and the last animal hunts were in 532 CE, partly due to the cost of acquiring animals and gladiators.

• By the 20th century, weather, natural disasters, neglect and vandalism had destroyed nearly two-thirds of the original Colosseum, including all of the arena’s marble seats and its decorative elements. Some of the stones were removed to construct other buildings including St. Peter’s Basilica

• The Colosseum has become a symbol against capital punishment. Today, any time anyone in the world has a death sentence commuted or they are released, the night lights in the Colosseum change from white to gold. This color change also occurs whenever a jurisdiction abolishes the death penalty.

• Today the Colosseum is a major tourist destination and occasionally used for live concerts. Ray Charles, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel and Elton John have performed there.

– onthegotours.com. discoverywalks.com, softschools.com, unsplash.com (photos)

For those Globe Walkers who can’t get to their exercise classes right now – you can purchase a Forever … in motion  exercise DVD (it has both a 45 minute and a 60 minute workout on it).  They sell it for $15.00.  FIM also sell exercise resistance bands (different colours for different amounts of resistance) for $5. 

Anyone can purchase these FIM items from the Community Health Center at Market Mall or they would be happy to mail them out for free.  Call (306) 844-4080 (leave a message – the message will be forwarded to email) or email kimberly.willison@saskhealthauthority.ca.

This is a good option to help you keep fit while we wait for an end of the current health crises.  Let’s Just keep moving!

To ensure the safety of all Globe Walkers and others taking part, we have made the decision to cancel our upcoming Globe Walk events:

April 23, 2020 – Annual Outdoor Walk (or rescheduled Tai Chi event)

May 12, 2020 – Celebration Luncheon (WDM)

We will continue to count and collect kilometres as usual.  Remember – ALL physical activity counts – and it is important to continue our fitness regimen, especially during the current Covid-19 health crisis.

Please check back often – we will continue to provide you with health/fitness and Globe Walk updates.  Enter your email address on the right side of the page to have the updates delivered to your inbox.

Try this Seniors Workout – Parts 1 & 2.  The music and movements are fun.  It does have minimal use  of dumbells (you can use cans), a ball (steal one from you grand kids, or use any small light object) and a band (great if you have one, but you can skip it and just do the movement).

To make this full screen, click on the YouTube symbol at the bottom right.  When the video opens in YouTube, click the symbol that looks like this  [  ]  at the bottom right of their screen.  Turn up the volume and have fun!

Please pass on our website blog address to other Globe Walkers, family & friends and encourage them to follow us by entering their email  on the right side of the page.  https://scoaglobewalk.net/news/

To underline the message sent to Captains – GLOBE WALK HAS NOT BEEN CANCELLED!   Only the track times at the Field House have been cancelled since all Leisure Centres are closed.   All other activity can be counted as usual, and we will be collecting and compiling our kilometres for March & April.

Walking outside is fine (as long as you practice social distancing), use your stairs, check out exercise videos on youtube – be creative.  During this health crisis, it is even more important than ever to stay active, for both your physical and mental health.

Stay safe and healthy Globe Walkers.

On a much brighter note, the sun and earth continue their eternal business unimpeded by a virus — and we’re getting a little jump on things this year.  Spring officially arrives  on Thursday, March 19, the earliest in over a century

For people in the Northern Hemisphere who have been shivering through a dark winter and even darker times, the spring equinox brings the promise of longer days, increasing warmth, a burst of flowers and more time outdoors (six feet apart please).

We’ll all share a glorious, near perfect balance of daytime and nighttime all over the world. From the equator extending to the poles, everyone will get just about 12 hours of each.

(CNN Travel)