Hoping The Old Sponge Still Absorbs !

Before I start on with my yesterday, I hope I can make it through my today, as the date with Mr. Insomnia throughout the night was not a very pleasant one.  There wasn't even the benefit of a thunder and lightning storm for me to amuse myself with......  Rob, sleeping soundly, and snoring I might add, was oblivious to the fact that I was spending the entire evening with Mr. Insomnia, so I didn't even have a man at my side with an ounce of jealousy to ward Mr. Insomnia off ! 

*Sigh*  I am hoping for the energy to be able to reiterate my yesterday, never mind looking any further into my day ahead for the time being anyway.....

My morning started out in its most usual fashion of usually being awake before, and actually getting up at 5:00 a.m..  I needed to get my "blog" done,  call our grandsons, it being Aiden's 7th birthday, and Connor's 1st day of Junior Kindergarten, dress, make the bed, and call my sister, Jeanne, and brother-in-law, Cecil, before I headed out at 8:00 a.m. to be in Owen Sound for 8:45 a.m.. to attend the first VON SMART Practical course for volunteers and instructors.

I managed to do it all without a hitch, with even finding time to pick myself up a Tim Horton's coffee along the way, and make a phone call once I was in the designated parking lot where the SMART Practical Training was being held.  Good "Time Management" is within my grasp some days, when pain or others are not around to mess it up....lol.

There were nine of us in attendance at the course, two being the Certified Seniors Fitness Trainers, Dorothy and Cathy.  Things got started first with introductions, providing a little bit about ourselves, I might add only but one of us didn't have a pet but did have 2 goldfish for her grandchildren...lol, and receiving an Agenda and Workbook, along with other course handouts.

In the course of the day, we completed 5 Modules of course material, as follows:

Module 1 ~ History of SMART along with Objectives
Module 2 ~ Aerobic Warm-Up Objectives with Practical Component
Module 3 ~ Aerobic Endurance Component with Objectives
Module 4 ~ Aerobic Cool Down Component with Objectives
Module 5 ~ Exercise Safety and Contraindications with Objectives

There were a couple of breaks inbetween Modules 1 and 2, then 3 and 4, with a wonderful lunch provided for us at 12:00, ordered in from the European Bakery, Owen Sound .

There most certainly was a lot of material to cover and absorb, along with some terminology I need to learn, and would have had a better grasp of had I previous experience in a medical field, such as nursing, however I really think the old sponge did absorb some of it, now the question being will it "hold"?  LOL.

The VON SMART Program is open to anyone 55 +, either in taking part in the program by being a participant or by being a volunteer/instructor (under 55 years also qualifies for volunteer/instructor).  I believe this is the first week the SMART Program begins in most communities in and around Ontario, so if here is any interest information may be received by contacting:

VON Grey-Bruce
1280 20th Street East
P.O. Box 969
Owen Sound, ON  N4K 6H6

Tel:  519-376-5895

or by Email directly to Dorothy Embacher, SMART Program Coordinator:

dorothy.embacher@von.ca


Active Living Tips (taken from ALCOA * CVAA Issue Number 5, May 2003)

Research tells us that exercise is good for all older people.  Aerobic exercise is especially good.  It helps older adults move more easily and feel better.  Even people in their 90s can improve their aerobic fitness.

Older adults who are fit are likely to have a better quality of life and to live longer.  If we lose fitness, daily tasks such as housework and gardening tire us out.  when we feel strained or too tired, we stop doing these tasks.  Then we can start to decline, doing less, getting less fit and weaker, and you end up doing even less activity.  We can end up needing others to help with the simple daily tasks of living on our own.


I just wanted to put that little bit in from one of the handouts, as I find it important for myself to keep moving at my age of 52 years young, as it promotes not only good bone and cardiovascular function, but it will also promote strength and quality of life for myself in the upcoming years.  Despite the fibromyalgia and degenerated disc disease challenges I experience on a daily basis, I still have to keep going to keep the joints oiled in order for them not to seize up, and to do so I must keep moving, at the same time trying to find "balance".....  finding balance and pacing myself are also two more of my biggest challenges.

Like the old saying goes, "only as good as a well oiled wheel".

I am tired and have another "full" day ahead of myself, where I am going to have to try and fit in some balance and pacing myself, as yesterday was a little bit too much, or so my body is telling me this morning, but the reward in the end will be well worth the effort I am sure.

This rain and damp weather sure isn't helping one's bones one iota !  Onto the Wiarton Airport Weatherman's forecast for my day ahead....

Today:

A mix of sun and cloud. 60 percent chance of showers this morning with risk of a thunderstorm. Wind southwest 30 km/h gusting to 50 becoming northwest 30 gusting to 50 near noon. High 22. UV index 6 or high.

Tonight:

Partly cloudy. Clearing after midnight. Wind northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50 becoming light this evening. Low 10.

Just a quick note for those that might not realize if one was to click on the highlighted words within my "blog", you will be taken into a referring page with regards to those "key" words.  Hitting the back button, on the top of your browser, should take you back to my "blog".

I not only have a mound of paperwork and phone calls ahead of me today, I also have an appointment with the bank for the "Crabby Cabbie" and 1/2 bushel of tomatoes that are in dire need of my attention, so here I find myself, once again, off and running, "Just North of Wiarton & South of the Checkerboard".