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What Fits Your Busy
Schedule?
By
Mary Beth Barry |
 Braintree
- I keep a cartoon on my office wall of a doctor
speaking with a patient and a caption that reads “What fits
your busy schedule better, exercising one hour a day or
being dead 24 hours a day?” I have taken this cartoon to
“heart” and I now work with a trainer who is motivating me
to keep myself healthy.
I appreciate the effort she puts into my workouts and I am
often surprised at what she asks me to do. At one session
she put a dome shaped object on the floor in front of me and
explained that I would be standing on this and squatting
holding some weights.
This seemed easy enough until she turned the dome upside
down and now expected me to maintain my balance while
performing these squats. I remember looking at her and
telling her where my health insurance card was located in my
wallet as I fully expected to fall and be injured during
this exercise. She explained that the dome shaped object was
called a Bosu and that this exercise was to develop my
balance so as I age my chances of falling might diminish.
Well, I do not think of myself as aging (denial is great
isn’t it?) and really was not sure I could accomplish what
she expected. At first I had to hold onto something to get
myself situated on this “thing” and it truly felt unsettling
to not have control of my balance. This was difficult but
challenging. My legs were shaking as was my confidence at
trying not to fall off and injure myself.
I have, over time, mastered the exercises on the Bosu. My
balance is better and so is my appreciation for training my
brain to keep me upright as I do (gasp) age. Honestly, fall
prevention was not yet on my radar screen but it is never
too early to start. The concept of maintaining one’s
balance, both in physical and emotional states is so
important to our overall well being. Exercise, in any form
is a long term investment and enhances our opportunities for
better health both mentally and physically.
Our brains, muscles and bones all work together to maintain
our bodies balance and keep us from falling over. The goal
is to teach our brains to quickly activate the right muscles
at the right time to prevent falls. There are many forms of
exercise, including Yoga, which can help strengthen all the
right parts. The good news is you do not need to join a
health club or pay a lot of money to do these exercises. All
you need is a good program and a flat surface. Please seek
the advice of a physician, physical therapist or trainer in
helping you develop a safe program that is right for you.
Gather a few friends and do the exercises together, have a
few laughs and think positive thoughts, all of which will
keep you in a healthier place.
Happy spring! |
About The Author
Mary Beth Barry, RN, MSM, CHPN is Director at Hospice
of the South Shore. You may reach her at (781) 794-7875 or
learn more at www.sshosp.org.
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