When Kamala Harris laid out an economic plan for her future presidency, she invoked FDR’s motto for pulling the United States out of the great depression, BOLD PERSISTENT EXPERIMENTATION.
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Nature is the ultimate experimenter. |
The same motto describes my approach to figuring out what it means to be an elder in contemporary society. And that begins with caring for a living body.
FLEXIBILITY
Two days a week I participate in a Water Aerobics class led by an 87-year-old volunteer. I have found that it helps keep my joints flexible. In addition, there is something primordially satisfying about being in water kept at 88 degrees. Perhaps it is because water provided the origin of an evolutionary process that led to Homo sapiens. Or maybe because the human embryo grows in an amniotic sac inside a womb.
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Biden's flexibility led Democrats in a new direction. |
BALANCE
The first question at one’s annual physical checkup is, “Have you fallen in the past year?” The desirable answer is, “No!” To achieve that answer, another two days a week I engage in a Senior Exercise class led by a 65-year-old fitness instructor. By building overall muscle strength we enhance our balance. To engage the neuroplasticity of our brains, we learn simple dance steps.
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Trees show that balance is a total body experience. |
REBUILDING
Due to repeated actions related to a persistent lifestyle, the brain-body connections of our bodies become rigid or distorted. Some muscle memories receive strong repetition and others weaken. To refresh and rebuild attenuated muscle memories, I attend Yoga once a week. Holding a pose for several deep breaths provides time for the brain/body connection to be renewed and attenuated muscle memory to be recharged.
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The sentience of trees. |
7 comments:
For the past two and half years, bicycle riding has become an important discipline of mine. This did not come about after a carefully considered analysis and construction of a plan. Instead, it's the culmination of unanticipated events that step by step slowly led me to some new priorities. While it all makes immense sense today, especially in maintaining my physical well being, it was not so obvious as it unfolded in real time. Last week I rode 40+ miles in a heavy headwind to visit old colleagues that I haven't seen in 15 years. It has been crucial for me in scheduling and completing excursions like this to have an "accountability partner" with whom to exchange weekly reports and photos. Mine lives 2,000 miles away.
Reading LiDona’s and Terry’s posts, I’m minded to say exactly one month ago, the 7th Sept, my 76th birthday, I fell off my bike. I didn’t break anything but landed with a heavy thud, mostly on my right arm. I actually got back on my bike and carried on my way. I started noticing the pain an hour later, alone the whole of my right side.
Totally unrelated, two weeks later I had an angioplasty and stent operation, from which I am recovering well. However, the pain from my fall lingers.
Within a week of the operation I was able to return to my health routine of tennis 4-5 time per week, table tennis once per week, swimming and resistance gym 3-4 times per week, yoga class once per week with daily morning yoga inspired stretching and strength exercises.
I haven’t gotten back on my bike however.
This forum might find this article interesting. David French is a lawyer, evangelical Christian, NYTimes opinion writer and an eloquent anti Trump commentator. This articulates the absurdity of thinking Jesus would be anything other than horrified by what MAGA is proposing.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/06/opinion/jd-vance-lance-wallnau-seven-mountains.html?unlocked_article_code=1.QU4.vxxM.ls7c4MqSswZK&smid=url-share
I didn't intend for this to be anonymous. I wrote it.
Thank you, LiDona, Terry, and John, for describing your exercise routines. I find it difficult to deny that when one reaches 80 years that time on this earth is growing briefer, hence the importance of minding one's health. Although my mother lived for 101 years, she was not in good health for the last ten years. My goal then, is good health while I'm still on Terre Firme. While living in Asia, I began a morning walking routine which I continue to this day. Currently I am walking in a new pair of waterproof hiking boots preparing for a two-week Croatian hiking trip beginning next week.
A new adventure begins.......
Ann
Hello! This is just the right message I needed and enjoyed reading in this crazy election cycle. I try to walk outside daily, weather and non- construction of tearing out the streets to lay new gas-line pipes, not withstanding. Fall, being my favorite season, for sure is an invitation to breathe in the air, admire the colorful foliage, watch squirrels busily preparing for winter … just being “out IN the nature” as my then 3 years old grand niece - now 37 - once said. Time to pause and appreciate. Love it! Sending you, all, best wishes.
Cheers~
Inspiring comments all. Now if I can just get my family to let me use Uber and go to the Y... Walking doesen't seem enough.
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