Kansas Senior Press Service Weekly Newsletters Kansas Senior Press Service Weekly Newsletters By Jim Starshak
Kansas Senior Press Service
I’m not sure about you, but when I was a kid, I loved to play in the water — whether it was a neighborhood pool, the beach, a water hose in our yard, or just a puddle after a summer rainstorm. Would you like to have fun playing in the water again, improving your health and fitness at the same time? Well, wait no more!
Since 1983, the Arthritis Foundation, in concert with the YMCA, has provided aquatics exercise programs that accommodate the abilities of people with arthritis and similar diseases. In 2005, the Arthritis Foundation examined new medical and scientific studies pertaining to arthritis and exercise. The research led to the development of the updated Arthritis Foundation Aquatics Program (called the Arthritis Foundation YMCA Aquatics Program when provided at a YMCA).
The Arthritis Foundation Aquatics Program is a recreational program in which exercises are done in a warm-water pool (83° to 88° F). The warm water provides a joint-friendly and relaxing environment, which helps increase circulation in the surface muscles and around the joints. A person’s natural buoyancy helps relieve stress to the joints during exercise, while the water’s density provides an adjustable source of resistance. Being in the water makes this exercise program a lot of fun, as well.
The Arthritis Foundation’s goals with the program are to improve muscular strength, endurance and flexibility; manage pain and stiffness; encourage self-care and socialization; maintain independence; and relieve symptoms of arthritis. Participants move at their individual level of comfort and capability, making the program safe and effective for people with arthritis and similar aches.
Although you will exercise in the water, don’t confuse this with a swimming class. True, everyone is in the water for the entire class, but you won’t get your hair wet or even have to take off your glasses. You’re free to work in the middle of the pool or hold on to the side. Some classes even use props such as beach balls or “noodles.” These props aid in the fun and range of motion, but are not for added resistance, because the water provides that.
Recently I observed an Arthritis Foundation aquatics class in Johnson County. Debbie Shearer taught the class for several older adults. Shearer’s teaching skill and compassionate demeanor made the class enjoyable and productive. She made sure that all participants worked muscles in their upper and lower body, monitored their level of intensity, remained socially engaged throughout the class, and had fun.
When I asked 83-year-old Arlene why she enjoys the program, she was quick to tell me that she does not have arthritis. Even so, she has been taking this class for more than seven years.
“It just keeps me agile and mentally alert,” Arlene said. “It’s a lot more fun than walking. I wish more of my friends would try it.”
Helen, at 69, has been taking the class for more than nine years, starting when her joint pain and stiffness made it hard to perform the everyday tasks she enjoyed. Now she feels better because of the exercise and, as she says, “Doing it in the pool makes it so much more fun.”
Helen credits her improved quality of life to these Arthritis Foundation classes.
Diane is the neophyte in the class; this is only her second session. She tried several other modes of exercise to help with her arthritis pain, but found that this water program is gentler on her body than any other program.
“I feel like I am not doing much in the water, but I sure feel it working, and it really helps my arthritis,” Diane said.
Summer is when most people spend time in the pool. But since the Arthritis Foundation Aquatics Programs are mostly at indoor pools, you can try a class this summer and then continue year-round. A quick review of the foundation’s Web site, www.arthritis.org , lists over 30 locations in Kansas where you can join an ongoing Arthritis Foundation Aquatics Program (enter search word Aquatics and then sort listings by State). Also, you can call the Kansas Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation, 1-800-362-1108, to find a class near you.
If you’re looking for an exercise class that is gentle, fun-filled, and really helps with arthritis and similar aches and pains, look no further than the Arthritis Foundation Aquatics Program. Come on in; the water’s great!
Jim Starshak, MS, is an Arthritis Foundation volunteer, committee member and t’ai chi instructor. As well as being a U.S. Army Special Forces disabled veteran, he is president of The Home Gym, www.thehomegym.net, a personal health and fitness business in Shawnee.
By Karen Rowinsky
Kansas Senior Press Service
Whether you are in an immediate crisis or long-term involvement, taking care of a loved one can be one of the most exhausting, challenging, difficult, yet loving things you will ever do. If you are in the midst of your commitment as a caretaker, you are not doing your loved one and yourself a service if you are not taking good care of yourself.
I learned this lesson when my husband, Max, was diagnosed with liver disease. In the six years before his death, Max had two liver transplants and numerous other health problems. At the same time, we moved to a new city, my father died from colon cancer, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, we were one paycheck away from bankruptcy, our relationship was rocky, and our two children became teenagers!
Following are some quick, easy, and inexpensive ways to replenish your spirit, refresh your attitude, and recharge your life. You owe it to your loved one to follow these suggestions. More importantly, you owe it to yourself.
Don’t think you have to use all of these suggestions at once. Start by choosing one or two. You may be overwhelmed already; don’t increase your stress by trying to do everything on the list. Be good to yourself even as you learn to take care of yourself.
Self-care for the body
Taking care of yourself means taking good care of your body. You can’t help others if you are not healthy or if you have no energy.
1. Be careful. When you are stressed, you are distracted and more prone to accidents. Slowing down helps, especially on stairs.
2. Get a checkup. Stress takes a toll on your immune system. Visit your doctor, go to the dentist, and check your vision to be sure you are healthy and that everything is working optimally.
3. Eat healthfully. Even if you are not hungry or don’t have time, healthful food provides much-needed energy. Keep healthful snacks handy. Assign a friend to help you monitor your diet.
4. Drink water. You will feel better and your body will function better if you drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.
5. Exercise. Call it “recess”! Physical exercise produces endorphins and relieves muscle tension. Try for at least one 10-minute walk a day. More is better.
6. Rest. You must have sleep. Try 15-minute power naps during the day. Talk to your health care provider if you are having trouble sleeping at night.
7. Find some comfort. Warm drinks such as herbal tea and heated milk are soothing. Identify your “comfort foods” and have them available for a treat.
8. Relax. Listen to relaxation tapes. Find someone to teach you relaxation exercises. Just a few minutes of relaxation will leave you refreshed.
9. Stretch. Take a five-minute stretch break every hour you are awake to ease tight muscles caused by anxiety and stress. Use good posture when sitting or standing.
10. Get a body massage. Treat yourself to a full-body massage by a massage therapist. If people ask what you need, tell them, “A back rub!”
11. Give yourself a foot massage. Buy some peppermint foot lotion and give yourself regular foot massages.
12. Take a hot bath. Give yourself a 15-minute soak in a hot bath. Use fragrant bath oil, light a few candles, and play some soothing music.
13. Try aromatherapy. Find fragrances that bring you comfort, and surround yourself with them.
14. Express your anger. Acknowledge your anger at your circumstances. Find healthful ways to dissipate it, such as exercise, finding a private place to scream, or even punching a pillow or punching bag.
15. Have a good cry. Although you may think that if you start crying, you won’t be able to stop, let yourself cry. You deserve a “pity party.” Find some privacy and let those tears flow.
Self-care for the mind
The way you think about your situation influences the way you feel. Using your mind in a positive way is a form of self-care.
16. Get the scoop. Knowledge is one of the best cures for anxiety. Factual information is of the utmost importance. Learn as much as you can about your situation, using expert sources, not hearsay.
17. Find an “information buddy.” Find someone who is not emotionally involved to help you think clearly. Take that person with you to the doctor, when you visit care facilities, or any time you must hear and understand important information.
18. Rely on your inner wisdom. Know your limits. Because of the effects of stress on your life, you may experience clinical depression and anxiety disorder. Ask your health care provider for information about these, and be sensitive to the fact that you may need some help.
19. Use healthful means of coping. Examine the ways in which you deal with stress. If you tend to turn to substances like alcohol, drugs, or even food to dull your pain, find someone who will guide you toward more healthful stress management tools.
20. Make a plan. Make a list of things you must do. Decide the order in which you will tackle them. Then make a to-do list for each day. Limit the items to those you can reasonably get done, and then enjoy crossing them off.
21. Keep a journal. Keep a notebook to jot down things you want to remember, feelings you need to express, ideas you want to explore — just about anything your inner voice wants to say.
22. Have a personal mantra. Choose a prayer or phrase that has meaning to you and gives you strength. Repeat that phrase over and over in your head or aloud when you feel like you’re losing your grip. Concentrate on your voice or thought, and soon you will have the strength to do what you have to do.
23. Stay as organized as possible. As you know, it’s not unusual for crises to hit at any moment. To ease your stress, keep your household business organized. Keep track of mail and bills to be paid. Enlist the help of a trusted relative or friend to keep you on top of things.
Karen Rowinsky, LMSW, is a psychotherapist in private practice in Overland Park, Kan., who specializes in working with women and family caregivers.
By Ross Murphy
Kansas Senior Press Service
Well, my neighbor, Ezra Church, finally persuaded me to attend the bee association meeting with him and Mrs. Church. It was held at the Ernie Miller Nature Center, halfway between my house and Olathe. One of the members put on a good speech about wintering bees to prepare them for the new year.
I visited with the editor of “Bee and Flower,” an eight-page newsletter published by the Northeast Kansas Beekeepers’ Association. The newsletter has been published since the 1920s, and he showed me some old copies. I borrowed a bound set to take home and read.
Here are excerpts from an article published many years ago in “Bee and Flower.” It was followed with great interest by a number of members:
Bee Sting
“Bees always have a reason for stinging. Usually it’s because they have been disturbed in a way that makes them react to defend the hive. Of course, we don’t have any real understanding of why they sting, we just know the situations that seem to cause it to occur.
“We know that a bee working in the field will only rarely sting; even then, you just about have to do something to the bee before this could happen. The individual field bee, when disturbed, will always rather escape than confront its accidental tormentor.
“Around the hive, it’s a different matter, though. When the hive is disturbed too much, and who of us can say what is too much, guard bees are sent out to deal with the intruder. Sometimes they just fly around as a warning, and sometimes they will immediately sting, even at forfeit of their lives.
“So it isn’t done for scant reason. That’s why the beekeeper should understand that the bees really aren’t being unreasonable when they sting. Every beekeeper should expect to be stung from time to time. Not to get stung would mean leaning too far to the side of caution, and indicates a keeper not getting truly involved in the lives of the honeybee.”
The next edition of the newsletter contained letters in reaction to the text.
Homer Wilkins wrote from De Soto to say, “Fifty stings in one day ain’t nothing. I was joining two colonies one day and got stung 85 times in a 20-minute period and didn’t think nothing of it.”
Donald Luscott, of Johnson County, said, “Was walking back from our swimming hole, wearing only swimming shorts. As I approached my hives, tripped over a tree root and stumbled into a two-body hive. Was stung all over 112 times and didn’t think anything of it. Just packed my whole body in mud and left it on for three days, kept it damp. Didn’t make a fuss about it. My wife did, though; she wouldn’t let me sleep in bed.”
The following issue contained a letter from Alberta Kearney, of Stilwell, who wrote, “I was helping my husband move a hive and I was stung about 2,000 times. Many of the neighbors came over to find out why my husband was cussing so much, which was good because they all gathered round for about two hours to dig the stingers out of my hide. It was a good excuse for them to get together and gossip.”
I couldn’t wait to read the next edition. First was a letter from a Philip Jacobsen, of “Old Monticello.” He said, “When I was new to beekeeping, I attempted to capture and hive a wild swarm. I was stung rather badly on the arms and face. My head swelled up like an Arkansas watermelon. Couldn’t open my eyes for a month. It turned out I was trying to hive a swarm of yellow jackets.”
A Howard Wilson reported, “The worst stinging incident I know of happened to a neighbor down the road. He was splitting wood and the axe slipped and got him right above the ankle. He didn’t give it proper care, and after a while gangrene set in. The doctor had to take off his leg at the knee. In due course he was fitted with a wooden leg and he got around on it right good.
“But then fate started happening to him. No one had noticed that his wooden leg was made of elm wood. One day he was stung by a Dutch elm beetle, right on that wooden leg. He said later he had hardly felt it. However, from this one single bite he contracted the Dutch elm disease. It went all through him within a month and there wasn’t any way to stop it except tree surgery.”
The next newsletter held a note from the editor: “We have received correspondence from a large number of our members on the subject of bee stings and insect bites, including two about water moccasins and one cobra letter. We believe that enough has been said on this subject so that it won’t be necessary to print any more at the present time, even though it has been most educational.”
Ross Murphy is a beekeeper, with hives. He lives in Shawnee.
These articles are also available electronically at the Center on Aging Website: http://www2.kumc.edu/coa/Senior_Press_Article/Topic_Index.htm