Wednesday and Friday Workouts ‘Happy New Year’!

Friends,

Happy New Year!

I received lots of responses from my e-mail last week. Thank you to all who responded. It sounds like many people with MS could relate to my experience. It also sounded like many loved ones of people living with MS appreciated it and it helped them understand what their loved one was going through a little better. It also sounded like it was educational for many and didn’t realize MS did this to me. Thanks for reading it and letting me know how it touched you. That means a lot to me.

Last week I shared an experience of my challenges with MS. While MS can be so challenging, I can also share with you that my body is adjusting to more exercise again in a positive way. Since I introduced our Day of Endurance and the journey of getting to the day, I started exercising more and started training for my Day of Endurance next August. I’ve been increasing since September and I’m already up to swimming over an hour at a time 2-3 days per week and I’m up to 60 minutes on the stairmaster 2-3 times per week. I’m not telling you this to brag, I’m just sharing that I’m working hard and my body is adjusting to what I put it through again…even at 61 and living with MS and all it’s challenges. I’m so thankful!

Like I asked last week. 2023…what’s it going to be for me? That leads right into dreaming big, setting goals and living the journey to make them a reality. It takes action which is a lot of energy and effort (discipline, focus, hard work and a positive attitude). It’s not easy but it is worth it.

We have a lot of exciting events and opportunities planned for 2023. I’m hoping you’ll engage and have some fun with others along with making some progress yourself. Let’s get this new year kicked off!

This winter is going fast and spring will be here before we know it. The days are already getting longer and we’re already into January. I don’t know about you but I want to be in pretty good shape by spring and I have a long ways to go. It seems like the more I try to hurry up and get in shape, the faster the days and weeks go. With the day of endurance coming up on August 26th, let’s work hard now so we’re ready to get outside in the spring and summer.

Indoor Triathlon at Westwood Health and Fitness

The indoor triathlon at Westwood Health and Fitness (our founding event) is going to happen again 2023. The indoor triathlon will be Sunday, April 2^nd with an 8 week training period leading up to it. In the years past, this has been a very beneficial experience for many in so many ways. I hope you’ll engage in this fun and rewarding opportunity.

Culvers Fund Raising Event

For the first time ever, we will be doing a Culver’s fund raising event. Terry Frett has a friend at a Culver’s in Muskego who offered us a percentage of the profits on Wednesday evening, January 18^th. That’s coming right up! Let’s get together and have some fun at Culver’s. Please join us and pass the word to your family and friends. Here’s some info:

https://www.culvers.com/restaurants/muskego

Fundraising Team

If some people from the fundraising team are available tomorrow at noon, let’s get together for a few minutes to discuss how we can promote this. We will also have an opportunity to set up a board and let Culver’s customers know what we’re all about. If anyone is interested in helping with this, please let me know as well. We are hoping the funds raised at this event will cover any expenses incurred for the indoor triathlon at Westwood. Let’s do our best to have some fun and make this beneficial for Culvers and for us.

Save the dates
Some of the events we will be doing this year are as follows. Please mark your calendars and save the dates

January 18^th Culvers night out together
April 2^nd Indoor Triathlon at Westwood Health and Fitness
June 9^th Golf Outing Waukankee Golf Course
June 10^th Caregivers Retreat
August 5^th and 6^th National MS Society Best Dam Bike Ride
August 26^th Day of Endurance
November 4^th Open House
Every Wednesday and Friday morning – Get together at the gym and work out
Every Friday morning it’s 45 degress @ 7:00am – Friday morning bike rides

COVID
We didn’t have any new people test positive for COVID this past week. Yeah! Let’s hope it stays that way.

To all who have reported their positive testing to me…thank you for letting me know and for being socially responsible and staying away until your symptoms are all cleared up. If you do come down with it, it’s important we let people know that you have been in close contact with so they can watch for symptoms and help stop the spread.

We’ve all been dealing with COVID long enough and are very well educated on it by now. I’m not telling you what to do but I’d highly encourage you to wear a mask again if you haven’t had it recently. Let’s make good choices and be safe.

Please stay home if you have any symptoms or know you’ve been exposed to someone with the virus. Please don’t come until your symptoms go away. Let’s also give each other some space when talking to one another and continue wiping the machines down before and after you use them with disinfectant. Again…let’s be socially responsible and stay safe!

Let’s get together!
We’ll be getting together again from 9:00am – noon on Wednesday and Friday mornings at the gym. I hope you’ll join us! If we don’t have enough volunteers, please help each other.

Wisconsin Metal Parts – Westmound Building
MS-Just Keep Moving, Inc.
W228N791 Westmound Drive
Waukesha, WI 53186

Prayer Group We’ll be having our prayer group Wednesday @ 11:00am.
I just love the way we share, pray and laugh together while we witness prayers being answered weekly. It’s truly amazing!

Thanks goes to God and to everyone that joins us. Let’s get together to share, listen, talk, give thanks, and pray however God leads us.

MS Just Keep Caring – Our Caregivers support group will be the first and third Friday of each month from 10:00 – 10:30am. The next one will be this Friday, January 6^th. If you’re a caregiver of someone you love with MS, please join us and share your experience of caring for your loved one. This has been very helpful for many. Thanks to all who participate!

Friday Morning Bike Rides
Let’s ride indoors all winter so we can pick up where we left off next spring. The bikes are all set up at the gym.

Our Facebook page is private. That means you’ll need to join if you want access to all our fun and progress. We’re now up to 328 members…awesome! https://www.facebook.com/groups/2639832389489709

Our Facebook page is very active and fun. Lots of people are doing more and sharing some of their journey on Facebook. Feel free to join, post and share your experience and comments. Thank you to all who are sharing!

There were some awesome pictures, videos and comments shared again this past week.

Thai Massage with Ricky Heldt
Ricky will be here Wednesday and Friday again this week doing Thai Massage. Ricky says he is comfortable to work with you even if you’re not wearing a mask. Ricky will continue to wear one to protect you.

Many continue making great progress with chronic pain relief, range of motion, walking better and a new sense of hope when Ricky works with them. Please keep in mind that consistency is key. Not only with Ricky…with exercise too. We needconsistency to realize the benefits long term. We want you to have long term relief.

Ricky has a sign up sheet based on first come first serve. You can pick the time slot that works for you. I highly encourage you to take advantage of Ricky’s Thai Massages each day and sign up for your time slot as soon as you get there.

Reiki with Linda Linda will be here on Fridays doing Reiki. Many people say Linda’s Reiki work is “magical”. We’re thankful for Linda offering her gifts and talents to us. Feel free to let Linda know you’d like to do Reiki with her. She also has a sign up sheet.

Inspirational Humor with Adam Wollert
We’ll be having our inspirational humor zoom call with Adam again next Tuesday. Adam is a gift to all of us.

Please join us if you can.
Tuesdays @ 1:30PM
Here’s the link to join us…I hope you do!
Join Zoom Meeting with this link

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9431389152?pwd=bWlYbFNaazVnM1M1cWxWMitlODdXUT09

Meeting ID: 943 138 9152
Passcode: 3qP2hu
Phone: 1-312-626-6799

Let’s reach out
I encourage you to share a smile and encouragement with someone. Perhaps you could call someone that you have not talked with for a while just to say hi and see how they are doing. We all could use a little extra love and encouragement.

MS is tough. Let us have faith, remain calm, be flexible, help each other and learn as much as we can about the challenges of each day as we make good choices.

Let’s keep moving and smiling 😊

In God We Trust…we are in good hands
Dan

http://msjustkeepmoving.org/

P.S. It seems like some people like my bird pictures. Here are a couple more. Let’s be like the birds and have no fear.