Do you still make New Year’s resolutions? My resolution had been to decide what I want to be when I grow up – and I’m running out of time! But you may have something more practical such as one of the most common resolutions: losing weight and exercising more.
If your resolution is the latter, here are six suggestions from the National Council on Aging on how to move more and sit less during the winter months when the temperatures drop, sidewalks are slippery, and winter weather hinders outdoor activities.
1. Explore arthritis-friendly exercise videos. Check out these short videos with exercises focused on reducing joint pain through stretching and building strength. There are options for working out your upper and lower body, as well as trying out Tai Chi, all in your own home. https://www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/exercise/videos/
Also, the Arthritis Foundation’s “Walk With Ease” self-directed program is a physical activity and self-management intervention developed for people living with arthritis and/or other chronic health conditions who want to be more physically active. https://extension.oregonstate.edu/walk-ease.
2. Find an exercise class near you. It can be hard to stay motivated while exercising alone. Find an exercise class that can offer different options for activities and provide an opportunity to meet up with friends. You can find classes at Water’s Edge, The Dalles Fitness and Court Club and at the Center. One popular class that has been proven
effective is “Strong Women” (and men) which is available at the Center and CGCC.
3. Go mall walking. Okay, you aren’t going to find an indoor mall in The Dalles, but you can walk a good number of steps around Home Depot – if you don’t stop to check out the latest refrigerators or power tools. There is a “Mall Walking Resource Guide” found at https://www.cdc.gov/prc/mall_walking.html.
4. Take steps to prevent falls. If you do walk outside, take precautions to avoid slips and trips on icy sidewalks. Check out how you can “Winterize to Prevent Falls” at
https://www.ncoa.org/wp-content/uploads/Winterize-to-Prevent-Falls2.pdf
5. Get a workout to go. Go4Life’s “Workout to Go” guide has several options for exercising in your own home, including hand grips, wall pushups, and arm raises.
6. Find an indoor community pool or track. We don’t have an indoor track – at least until the Youth Center is built, but there are pools available at Water’s Edge or The Dalles Fitness and Court Club.
Whatever you do it needs to be fun. It can’t be a chore. And the mantra “No Pain, No Gain” you can forget. You aren’t preparing for the Olympics. Remember to take your time. You aren’t exercising the body you once had, but the body you now have!
“Give the Gift of Warmth” is the theme of this year’s Annual Blanket Drive hosted by the Wasco County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). On Saturday, January 12, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot at 523 East 3rd St. (across the street from Sawyer’s Ace Hardware) you can drop off NEW or gently used (and washed) blankets, socks and other warming items. All items collected from this drive will be donated to The Warming Place in The Dalles, and to Gilliam & Sherman County Emergency Management.
For more information about this blanket drive or the Medical Reserve Corps, contact Tanya Wray at tanyaw@co.wasco.or.us. (541) 506-2631 or visit the North Central Public Health District webpage at www.ncphd.org.
The name of the 1960 American heist film starring five of the Rat Pack: Peter Lawford, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Joey Bishop was Ocean’s Eleven. (Once again because of the holidays I am writing this early, so I will include the correct responses in next week’s column.)
There are several colloquial phrases I remember from growing up in Indiana that I seldom hear anymore. For this week’s “Remember When” question, what was the term commonly used by restaurants, especially diners and cafes, from the 1920s through the 1950s that referred to a low-priced meal that usually changes daily? Email your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or send it with the 1926 advertisement in The New York Times for “The Famous Old Sea Grill Lobster and Chop House” where you could still get “a steak-and-lots-of-onion sandwich for a dime”.
Well, it’s been another week living day to day. Until we meet again, keep learning, moving and always keep dreaming.
“I know. I’m lazy. But I made myself a New Year’s resolution that I would write myself something really special. Which means I have ’til December, right?” Catherine O’Hara
