• 8 •
The Pinecone
|
April 2013
You Lose
Kirby Pines Oasis features
3
NuSteps, a treadmill, exercise
equipment for upper and lower body,
a pool, spa, locker rooms complete
with bathroom,
changing area and showers, and
stretching equipment.
Contact Mary Hand,
Oasis Instructor, at ext. 476
for more info!
The Oasis is always open!
My kids played
a game called you
move, you lose.
When someone
got up from the
“
choice seat” in
the car or at a party, or “Daddy’s
cushy chair” in front of the TV,
another kid would quickly sit in the
coveted seat. When the first child
returned to find their favorite spot
taken, the “offender” shouted, “You
move, you lose!”
As we age, we find just the
opposite, if we don’t move, we
lose. Sitting for long periods of
time causes our muscles to weaken
and our joints to ache. Usually our
worst times are in the mornings just
when we rise out of bed. One of
the participants in the Sit-n-Stand
exercise class who is in her 90’s
shared her secret of flexibility: she
stretches head to toes including
arms, legs, fingers, and neck before
she even steps on the floor every
morning and then gently exercises
each joint for a few minutes before
breakfast. She has done this for
so long; it’s a habit and couldn’t
imagine starting her day without it.
When a joint hurts, people
tend to protect and not move that
joint. In a study by Northwestern
University Feinberg School of
Medicine in Chicago: “more than
40
percent of those with rheumatoid
arthritis, or RA, remain inactive;
‘
We were surprised they were very
inactive,” says the lead author
Jungwha “Julia” Lee, PhD, assistant
professor in the department of
preventive medicine, ‘Regular,
moderate physical activity offers a
host of benefits. It helps reduce pain
and improve well-being.’”
Moving doesn’t require
expensive exercise equipment,
although the Oasis has many helpful
pieces of exercise equipment to
keep you moving. The Nu-Step is
especially helpful with movement
of the arms and legs without extra
pressure on the joints. Kirby Pines
offers exercise classes 5 days a
week.
The Arthritis Foundation
exercise classes will help you
implement safe and helpful
strengthening
and
stretching
exercises. But just getting out
of your apartment and walking
the halls of Kirby Pines is a great
beginning for moving and gaining
flexibility, strength, and balance.
Remember “You move, you
lose.” Move those aching joints and
lose some of that pain of arthritis
and lose that attitude that there’s
nothing you can do about it.
-
Mary Hand
Oasis Instructor
Walk Across
America
Our Walk Across America
Program was a great success
thanks to everyone who logged
their mileage in the Oasis from
January 14 through March 4.
In those 8 weeks, we logged a
grand total of 860 miles. When
we plotted our mileage on the
map of the United States in each
direction, we discovered we made
it to New Orleans for Mardi Gras
and then as far as the southern
tip of Texas (60miles short of the
Mexican border. To the North,
we traveled past Chicago and
as far as Hiawatha State Park in
the upper peninsula of Michigan
(
only 60 miles from the shore of
Lake Superior).
Heading West on I-40
we made it all the way to New
Mexico just short of Albuquerque
and heading East on I-40 we
traveled through Greensboro, NC
and all the way to the Atlantic
Ocean near Washington, NC.
Our highest mile makers were
Gene Wainscott, Faye Smith,
Bea Barnes, and Doris Berge.
Gene put in almost 222 miles in
8
weeks Doris rarely missed a
day to put miles on our Nustep.
Seeing people coming so often
to put their time and miles is an
inspiration to all of us. Thanks
for making this program a fun
success.
YouMove,
