Life Hack: The ‘Dutch Reach’ saves Lives

If you haven’t noticed, Boston’s population has increased by over 150,000 in the past couple of weeks. That’s because Boston is home to over 35 colleges and universities. This means that among other things, there will be a lot more bicyclists around the city. If you drive in Boston or in any populated area for that matter, you know we share the road with cyclists. Too often we hear of cyclist who get “doored” by unaware drivers stepping from their parked vehicles. As often as this happens, it is something that can easily be prevented.

The Netherlands is the most popular bicycling community in the world. 63% of Amsterdammers cycle daily. Over 50 years ago, they came up with a resolution to prevent these incidents. The solution is known as the “Dutch Reach”. It is taught to citizens as early as grade school and is part of their laws. Now, Bostonians may not be as progressive in their cycling ways, but we have seen a sharp rise in bike lanes over the past 5 years and the incidents of getting “doored” are much higher.

As a city that prides itself on being inclusive, let’s take the extra step of looking out for each other and utilizing the “Dutch Reach”. You can learn more about the origin of the “Dutch Reach” or watch the quick video below from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to learn a safety tip that could save a life.

P.S. Please share this life hack

Ready to #feelbetter?

You're just a click away from a wicked good massage!

Book Now!

Please Pass the Mustard

I’m going to go way out on a limb and guess that the last time you had a leg cramp your immediate reaction was to either stretch it, rub it, ice it or a combination of any of these responses. What if I told you that you should eat some yellow mustard for an almost…

Read More

Cheers to More Energy, Mental Clarity and Focus in 2015!

The following post is contributed by Anne Turnbull. Ann is a global business development leader with Max International, a company in the forefront of glutathione research and development. She is a frequent presenter to audiences in Canada, US and Africa and is passionate about spreading the word about the importance of glutathione for good health.…

Read More

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

Do you recall the days in college that you would brew a pot of coffee to get through the occasional all nighter? Today, you have an endless supply of vices to curb that ‘energy fix’ we all crave. From Red Bull to Death Wish coffee (yes, that’s an actual brand), you can all get your…

Read More

Running is as easy as 1-2-3

There are two kinds of runners in the world; those who love it and those who don’t. I am definitely the latter of the group. However, the one thing they all have in common is, you guessed it, running. Regardless of whether you are enjoying your time on your run or not, we all know…

Read More

Head Games

To paraphrase the great Yogi Berra; Running is 90% physical and the other half is mental. No one ever claimed to understand the old Yankee skipper, but we knew what he was attempting to say when he was discussing the ability to master the game of baseball. The same holds true with running (and many…

Read More

What’s the Scoop on your Poop?

Being the father of two little girls, I know I have my work cut out for me. I have come to accept that there are lessons that I can teach my children and there are others lessons they will simply have to learn through personal experience. One of the lessons I constantly remind them of…

Read More

Your Referrals Can Be A ‘Real’ Pain

No, I don’t mean the favor of your referrals of friends and family. We LOVE to get those. Today I want to talk about a type of pain known as ‘referred pain’. Referred pain is something that all of us have experienced at one time or another, yet may not have known what was happening.…

Read More

What are Shin Splints?

What are Shin Splints? We treat a lot of different conditions at The Boston Bodyworker, ranging from general stress and fatigue to chronic pain. One of the more popular complaints we get from our running population is shin splints. If you have ever had them, you know how uncomfortable the pain can be and how…

Read More

Let’s Talk About Sex!

There are three areas of conversation that we are told too avoid at all cost while in the treatment room; sex, politics and religion. These subjects are clearly based upon ones personal opinions and beliefs and are rarely needed to provide sound clinical outcomes in massage therapy. Today, I am making an exception. New research…

Read More

Tips on “That” Tape

Over the past year or so, we have seen a heightened interest in “that cool looking tape” otherwise known as kinesiology tape. The tape has become more and more popular and is now even being sold in places like Target and City Sports. To weekend warriors, success with this new tape has been a bag…

Read More