By no means am I an expert.  Just a person with MS trying to live a full life (and for me that always includes as much physical activity as I can muster).

I have worked very hard and put in many, many hours trying to figure out how to be active with this crazy disease.

If you have questions about trying to get moving (even if it seems out of reach), share here. 

I am coming off the best winter of skiing I've have in over 25 years.  The adaptations and persistance paid off not only in skiing ability but in improved mood, confidence and the desire to keep moving in the right direction.

No matther where you are in this journey - if you desire to be active, take the first step!

It's winter time - so, after many years,  I had the bright idea to try skiing again.  Good idea?  With compromised balance and limited control over and feeling in my feet?  Why not!

The first outing was an utter disaster!  After falling every single time I put pressure on my right leg and about 75% of the time I put the pressure on my left - I bumped and bruised my way down the hill.  Gravity won and I eventually ended up at the bottom of the hill

Enough, already.  What was I thinking?

My very clever husband ordered me a set of "skis" (otherwise known as blades) which are 99 cm long.  My traditional skis were already short by common standards (130 cm - I am 5'4").  The blades are ridiculously short.

I snapped in and WA LA!  I made it down the same hill with many, many, many fewer falls.  After a day of skiing, I was navigating down that hill!!

The season is coming to an end here in PA, but I skiied through the winter!

A little persistence, a little moxy and a whole lot of innovation in moving to smaller skis and I'm back on the hill!

Stay at it!  Be flexible!

Ski on - or as the snowboarders say, :SEND IT!

Ang

Two Important Words

Two important words to live by:  OVER and NEXT

If it's OVER, it's OVER - let it go and move onto what's NEXT.

Don't fret about NEXT - just tackle whatever is NEXT.

And if you are really good at living in the moment, string a hammock between OVER and NEXT and take a nice rest!

When the GOING gets rough

Sometimes it's hard to get those legs GOING.  It's as if they have a mind of their own.  Your mind is saying "Let's Go" and their mind is saying "No Way."

Some ways to keep going when walking or standing is a NO GO:

• easy floor yoga - breathe, stretch and be as strong as you can be for today
• stationary bike - spin as best you can
• get in the pool - swim, walk, tread water, water run
• row - rowing provides a good workout for the days when the upper body works but the legs don't

Move as much as you can today.  Stand up.  Touch your toes.  Reach for the sky.  Do it now and do it often.  

You can move!

Getting Back on the Saddle

We (mostly) all take breaks from time to time.

I seem to have taken quite a long one!  Seems to me that I feel like blogging and thinking about strategies to combat MS challenges the most when I am fighting the good fight and following the advice to be active and headstrong.

Backing off from physical activity (for good reasons or not), seems to correlate with backing off from mentally attacking this puzzle of maintaing mobility and strength.

So, here we go.  I've been working on increasing physical activity this month and here I am back at the keyboard.

Wish me luck - or encouragement!

Join me, if you you please.

Spring!

The spring wildflowers are blooming and calling us all to the trails!

Going to the woods in the spring is a HABIT for me.

How do we form habits?  More importantly, how do we form constructive, positive habits?

Schedules work for me.  If I set a schedule (and do not let myself off the hook), I tend to wear a groove in my day where a positive activity dwells.  Running has become one of those HABITS.

Most all of our behaviors are habit based:  what we eat, when we eat it, whether or not we exercise, how we interact with others, ...  I think we are pre-programmed to work in a habitual manner.

So, I'm thinking a lot about the habits that dictate daily life and how to assure the HABITS are as positive as they can be.

The wildflowers will bloom - will I be there to appreciate them?  You?

Friends In Need

I've gotten word this week that three - count 'em 3! - friends have been diagnosed with cancer.  One, diagnosed with lymphoma, is awaiting a more accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.  One had successful surgery.  And, one can't get an appointment with the recommended Johns Hopkins surgeon until January 20.

All the love and support we can offer go out to these three and their amazing families!  It's hard to see their lives turn on a dime like this.  We stand with you to support you and offer whatever meager offerings we can.  I think of the Christmas story of the little drummer boy - he gave what he had, his talent to make music.

Even if we lack money and means, let us offer one another support, encouragement, love and security as we wrestle our mortal bodies. Let us stand, side by side, offering what we have to lift up each other during the Christmas Season!

Strength and Balance

Sorry to hit a common topic AGAIN, but lack of balance and MS go together like...  well, like, ruffled birds of a feather...  or something.

I make exercise decisions based on the assumption (which I hope is fact), that if I:

1. practice balancing, and
2. strengthen the muscles that aid balance

I will improve my balance (at best) or maintain my current level of balance (acceptable) or slow down the deterioration of my balance (at least).

I had to demonstrate an exercise today (yes, in front of athletes) that required more natural balance than I currently have. PUNT and skip the exercise or the demonstration?  No way!  I calmly asked for a supportive hand while I demonstrated the important technique of the exercise.  No one cares if I need that hand for some centering.  I used my strength to go through the full range of motion and was able to do a fair number of repetitions.

Point:  Don't let the lack of balance keep you from doing the work.  Get a hand.  Hold a wall.  Grab a bar.  Use a cane or walker.  Whatever it takes.  

And keep at it.  Practice, practice, practice.  Try to not compare today to the past.  Just keep striving so your tomorrows can keep you moving!

Check out the balance tabs for a few simple balance exercises.  There are more where those came from - so many more.  Message/email me if interested.

Thanking and Planking

If you are Lori, and you made it here:  WELCOME!  Thanks for coming.

I'm involved in a Facebook challenge group called Thanking and Planking!  Each day there is a small plank challenge and an opportunity to share something you are thankful for and or a pay-it-forward act of kindness.  Loving it!

I think the inspiration of joining together to improve ourselves cannot be undervalued!  We need to bond together and help each other every step of the way.

If you clicked through to here from the challenge, thank you for the motivation.  If you would like to join in to help each other be inspired to move and grow, jump on it!!

Balance and Tai Chi

Always looking for modalities to improve balance and aid fall prevention.

Interesting article on the research with Tai Chi on the above:  some positive, some good questions.

Will continue to dig for more specific information and research on use of Tai Chi with MSers.

http://www.massagetherapy.com/articles/index.php/article_id/99/Tai-Chi

Irony!

Irony #1:  In my last few posts, I've been "preaching" BALANCE!!  So, today I slip in the shower and crash to the bottom of the bath tub.

Irony #2:  This past week I was asked to be the JUMPS coach for our high school track team.  One of the first things MS took from me was my ability to jump.  I went from having a very respectable vertical leap to not being able to get my feet off the floor.

Oh, life!  Isn't it grand!

MUST continue to work on balance!  MUST continue to teach what I've lost!

A Thought about Acceptance

Effective Cardio with Limited Mobility

Had your blood pressure checked lately?  A sedentary lifestyle leads to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes,  and inflammatory flare-ups.

Your heart really doesn't take MS as an "excuse."  We need to elevate that heart rate and keep it there - 3 to 5 times per week for 20+ minutes per session.

So, how do we get enough CARDIO when it's difficult to move?

1. WATER RUNNING:  I've suggested it before, here it comes again.  Strap on that flotation belt and get into deep water.  Run in place, do high knees, different kinds of kicks, ROM motion (lifting one leg at a time to the surface, straddle splits).  Just move however the legs will co-operate and build up to the point where you can sustain a hard workout.  Be patient and give yourself a grace period of slow, incremental increases in length of time and intensity of workout.
2. BOXING:  Hitting a body bag or speed bag can be a great way to elevate the heart rate.  It's an activity that can be done standing or sitting.  If you have some balance, you can work on kicking movements, as well.  Take it slow and resist the urge to overestimate your balance capacity.  (Note to water lovers:  you can use the running belt and "box" against the resistance of the pool water.)
3. SWIMMING:  Lap swimming, lap kicking (using a kick board), lap pulls (using a pull buoy) all can get that cardio rolling.  Ask the lifeguard if you can use the kick boards and pull buoys - when I've explained my situation, all have been quick to help.  When my core and lower back muscles fatigue to the point where I feel I can't swim anymore but I've yet to get a sustained cardio workout, I strap on my running belt to aid flotation and continue the workout.  Cheating, maybe!  But it gets me more time moving than if I did not rely on the prop.
4. FITNESS CLASSES/DANCE CLASSES:  Here modification is the key.  If you can stand, try to do the movement to capacity - or sway instead of stepping.  If a chair suits you better, shift your weight, use your upper body (big arm movements) and participate with joy!  Music is fantastic inspiration!

Would love to hear your ideas for Cardio!  Comment, if you please!

Practicing Balance - Literally!

Balance = Practice

In order to improve balance, we must practice it - like it's a skill set.  It is something we once had, now it is lost or compromised and we must FIGHT to regain it!

So, practice!  Practice each day standing on one foot and then the other.  Set a timer or count and try to hold the balance for a few seconds - increasing the length over time.

Hold on if you must (or use the touch-point balance technique described in the BALANCE tab).  Be safe - but push yourself to really hold the stance.  You will be working on both the neurological part of balance and the muscle part.  When the little muscles don't get used, they quickly atrophy.  Then, as you practice, they regain their strength (and you, your confidence).  

You can even kneel to practice balance - it's closer to the ground and a bit safer.  Kneel on a soft surface:  a rug or even a padded yoga mat.

If the force of gravity is too much and you can't stand on one foot, try just shifting a higher percentage of your weight to one side, and hold that.  This keeps both feet firmly on the ground and reduces the risk of a fall.

Finally, if even that is out of reach, get into a pool with chest deep water.  If you are not comfortable in the water, wear a life jacket or a water running belt to assure that you will float if you cannot maintain an upright position.  Practice the one-footed stance in the water.  If you fall, no bumps or bruises!  Gradually reduce the depth of the water over time as you progress.

I find that progress meets setback which cycles around again to progress...  It's not always a linear progression, but continuing to fight for balance will be worth the effort.  Pay offs = mobility, safety and hope!

Relevant?

I was mildly called out as being irrelevant for encouraging exercise for many who struggle with limited mobility.  Point taken.

Struggling to fully comprehend limitations is always a struggle.  Your limitations and mine might be very similar - or, frankly, very different.

What I do know is that limitations should not (and for health's sake) cannot lead to a sedentary lifestyle.  Movement is important to retain quality of life and quality of overall health.  That movement may be limited in its type or scope, but we must together find ways to explore movement that is both accessible and meaningful.

That's what I promote.  And, I hope that is relevant for us all.

Enjoy your weekend!!

Failure?

I could tear up sharing this with you!

From BadYogi (with a focus on Yoga for everyone - not just the skinny, pretzels of the world!)

 It's a 90 second video about failure so you'd never guess that it took over a year and a half to make and spans 4 countries. Whether it’s handstands that you’re working on or something else, we all know the feeling of working endlessly at something, failing, and getting back up to work on it again the next day. 

Effort and even failure are spiritual experiences and anyone who’s ever tried for something knows them well.

It's no secret but always needs reminding:  even “failure” is welcome here.

http://www.badyogiofficial.com/this-is-what-failure-looks-…/

Share with someone who could also use this reminder. We all need a little boost once in a while.

Water running / walking details

So, what is this water running??

Time to get more specific.

Compromised balance and elevated body temperature side effects are two foes MSers face. Additionally, gait abnormalities can make it difficult to use the basic act of walking as exercise. Aside from the obvious hurdle that it's hard to walk, the neurological challenges fatigue small muscles and challenge basic alignment of the kinetic chain that is necessary to walk with efficiency.

No leap here, but folks with MS tend to get less exercise than they need.

Enter the water running belt.  This foam device is worn snugly around the waist and allows the body to float vertically in the water.


This photo is just one of the many choices of brand and shape.  I've spent as little as $15 on a basic version at my local sporting goods store.

Don the belt before entering the water.  It's designed to be used in water deep enough to not have your feet touch the bottom.  Then you simply walk or run (or go through any number of range of motion activities) in the water.

• no swimming - walk, jog, or run
• no skill necessary
• no balance needed
• the water helps keep body temperature low
• no impact from running/walking with a funky gait

You can choose your activity intensity by your current fitness level and your activity goals.  It can be a relaxing "walk in the park" or a serious run!  You are in control!

Warning:  water walking/jogging can become very boring!  Music helps some; company helps even more!

Intervals, long runs, pyramids...  They are all at your fingertips.  Your legs will enjoy the freedom; your heart will thank you; and you might even get a mood boost from the activity.

Good luck!

Fight the good fight - consistently!

Faithfully following a plan of action that helps you feel better and be more active seems logical, right?  So, what happens when you have a "good streak" and take it all for granted.  Slack off on the plan?  Symptoms come back with a vengeance!

Lesson learned over and over and over again!

If it is working, stick with it!  Find someone to nudge you in that direction - even when you're feeling better or worse.

Stay the course!  Fight the good fight!

Water Fitness

On Tuesday evenings, I lead a water fitness class.  Using specific flotation belts, the participants are able to run in deep water.  No swimming ability is required,  There is no contact with the bottom of the pool, so the workout is essentially zero impact.  Additionally, the water is cool (rarely cool enough for my tastes, but plenty cold for everyone else), and the cooling effect allows me to exercise at higher intensity for longer periods of time.  No balance is required!!

We generally work for between one and two hours on cardio fitness, some muscle strength, range of motion, and gait/form.  I get great feedback from the participants, and we have a blast.

Simultaneously, in the shallow end of the pool, there is another instructor leading a water aerobics class.  This session targets older participants, many with arthritis, joint pain, and weight issues.

Both groups are benefiting from the joys of exercising in water:  young/old, strong/impaired, fit/struggling!

I only wish I had a way to specifically invite participants with MS or other movement challenges to join my classes!

If you have the opportunity, please do some research on water fitness activities in your area.  I wish you could ALL come to my class!!

If you have access to a pool, but need advice on what to do once you get there, comment and I will be happy to communicate some ideas on getting started!

Gift

Fitness is a gift!

Open it!