fro m t h e e d i t o r
Photo by Joey Halvorson
Who Me?
Staff Publisher Tim Bogenschutz Editor Meg Douglas Art Director Lisa Henry
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photographer Joey Halvorson Copy Editor DeLynn Howard
Instructor Anita Travica (left) keeps it lively at the Brainerd Family YMCA.
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When I first read Bettie Miller’s Silver Sneakers story on page 40 in this edition of Her Voice, I thought, how great for Bettie. She’s into her 80s, recovering from heart surgery and lucky to find an exercise program for older adults! Good for her, …but not for me. Never mind that I’m Medicare eligible, osteoarthritic and a cancer survivor. I’m active; I said to myself, I don’t need a class. Then a letter from my health care supplement arrived, extolling the virtues of Silver Sneakers with the added virtue that my supplement paid for the program. Always a sucker for a deal, I shifted into “maybe” mode. And when two friends, not one but two, suggested I give Silver Sneakers a try, the universe appeared to be sending me a message. At the Brainerd YMCA, the shiny wood floor and mirrored walls revealed a wide variety of adults — a man in a wheelchair, a woman in workout gear, all different sizes, shapes, defying an easy stereotype. A nice hum of conversation filled the air. These people like each other, I thought to myself. Spotted as a newbie by an observant instructor, I was fitted for appropriate weights and fit-band and eased into the routine. Like all the instructors, she was knowledgeable, personable and funny. Hey, not so bad, I said to myself. This day, country music produced a resounding beat and I couldn’t help but move along. Always active, I didn’t expect to be challenged by a Silver Sneakers class. Boy, was I wrong! At home, it’s easy to cheat on repetitions, but not in class, “How many do we want, eight more?” sings the instructor merrily, urging us into the burn. Some of the benefits have been unexpected. I thought I’d recovered from mastectomy surgery four years ago, but find the exercises have given me a new flexibility, openness and strength to my upper body, not to mention increased endurance. And if I didn’t know about the condition of my quads, hams and glutes before...I sure did after a class or two! On the other hand, there’s no rallying cry to compete with anyone but your self. Most of us have parts that don’t work efficiently — a bum knee, a tight hip or an aching back that needs protection. So we’re encouraged to adapt each exercise, as needed. “You’re in charge,” says the instructor over and over. A few weeks into classes, I encouraged a friend and recent stroke victim to join me in a Silver Sneakers Yoga class. As eager as I’ve always been to exercise, my friend has rarely demonstrated any enthusiasm for physical activity. But her stroke was a wake-up call — and now the two of us smile at the irony of standing (or sitting) side by side in the same exercise class!
HV Meg Douglas, Editor 4
Fall 2013 | her voice
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