Step 1: Get a stem

Find a stem of a tree.. and let’s do a quick experiment.

Step 2: Use 1 finger

Use your index finger to gently push the stem downward as the earth’s gravitational pull is also pulling the stem downward (imagine that the stem is your shin bone, and the finger is the ankle weights pushing down on the stem).

Since you only use 1 index finger, the stem will never bend because you exert such a weak force.. the same theory applies when you try to sleep with 2 lb ankle weight on each leg. Your legs will not grow or lengthen because 2 lb ankle weight for each leg is not enough.

Step 3: Use your hand

In another experiment, you try to push down on the stem with your hand. Now, you can see that the stem is slightly bent because the force applied by your hand is much more powerful.

This stem will be lengthened or shaped over time according to a force exerted if this is a real stem part of a tree. This also explains how landscape gardeners shape their bonsai and other plants to display at flower shows. Click here for pictures.

Furthermore, the stem is bent, lengthened, or shaped because there are 3 forces exerted on it. First, the stem exerts an opposite force against the hand in the upward direction (according to Newton’s Law: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction).

Second, because the stem exerting a force in the upward direction to match the downward force applied by the hand, these forces must balance each other.

Third, by balancing each other, there exists another 2 forces, one is acting on the leftward direction, and the other is acting on the rightward direction. These 2 new forces cause the stem to lengthen or stretch out.

In conclusion, the same theory applies to your shin bone. The stem is a living life form (if it is part of a plant or tree) and it has the capability to shape according to a force exerted. Likewise, your shin bone is a living tissue and it also has the power to change if massive forces are exerted.

Step 4: Use your arm

In another experiment, you try to push down the stem with your arm. The force exerted by the arm is much more powerful than the forces exerted by the index finger and the hand. As a result, the stem is broken in half because the upward and downward forces can no longer balance. When these 2 forces cannot balance, the leftward and rightward forces do not exist. As a result, the stem cannot bear that much weights. Thus, it is important NOT to put too much weights on your shin bone while sleeping at night because your shin bone is positioned at the horizontal direction. Whereas, it is okay to put lots of weights while sitting with ankle weights because your shin bone is positioned in a vertical direction.

Step 5: Outcome

What the stem looks like when too much force or weights exerted.

Illustration 1: Ryan sleeping with ankle weights

Illustration 2: @ different angle