Wisdom of the Elders

Yep.  That's us.  We've officially passed the half way mark which means we've accumulated a fair bit of life experience.  We've lived through our own ups and downs.  We've had our own struggles and victories.  We've got some things to share!

I have a friend who posts about Grandmothers Groups from time to time.  So I thought I'd find out what they're about.  As it turns out, elders here are supporting African elders who are looking after the nation's children who have been affected by HIV/AIDS.  (Thank you, Stephen Lewis, for your amazing work.)

This is where I got to thinking about being an elder and what that might mean.  I don't feel like an elder.  My mom is still living.  She's a true elder.  But I also have a responsibility to help the younger set where I can.   Heading into the second half, I hope to help, role-model and inspire in my own small way.  I have a few things to share.

"Who'll be my role model, now that my role model is gone?"  (Paul Simon)

10 Minute Abs

Time is a big issue.  I work full time.  My family is dispersed, so seeing them takes time.  And I am committed to working out.  So any workout I can do at home in less than half an hour is great for me!

Here's an abdominal workout you can do in 10 minutes at home.

Basically, you set a timer to go off every 30 seconds.  Pick 20 exercises.  Switch when the timer goes.  Non stop.

Some suggestions for picking your 20 exercises:

http://exercise.about.com/cs/abs/l/bldynamicabs.htm

http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/finder/lookup/filter/muscle/id/13/muscle/abdominals

http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises.htm

Look After Your Fascia

My sister introduced me to MELT balls.  They come in various sizes and densities and are used as a self-treatment for chronic pain in feet and hands.  And I think they are making a difference for me!

MELT also produces a body roller to roll out your muscles.  It is softer than many foam rollers on the market - and it, too, makes a difference for me.

Anything that keeps me flexible and pain free is great in my books.  You can learn more about MELT and order their products here.

Look After Your Feet

I have chronic pain in my heel.  It's been with me for 20 years.  Usually it subsides for a while and I get on with exercise.  But this year it isn't going away.  I'm okay with not playing soccer or basketball any more.  Rowing is going well.  But my foot is getting in the way of hiking and even walking!

There are 26 bones in a foot.  And heel pain is common.  This article in Medical News Today is pretty informative.

Rest.  Ice.  Ibuprofen.  I guess that's what I'll keep doing....  Sigh.

Competition Is Good For You!

I've spent most of my life playing sports.  I love to play a game or race a race.  I love the challenge of pushing myself to the limit and, most of all, I love the feeling of winning.

Winning doesn't always mean coming first.  It sometimes means I make a personal gain or overcome a personal obstacle.  A game well played is definitely a win.

In April I had the luck to race with some friends at a rowing regatta in Victoria.  Dueling Over a Grand, lovingly known as the DOG, is a two boat race.  You race and, if you win, you move on.  There is a "back door" for crews who come second early in the regatta - you have to race more and beat more crews to make the final.

In March, my crew undertook a training camp to get in race shape.  We all work out individually and stay quite fit for a bunch of middle agers, so the training camp was more about relearning how to row together and to establish our race plan.  Racing is a pretty psychological pursuit.  All the fitness in the world means nothing if you can't control the "can't" in your head.  Our "coles notes training camp" was designed to help us with that.

The weekend of racing was super fun.  I have a love/hate relationship with racing - mostly about how prepared I am for the race.  I felt well prepared for the DOG this year.  I know I'm ready when we sit on the start line and I'm thinking "yeah, we've got this" instead of "crap, why am I here?"  Every time we locked into the start I was confident in our crew.

You're half way through your life journey.  It might be time to take up a sport that you can compete in.  It's an awesome feeling to push yourself and come up with your own kind of "win".