By Adena Mai-Jardine BA, PFT, RMT

I thought we would lighten up this month with some body trivia. I cannot guarantee that all this trivia is 100% correct, but it is good for some interesting cycling conversation!

• The average human blinks their eyes 6,205,000 times each year. More when we get bugs in them!
• The average human will shed 40 pounds of skin in a lifetime. Exfoliation!
• Nerve impulses to and from the brain travel as fast as 170 miles (274 km) per hour.
• During a 24-hour period, the average human (but we are cyclists, so we are definitely NOT average!) will breathe 23,040 times.
• The average person falls asleep in seven minutes. You don’t? All I can say is…R-e-l-a-x-a-t-i-o-n M-a-s-s-a-g-e!
• 15 million blood cells are destroyed in the-human body every second.
• The average life of a taste bud is 10 days.
• The average cough comes out of your mouth at 60 miles (96 km) per hour.
• Every year about 98% of the atoms in your body are replaced.
• The bones of movable joints are covered with a clear, thick, lubricating liquid called the synovial fluid, which acts like oil to make the joints work smoothly. If it weren’t for this fluid, you would squeak when you walk. This is why massage therapists will move your limbs around during your massage session…cool huh!
• When a person is “shocked” the sensation is actually one of blood rushing to the brain.
• The average adult stands 0.4 inch (1 cm) taller in the morning than the evening, because the cartilage in the spine compresses during the day. We all need to stretch regularly!
• There are 35 million digestive glands in the stomach.
• There are 62,000 miles of arteries, capillaries, and veins in the adult human body. Here is the answer to “why does my nose always get stuffed up during a massage?”
• There are about 2 million sweat glands in the average human body. The average adult loses 540 calories with every litre of sweat. Men sweat about 40% more than women. Drink your water!
• There are approximately 250,000 sweat glands in your feet and they sweat as much as 8 ounces of moisture per day. When is the last time you aired out your cycling shoes?

Source: www.massagenerd.com
Adena Mai-Jardine, BA, PFT, RMT – Massage Therapy & Holistic Centre – 780-738-4769
Massage Therapy & Holistic Centre