‘We Keep Going’
It’s been over a year since I wrote about the exercises we do at the Olney Wellness Center that keep us going. January is a perfect time to revisit the topic because -- there’s more!
I used to do little or nothing with my shoulders. If I raised my arms over my head, my shoulders ached. So I began french braiding my hair every night. In no time, when I stretched up to braid my hair, my shoulders no longer ached. But! I wear my hair long and am losing it when it tangles. Plus it’s “baby fine” and there’s no reason to braid it.
But when I stopped, my shoulders were not getting their usual exercise. There’s a piece of equipment at the Wellness Center that will do that same exercise and I will start working on that.
Several years ago, I tried to see how deep a hole I could leave in our house slab when I caught my little toe on a small table. I had carpet burns on my knees as well as the palm of my hands. One arm stretched out and fortunately my head landed mostly on that arm. I say mostly because the next day I had a pale green bruise on my forehead just below the hair line. Fortunately I totally missed the cast iron gas heater that a couple of my grandchildren have had fights with and bruises to prove it!
Yes, I ached in some places for a few days, and the elbow on the arm that saved me from a concussion still does not straighten out as far as the other arm. I was not using any exercise for my shoulders and I had begun to have problems with the strength - or lack of strength - in my arms.
When making Sunday dinner for the family I could’t move the sixquart crock pot to the table, had to ask my son to do it.
There is a machine the Wellness Center called an “arm ergometer.” Like bicycle pedals, you push or pull with your hands and it works on you wrists, elbows and shoulders. I started using this machine and in no time at all I can now move my crock pot, full of beans, stew or roast over to the table without asking for assistance from anyone. By the way, when we remodeled in 2020 I discovered there was no hole in the slab.
I’m slowly losing more weight and I don’t have aches and pains when get up from the chair I crochet or read in. My lower back no longer aches due to the machine that works on my back and abs. I’ve increased the resistance on all the pieces I use. And I don’t tire when I decide to take a long walk, like on the beach we visited last year.
Wellness Center staff is available to help with suggestions when you are deciding what equipment would benefit you and how to use the controls on those with computers.
I do notice if we miss a Friday, by Monday things are a little more work. But usually we are there every Monday, Wednesday and Friday Our motto is now, “We STILL keep going so we CAN keep going.”