Friends,
Never in my wildest dreams
Thanks to all who gave me positive feedback and hugs after last week’s e-mail. I don’t even know why I wrote it. I must have been thinking a bit too much and needed to get some of my thoughts and feelings out. Anyway, I appreciate the positive words of encouragement and love.
In case you missed it, it’s posted on our website here. https://msjustkeepmoving.org/wednesday-and-friday-workouts-never-in-my-wildest-dreams/
I’m so thankful that God is bringing us all together the way He is.
Friday – Dr Motl’s Team from University of Illinois – Chicago here
The Exercise Neuroscience Research Lab is excited to discuss “why we should exercise” with the Friday morning group at MS Just Keep Moving! We will start with a brief discussion of the cardiovascular system, how MS, age, and other lifestyle factors interact to change the cardiovascular system, and how exercise can be employed to maintain or improve health.
This will be followed by a discussion of how to stick to exercise and the factors that influence exercise adherence. We are also excited to answer any questions you may have after the presentation!
RAGBRAI 2025
What’s RAGBRAI? https://ragbrai.com/
It looks like Traci, Shelley, Trish, Diane and Todd are doing well.
They found some fun people to ride with…oh my!
They started across Iowa on Sunday and are riding a 100-mile ride today. I hope it doesn’t get too hot to ride the next few days. The heat is usually not too MS friendly if you’re not used to it. Let’s hope they make good choices and stay safe.
Day of Endurance Excitement – Saturday, August 23rd 2025
We’re getting closer! Only 4 weeks from this Saturday!
Here are the links to the presentation from two Friday’s ago:
We also handed out Day of Endurance T-shirts. If you did not get your T-shirt yet, you can get one when you’re at the gym. We highly encourage everyone with MS, their family and friends, our volunteers and supporters to join us.
It’s great to hear training is going well for so many people. I know new people don’t quite know what to expect but it seemed like everyone that has done it in the past is excited. Please keep in mind that if you do better, do more or do something in addition to what you did last year, you get to bang on the gong. I’m hoping we hear the gong go off all day.
We will be offering two more modes of movement this year. Kayaking and Rebounding. If you want to kayak, please let Chrissy know. We will be kayaking from 6:00am – 8:00am and need to be at the picnic area for the National Anthem and a few words of gratitude and encouragement at 8:45am. The rebounding will be available after we get started with our events at 9:00am.
Let’s make this journey and experience the best yet and have some fun…together. As we train, let’s enjoy each day and record what we do on the packet we put together for you. If you didn’t get a packet, please see Dr Kate or me for your packet. Please turn your progress notes into Dr Kate bi-weekly. We’re trying to make it really easy for you to record what you’re doing on a daily basis. These will be interesting for you to look back at a year from now. Hopefully, you can do more next year than you do this year.
Remember, try to do DAILY workouts and just one LONG workout each week. It’s on the one long workout that you want to do just a little better than the week before and gradually build up each week.
Endurance Walking Opportunities
Walking is a very functional and sought after level of mobility for all of us living with MS. For those who can’t walk, my heart is with you. I don’t forget for a minute the days I couldn’t walk and I have you in mind on each walk. I wish we had quicker ways to get people who can’t walk, walking. Let’s keep working at it.
For those who can walk, let’s focus on keeping our walking abilities and try to improve upon them.
Our endurance walking group is training for the Day of Endurance. These are on Thursday mornings starting @ 6:00am.
Last Thursday, Joan returned from vacation and walked 8.5 miles. She had her long walk on her first week of vacation and kept moving the rest of her vacation but didn’t get another long walk in which is fine. When we’re on vacation, we should be on vacation. We could all tell it was much harder for Joan than when she left for vacation. She was happy she finished 8.5 miles and will continue building back up as her body will allow. With MS, we need to keep listening to our bodies, yet do all we can.
Pam and I continued walking when Joan was done and we reached 16 miles. We both felt fine afterwards which was really exciting. That’s a long walk! We started at 6:00am and finished at 1:15pm. We continue to add one mile per week. Our bodies are adapting to the distance with the gradual build up each week.
Even if you can only walk a few steps, I would highly encourage you to try to walk a few steps each day and then one long walk per week – whatever that distance is for you. Consistency is key.
We are walking different segments of the Lake Country Trail. Whether you have MS, are a family or friend, a volunteer, etc. if you want to join us, please let me know and I will include you in the communication of where we will be walking. We are hoping to gradually build up from 7 miles to 15-18 miles as we train for the Day of Endurance on August 23rd.
If you want to join us at a shorter distance, we will loop back at whatever distance you’d like to walk or we can meet up with you a little later if you want to join us for a while. I would encourage you to start where you are and gradually make progress as well. I hope you’ll join us. We do it early to beat the heat and get it done as early in the day as we can.
This week, we will be making smaller loops so we can keep getting more water. It’s supposed to get really hot out. MS doesn’t really like the heat. Don’t worry, we’ll make good choices.
Nutrition Program
Janine was back this week and discussed why vitamin B-12 is important for us, where we get it from and what we can do to insure we have the proper amount. This is an important one for us living with MS.
Here are the nutrition links for this week.
Nutrition: MS 2025.07.21 Vitamin B12.pdf
Janine puts a lot into these presentations. It’s wonderful for her to share these presentations with those who can’t be here. It’s even more impactful for people who can be here in person to get the information first hand and be able to get questions answered and learn from others living with MS.
I would highly encourage you to engage in our nutrition program Monday mornings @ 9:00am so you can benefit at a high level. All are encouraged to come; people with MS, loved ones, care takers, volunteers, etc.
Thank you Janine!
Metals for MS
Thank you to all who brought in aluminum cans, gutters, copper, etc. Please keep bringing them in.
Parking
If there are able-bodied people willing to park across the street in the Acuity lot so people with mobility challenges can park in our lot, please do so. We want to make it easy for people with mobility challenges to park and get into our building safely. Thank you for doing that!
Gym Open and Close Procedure
If you’re the first to come or the last to leave the gym, please use this procedure for opening up and shutting down.
Open and closedown procedures.docx
Member Spotlight – Vibration Therapy
A while back, Dr Kate Kern did a presentation on the benefits of vibration therapy and the different types of vibration therapy equipment we have at the gym. It’s good to see Patrice, Vanessa and Kim W are making progress with it.
Ed and Adam’s Podcast
Adam wasn’t available so Ed had a conversation with his wife Janice.
Here’s the link:
A Conversation with Janice by Positive Vibes Living with MS
Thanks Adam, Ed and Ava for doing these podcasts together!
Exercise Programs
These classes are aimed to get everyone exercising together. I like that word “together” 😊. We’ll need help from volunteers before and after the cardio class on Wednesdays and Fridays to get members on and off equipment. All are welcome and encouraged to join…friends with MS, volunteers, and caregivers.
Monday Mornings
8:00am Rebounding Class
9:00am Nutrition Program – Friends with MS, caretakers and volunteers are encouraged to engage. Here’s last week’s presentation:
Nutrition: MS 2025.07.21 Vitamin B12.pdf
Monday evenings (open from 4:00pm – 7:00pm)
5:00 pm: High intensity interval training (HIIT)
5:30 pm: Standing balance
6:00 pm: Seated balance
Tuesday afternoons
1:00 pm – 1:45 pm: Aquatic exercise program held at Wildwood Lodge – Pewaukee
2:00 pm – 2:45 pm: Aquatic exercise program held at Wildwood Lodge – Pewaukee
Wildwood Lodge has a lift available to get people in wheelchairs in and out of the pool safely
Wednesdays
8:30am – 9:00am: Cardio exercise
Location: in the big room using aerobic equipment in front of big TV
Pick your favorite piece of equipment to use, bring a water bottle, and arrive a few minutes early to get the equipment set up to your height.
9:30am – 10:00am: Seated Balance
10-10:30am: Cardio exercise
Location: in the big room using aerobic equipment in front of big TV
Pick your favorite piece of equipment to use, bring a water bottle, and arrive a few minutes early to get the equipment set up to your height.
10:30am – 11:00am: Seated / Standing Stretching Class
Fridays:
7:00 – 8:45am: Bike Ride from Nettesheim Park – Pewaukee – see address below
9:30 – 10:00am: High intensity interval training (HIIT) body weight circuit class. Great for those who aren’t attending Friday morning bike rides and want to get their heart pumping! Geared to intermediate to advanced ability level. Class may be indoors or outdoors depending on weather. Find Dr Kate at the start of the class time.
10:00 – 10:30 am: Seated balance class
10:30 – 11am: Standing balance class
Pick the class / classes you feel most able and comfortable participating in. We will have chairs set up to sit on and/or use for balance support.
Email Dr Kate Kern at kborn1234@gmail.com with any questions.
Friday Morning Bike Rides
Please note that there is construction on Hwy SS starting this week. There will also be detour signs. You will have to either come in from the route we usually ride by the lake or from the west. Please leave your home early and allow a little more time for the construction detour.
Last week Gregg got separated from the group and got lost. Unfortunately, this separated all of us for the ride. Thanks for making the best of it and still getting a good ride in as I was looking for Gregg. Going forward, let’s all help to keep everyone together.
I finally caught up to Gregg in Hartland. Maple Avenue is very busy right now because it is a detour route for Hwy 83. I didn’t feel comfortable or safe going back on Maple Avenue so we went into Pewaukee and back to the park. We were going by Pewaukee Lake Beach so we thought we might as well get a picture together. We made the best of the situation and made it back safely 😊
We’ll be meeting Friday morning at 7:00am at Nettesheim Park in Pewaukee. It’s on the SE corner of Hwy SS and Oak Street. The GPS address is: N26W27495 Prospect Ave, Pewaukee, WI 53072.
Come a little early so you can get your bike out of your car and be ready to ride as close to 7:00am as possible. We’ll ride until about 8:45. Let’s ride and have some fun!
For those who wish you could join us but can’t; please know we have you in our hearts on these rides. We’re riding with you and for you. I hope you too can join us someday.
Educational Sessions
Friday, July 25th 11:00 – 12:00 pm: Rob Motl’s team from the University of Illinois Chicago will update us on research results from their recently completed MS studies, tell us about ongoing research studies, and what’s next for his research lab.
Friday, August 1st 11:00 – 12:00 pm: Kate will present interesting research findings and rehab techniques she learned at the 2025 Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) conference.
Friday, August 15th Fayth Caruso from Bellicon will be here to spend the morning with us. Fayth will answer any questions you may have about rebounding, the benefits of it, how to get started, experiences she’s had as a master trainer, etc. Fayth would also like to learn from us living with MS and how we have benefited it from it so far. Fayth gets lots of requests from people across the nation about rebounding and MS. She is hoping to get some testimonials from some of us to share with her Bellicon nation.
Future topics could include: emotional health, nutrition, yoga, tai chi, wellness topics, safe use of gym equipment for your body, best exercise for you and more. What topics would you like to see? Please let Dr Kate, Joan, Traci, Ricky or Dan know.
Let’s get together!
We’ll be getting together from 8:00am – noon on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at the gym. Plus, Monday evenings from 4:00pm – 7:00pm. I hope you’ll join us!
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 from 11:00am – noon.
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 Friday, August 1st, 2025. 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!
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 at 640 members. That’s awesome! https://www.facebook.com/groups/2639832389489709
Our Facebook page is active and fun. Lots of people are doing more and sharing their journey on Facebook. Feel free to join, post and share your experiences and comments.
There were some awesome pictures, videos and comments shared again this past week. Thank you to all who are sharing!
Thai Massage with Ricky and Nyani
Ricky will be here on Wednesdays doing Thai Massage.
Nyani will be here on Fridays doing Thai Massage
Our goal is to serve as many people who come to the gym consistently as we can with these Thai Massage services. Going forward we will be doing a rotational schedule to accommodate as many people as we can who need and want a massage.
There are some guidelines written up at the gym. Please respect the guidelines so we can serve as many people as we can. Please sign up according to the guidelines.
Here’s a link to the guidelines: Thai Massage at MS-Just Keep Moving
Reiki on Wednesdays and Fridays
Reiki is available at the gym, for FREE, on Wednesdays (Mary B, Jill K) and on Fridays (Linda C and Mary R), 9:30am until noon. Sessions typically last 20-30 minutes. Sign up for a session on the white board.
Reiki (ray-kee) relaxes the body so that healing can occur! The “magic” of Reiki has helped some of our members with pain, insomnia, constipation, and so much more! Try it the next time you are at the gym!
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. Thanks to all who joined us today!
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’s 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 and take action.
Let’s keep moving, smiling and loving 😊 It helps!
In God We Trust…we are in good hands.
Dan
Our Website: http://msjustkeepmoving.org/
P.S. This was another interesting week out in nature with the camera. I just never know what I’m going to see when I’m out there.”
When Pam, Joan and I walk on the Lake Country Trail on Thursdays, we keep seeing lots of finches eating on the thistle plants.
I decided to get up early Saturday morning and go out there with my camera to see if I could get any pictures of them.
I got lucky and saw quite a few of them. I even saw a Gray Catbird.
The song sparrows were busy too
This one was cleaning itself. Kind of different.
Cal and I also got out on Nagawicka Lake for a boat ride. We had fun trying to get some pictures of dragonflies
We had to be kind of quick, they didn’t sit still long. They sure have a lot of detail to them.
We had a duck fly in by the trees and land. I like how it was backlit by the sun.
The seagulls wanted their picture taken
We had our first ever albino squirrel visit us in our yard Monday morning
Cute little guy 😊
For those who can’t get out and enjoy nature due your challenges with MS…my heart is with you. You are with me every time I’m out there. I enjoy being out there and I also enjoy sharing with you. I know how hard it is not to be able to get out and enjoy nature. Let’s enjoy nature and God’s beauty together this way.
