Best Bike Gear (over 55)

Spring is in the air, and my thoughts turn to bicycling even though it’s March in Minnesota! A beautiful 57 degrees yesterday was followed by a cold rain today.
Still it teaches me to “seize the day”, and hop on my bike with a few layers when the roads are dry and the ice is out.

My step-through frame bike by Fuji is one of a number of brands making age-friendly bikes for men and women, that are every bit as good as a standard bike. This design started in Europe some years ago, and American vendors predicted it wouldn’t catch on in the US. (wrong).

With the aging of the population, including myself at 65, entered a demand for the step through frame, 3 wheeler “hot rod” and e-bikes in the bike shops. Those of us (of a certain age) and a few tender points in our body want to continue fitness without the discomfort and flexibility (leg lift) of a standard bike frame. And a good frame will certainly prevent a fall.

This one is a comfort frame, which also takes the pressure off of tender necks, shoulders and hands, as I’m sitting more upright. Yes, it’s not as fast as a standard road bike, but I can ride comfortably and certainly speedy enough. With these adaptations, including great gear, I can ride without pain or numbness anywhere. Try a few out, every body is different and you will find what’s right for you.

The pandemic of 2020-21 has also caused a huge demand for bicycles, which you already know if you tried to buy one in the last year. Many companies have a shortage of workers and ability to get parts to manufacture or fix bikes, and bike shops have struggled to meet the demand.

Pressure relieving bike seats:

A great bike seat is a must for safety and comfort. I like this gender specific Serfas Rx saddle which can be tipped up and down as well to get the best angle for riding (without sliding forward). I got this one on Amazon, but available at bike shops as well.

Crosstown Glove by Fuji, has a patented technology with the best gel (pressure relieving)padding I’ve ever found. If you have tender wrists or shoulders, the gel takes the pressure down on your upper body. I got it at my favorite local bike shop (Rod’s bike shop in St. Cloud MN)

Bike-Tarp Slide: With a single bike, I use a plastic tarp to slide my bike into a hatchback or small SUV (lifting front tire in while bike weight is balanced on the back wheel).
Easy lift bike-car racks: After age 50, lifting up your bike on a standard bike- car carrier is a back killer.For multiple bikes, the new “shelf” type bike hitch racks by Hollywood (and many other brands) are a much easier lift with their lower to the ground wheel holders. Our Hollywood carrier has built in locking pin for hitch and bikes, so you can leave your bikes secured when eating out or traveling. We add a couple of bungies to secure bikes from wind wobble on the highway.

I wish you a great bicycling season as the weather warms up, and days are longer. There is hope on many fronts and lots of gratitude. The pandemic is waning, many of us seniors have had vaccines and can revisit our loved ones again.

I feel blessed to be healthy enough to get outside and bicycle, enjoying the popping buds on the lilacs and maple trees. Enjoy every moment!

Blessings, Mary Beth

Core Exercises for Fitness and Fall Prevention

Image result for therapy ball exercises — Sit to stand with a therapy ball is much easier on the knees
(Sit to stand motion is a good fall-prevention move)

Consult your Dr, physical or occupational therapist before starting any new or challenging exercise program.
And remember, that PAIN IS NOT GAIN! If something hurts, stop immediately, and consult a professional. Or start with a low number of repetitions until you can do a routine, and not hurt the next day (my rule for myself).

Balance really changes after age 60, as I’ve seen in professional courses (I am an occupational therapist). I am also learning by personal experience. I tripped over a rock in the garden last summer and was surprised at how fast it happened. Luckily, I landed on soft soil and didn’t hurt myself.

The “Bridge”, the Easiest core exercise, can be done in bed if getting on the floor is too difficult. Add a ball or firm pillow between your knees for more benefit.

Therapy ball size, typically 65 cm for women
75 cm for men

Core muscles are important for preventing falls and hip fractures, especially the rectus abdominus muscle (according to research). A church friend in her 60s fractured her hip when her bike slid on a sand patch, so fall prevention isn’t just for those over age 80.
Although core exercises don’t prevent accidents, they may help you land without the twisting that can make a hip fracture more likely.
As a person with lifting limitations (arthritis), I try to find fitness routines that don’t hurt my body, but also feel good. With therapy ball core work, I can feel the results in a more upright posture and better mobility getting off the floor or in and out of the car.

Mix it up

I also like to “mix it up”, vary workouts so I don’t get bored or stuck on one or two basic exercises. Research shows that varying workouts, even on alternating days is beneficial for keeping your body strong and balanced. Ideas with pictures:
https://www.verywellfit.com/ball-workout-for-balance-and-strength-1230908

I recently joined the Mayo Clinic Diet program on-line and lost those pesky pounds with their programming of healthy eating, changing negative habits (like mindless eating with tech), and balanced fitness. Here is a recent email from the Mayo Clinic Diet program about core workouts:

https://diet.mayoclinic.org/diet/move/focus-on-your-core?xid=nl_nl_mayo_diet_starter_2020-01-29_19293399&utm_source=Newsletters&nl_key=nl_mayo_diet_starter&utm_content=2020-01-29&utm_campaign=Mayo_Diet_Starter

So, main take away, try one of two of these therapy ball exercises in addition to your regular routine to keep your core and posture strong!

Blessings, Mary Beth

Travel Tips to lighten your load!

Amazon basics $50 rated as one of the best rolling luggage by NY Magazine http://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-rolling-carry-on-luggage.html

January weather in Minnesota is frightful right now at zero degrees and many senior friends are booked for travel to points south. Whether you yourself have joint pain or lifting limitations or are traveling with a family member who does, travel can be challenging and painful. Handling luggage in and out of cars, overhead luggage rack on the plane or off the baggage claim carousels are the most difficult for me when traveling alone. Here are some of my favorite travel tips to “lighten your load”.

The Arthritis foundation magazine (Arthritis Today) or their free on line forum at arthritis.org has the most helpful, up to date ideas on adapting daily living, living healthy and adapted equipment suggestions.
https://arthritis.org/health-wellness/healthy-living/daily-living/life-hacks-tips/navigating-the-airport

Asking for help. I have found fellow travelers to be very willing to help with helping to lift luggage from the overhead plane bins or off of the luggage carousels.
Travel lighter. I wear my heaviest jeans, athletic shoes and slacks when flying, and keep my coat or jacket on. I resist my tendency to “overpack” or have a new outfit for every day and plan to do laundry part way through my trip. I pack light “flip flops” for slippers, showering or pool areas to lighten my load. I do pack one pair of lighter dressy shoes.
Try out roller bags to make sure all four rollers move easily and don’t strain your low back. (see reviews on best roller bags, above.) The review also features a smaller roller camera bag that can double to carry lightweight items like shoes, insulated pack to carry medication.
The Arthritis Today magazine suggests that you don’t overpack into one suitcase but spread your items among a few smaller cases. Use a fanny pack to carry important documents and medications close to your body and for travel security. Invest in a smaller “tuck under” the seat suitcase to avoid overhead lifting in the plane.
If you’re traveling during a “flare up” and the walking distance is too long between airport gates, airlines are willing to get you a wheeled escort via “golf cart” or wheelchair. Asking for help is still difficult for me, but it was a relief and made a trip for my mom’s 90th birthday party possible!
Find a local pool to stay strong and ease pain while traveling.

Blessings, Mary Beth

Lighten Up! (Around the House)

Including Instant and Low Cost Lighting Solutions without an Electrician or Handyman!
My top picks have no batteries or light bulbs to change!

Under $5 Instant Stick-on motion lights for stairways, basements or bathrooms from Menards or Home Depot

My 91 year old mother commented that we need more light as we age, especially for reading, and navigating dark hallways, basements and , yes, more nighttime trips to the bathroom while half asleep! As I have reached my sixties I have also noticed that I need more light as I enter the house into a dark hallway, stairway and in the longer dark days during the winter, and focused task lighting when I do crafting or reading.
A recent trip to Costco showed a full aisle of lighting solutions, probably tailored to our aging baby- boomer population who are noticing the need to “spotlight” or task light as they age. Many low-maintence LEDs for indoors and outside have integrated bulbs that don’t require replacements! (Double win: no climbing of ladders to replace light bulbs)! Several were $29.99 or high of $44.99.

Integrated LED lights for interior or outside. Most with no bulb replacement and easy install. Some interior lights have dimmer options

Our neighbors who are in their late seventies have a dark stairway down to their basement laundry room and have stumbled a few times on the dimly lit stairs. We loaned them our $2.50 battery “hockey puck” motion activated LED light (above) to see if that additional light would give more security without alot of wiring or fuss. This instant solution worked so well, that our friends hightailed it to the home store to buy a few motion activated lights.
As we adapt our home to “age in place” and prevent falls, I am looking for low cost solutions that don’t require wiring or frequent maintenance and can be installed quickly.

My favorite almost- instant lighting fixture is the Guidelight 2 from Snap Power auto on and off (light sensor) outlet or switch plate, which any home handyperson can manage in about 5 minutes by just changing out the switchplates. No electrician or rewiring is needed. It also works for kitchen outlets to light up your countertop work space, which is something we seem to need after age 55.
According to the Techlicious.com, the LED lights should last for up to 25 years, and cost about 10 cents a year in electricity. I like that Snappower is made in the USA (Utah).
https://www.techlicious.com/blog/snappower-switchlight-safelight-guidelihgt-2-usb-charger/

Eufy set of 3 “lumi stick-on night lights” from Amazon are highly rated. Great for a park model trailer, RV or camper.

Lightening up and aging in place in your own home just got easier!

Blessings, Mary Beth

Doing things one handed

It happened in an instant. A fall off a mountain bike, which happened to my brother last week. Or a fall on a ski hill for my friend Ellen last winter. Or a planned surgery with a long recovery in a sling or cast.
Suddenly, little things become difficult. From putting on socks to opening jars and cutting your food. How can I do daily tasks without someone there all the time?

I thought I’d hit the highlights of hardest things that I needed to do myself after my dominant hand and arm were casted.

Dressing:
Use yoga or light stretch exercise pants during your recovery, so you can pull them up one handed. I found some great looking stretchable slacks and shorts at Lands End in their “starfish” pants collection.
There is a “sock aid” available if you if need help long term putting on your socks and it works well. For the short term, wear loose socks which can be put on this way:
1) Sit on the side of the bed, or if balance is a problem, lay on your back in bed. Cross your leg so you can reach your foot. (Or laying in bed, relax your knee and bring your foot towards you)
2) Spread sock apart with your free hand inside sock, and slide it over your toes.
3) Shimmy the sock up your foot. Now you see why I suggested wearing loose socks!

My husband learned to put on socks one handed after a ski fall

Shoes:
Sturdy slip ons work the best. if you’re in a heavy cast or immobilized arm, you may want to use a long handled shoe horn, which my husband found at Walmart, with a spring loaded feature:

Around the house:
Opening jars
If you’re on your own, getting food out is a bit tricky. I have a decent jar opener that is mounted under a cabinet that only takes one hand. (like the one below) If you have a long term condition or weakness in one hand, a mounted jar opener isn’t a bad idea.

Or put (previously opened) jars between your knees to stabilize while you open it with your free hand.

*Hold jars or packages between your knees to stabilize*

Opening microwave packages and cutting food:
Pre-packaged microwaveable dinners are a life saver if you’re limited to one hand.
A super sharp scissors is a huge help to open packages and a variety of other chores since you can use it one handed. You can hold the microwave package between your knees (or put a heavy tool like a hammer, on top). Cut one end (carefully) with a super sharp scissors.
You can even use a sharp scissors to cut food, especially washable kitchen shears.
I hope these ideas help you get by as you heal. Hang in there, things get better!

Do you have any other tricks or tools that help you do things at home? Please send me a message!

Blessings, Mary Beth

Zero G- super light and flexible garden hose

Super lightweight, flexible and easy to drag
Now “Amazon’s choice” for hoses and best hoses 2024 on garden blogs

updated 05/24

The whole country is parched with a massive heat wave, and our yards and gardens are showing the stress as much as we are.
It seems like we went from sweater weather to southern- style heat and humidity this year, even though we live in central Minnesota where our springs are usually moderate.
Despite our rainy spring and summer so far, the ground dries up quickly with the furnace like heat spell we’ve been having this month (July 2019), and we’ve been watering often.

Available at many garden stores or discount stores. Watch for sales, I got this for $29.99 at Fleet Farm

I was impressed when my sister showed me her Zero G hoses this spring, and I instantly understood why she replaced all her older hoses with this lightweight, flexible but sturdy hose. It’s not a wimpy or “girly hose” either- it’s rated well by garden sites and carries a 5 year warranty.
Like many of us with tender or aging bodies, lifting or dragging a hose is one of the hardest garden tasks we do. In fact, our mother ended up with a nasty fall after pulling a typical hose in her small yard just a few years ago.
So I was thrilled to find a hose that I can manage without asking for help and especially without strain or pain.
This baby pulls easily across the grass, and has a “space age” feature that is kind of fun: when the water is turned off and drains, the zero-g hose contracts like a shriveled snake and becomes instantly lightweight and easy to coil and stash.
I’m sold on this new technology, and my husband is impressed too.

Hang in there! The humidity is supposed to lift this week! It does make me crave fall, my favorite season.

2024 Quality control update- my zero G hose got sucked into the snowblower and came out working perfect. Also, new hose to house coupling sleeve is easier on the hands as of 2023.

Blessings, Mary Beth

Best Walker Ever-

my beautiful Mom at 91, walking around park trails with her new walker (and me)

Drive Nitro Euro style rollator
Available for as little as $199 on line on multiple stores. *Highly endorsed by Gypsy!*

I was so blessed lately to have time with my beautiful 91 year old mom, who lives in New England. Mom is a bottomless well of positivity, in spite of painful arthritis all over, she never complains! What an amazing attitude and example to me!

I was amazed at Mom’s increased mobility both outside and in with her new walker. The first thing I observed was that she was able to stand about 2″ straighter in this walker compared to a standard device.

The design is stellar- A lightweight walker that maneuvers easily around obstacles, and a variety of terrains. The front wheels are 10″ and although not pneumatic, they navigated over a crushed pebble driveway and dirt trails without getting bogged down. The bench seat is comfortable for seniors who need to sit down to rest during outings,

Best tip for caregivers: the walker is lightweight, folds easily and is much easier to stash into vehicles than the average bench walker.

If you have a family member in need of a walker, talk to your physical therapist about this new device, or take it for a spin at one of the equipment stores. (Medicare may cover this equipment, ask your health professional or medical equipment provider) I see it listed on line at Walmart, Walgreens, Amazon and medical equipment stores.

Note: Although I am a licensed occupational therapist, I am not paid to promote products. These observations are my personal and professional opinion.

Letting Go of “perfect”, part 2

Easy gardening without guilt (or pain)

Trader Joe luscious basil plants
Target Calla lillies

Over two years ago, my husband and some friends helped remove most of my perennial beds since I was scheduled for a surgery related to a form of arthritis I have that limits what I can ( and should do). I also hurt if I do too much.
Although it was difficult to “let go” of many of my favorite plants, I realized that my yard was taking too much of my time and I wasn’t enjoying it anyway. It seemed I was being given an opportunity to let go, figure out a new way of doing things and to accept “what is”.
The upside was being able to give alot of plants away. Many plants went to friends, a new neighbor who I got to know as she dug things up. Some clumps went to a local parochial school. A volunteer master gardener from a hospice house came and took away large numbers of plants, as she assured me that the residents found such peace sitting in the garden and my plants would add to the beauty of that space.
The asparagus clumps we had planted 5 years previously took over much of our available sunny patches and mulching with newspaper and grass clippings ( on top) eliminated much of the work.
I realized I loved my basil (and lemon basil pesto made yearly in the blender) and would prioritize a few things I could still grow in a raised bed. We purchased a few raised bed kits (on sale in the winter at Home Depot). I now let Trader Joe grow the basil plants as I do my small salad garden with arugula (easy grow in sandy soil), basil and asparagus. I also use a low stool, and ergonomic tools (OXO good grips for the gardener). As you can see, my garden and yard are far from perfect! The creeping charlie insists on taking over parts of the lawn and we are not one of those beautiful lawn without dandelions people!

Raised bed, low utility stool and mulch from grass clippings

I have been thinking alot about acceptance lately, and “living life on life’s terms”, concepts from 12 step recovery programs including Al-anon. They help me with my faith journey and living with a chronic illness with unknown variables from day to day. Whether you are aging, dealing with a chronic illness or just letting go of some unhealthy habits in your daily life, I wish you God’s peace!

Blessings, Mary Beth

Letting Go of “perfect”

(an unexpected gift of aging or pain)

Some years ago, I read an article about simplifying housework, or finding ways to do less without guilt. For example, hide messes in the oven, or throw toys in a bin when a guest was coming over. Or better yet, just leave the dirty dishes in the sink and welcome your friend in the house anyway! Another work saver was spot cleaning the floor when spilling in one area rather than wash the whole floor.

This is a struggle for alot of us who are too hard on ourselves or do too much! Enter a sore back, chronic pain or just normal aging and we have a choice to make. Keep hurting or try a new cleaning tool, doing things differently or get help from someone else.

Or let a few things go.

Stop working when you’re tired or sore.

Take a break. Read a book. Take a bath….

I’ve had to learn to do things differently and to do a whole lot less than I used to. Letting go of perfect and just being “good enough”. As we hear in healthy circles, I am a human “being”, not a human “doing”.

I do use a swiffer to wash my floor, and often I spot clean a mess on the floor. I use my foot (and clean shoes) to wipe up small spot rather than stoop and twist to reach the floor. My other “go to ” trick is to sit on a low foot stool (Rubbermaid or other) to do chores including gardening, or wiping something up without stooping or twisting.

Blessings!
Mary Beth

Continue reading →

Wool Dryer Balls for Tender Points

Always consult your Dr, Occupational or Physical Therapist before trying a new exercise program! And remember that “pain is not gain”! If something hurts, stop or do less next time.

I have tried many of the current exercise programs using back rollers or tennis ball to release sore or tender points. The next day, I always seemed to be more sore. So today, when I was finishing folding my laundry, one of these nice sized dryer balls fell out and gave me the idea to try it for tender point therapy. I like the results and don’t hurt afterwards.
I credit an occupational therapist years ago, who advised me to do a similar exercise with a slightly larger ball. By leaning in to the wall, you can control the pressure. I can also combine this with a gentle knee bend to also work my core. With the wall’s stability, this doesn’t hurt my knees. Every body is different and stay attuned to what works best for you.

tender point therapy against a wall allows for gentle pressure.
Who knew that wool dryer balls would work for other things than laundry?

Gentle back release also works the core. Hold for a count of 10 and release. Go easy the first day and if you don’t hurt the following day, you have a good starting point

Here’s hoping these ideas help you do more and hurt less! For more exercise ideas for tender bodies, see https://www.arthritis.org
Blessings, Mary Beth