Friends,
Let’s thank our students and leaders
Our students and leaders from Bryant & Stratton College’s Physical Therapy Assistant program’s last day here is tomorrow. We will miss them and wish each of them the very best going forward. They are certainly leaving us in a better spot than when they started. I hope they are also in a better spot and will take their experiences here at the gym with them going forward.
Let’s share our love and gratitude with them tomorrow while they are here with us.
Ricky gave a great presentation on stretching
Last Friday, Ricky hit home with many of us on something we all need to get better at…stretching. I love how he emphasized the power of stretching as a community. When we do that, we all get to grunt and groan together realizing why we all need to stretch more and experience the benefits of stretching. Ricky had better reasons than that. 😊
Ricky certainly has a special gift of sharing his experience by teaching us and leading us through stretching routines. They are not only beneficial for all of us living with MS, in my mind, stretching is necessary. You’re right Ricky…I need to do it more. I agree with you, very few of us if any complain about stretching too much and being too loose and flexible. 😊
Thank you, Ricky, for sharing your knowledge and leading us through the presentation and stretches.
Seated Balance Class last week
It always warms my heart when everyone engages in our functional exercise classes like the seated balance class which is still the most popular class we provide. Dr Kate wasn’t here last Friday so we put one of her youtube videos on. Thanks for engaging in this class…and thank you Dr Kate for having these videos available.
How did Rick do last week?
If you’ve been following Rick’s progress, he crushed it again last Wednesday. Rick walked 450 feet when he first got here. This is by far the farthest he’s been able to walk when he gets here. Another thing different this week is that he could still lift his feet after he did this. He wasn’t totally fatigued like he’s been in the past. Rick also said he’s starting to be able to feel his toes and able to feel that he’s pushing off his toes.
He did the same 20 minutes of rejuvenation therapy and then walked an additional 450 feet in 27:30.
He did another session of the rejuvenation therapy and then walked another 1,050 feet with one short break. Amazingly, Rick walked 1,500 feet total which is 600 feet further than his record 900 feet the week before.
On Friday, Rick was still a little tired from all he did Wednesday which tells me he probably pushed it a little too far on Wednesday. We don’t want the recovery time to be two days. Our recovery time should only be a couple hours, not a couple days. Rick walked 650 feet which is still way more than he could do 6 weeks ago.
Great job Rick! Thanks for sharing your journey with us.
I’m really thankful JoAnn Schmitz came in and taught us about the lymphatic system and what she teaches patients when they come to her. It’s fun putting her knowledge to use and seeing the results. Thanks JoAnn!
Nutrition Program
It made me happy this week to learn that the nutrition program is going on even though Janine is not here right now and we still have great attendance. When we started this, we were hoping we would build a community around nutrition. I’m thankful to know this is happening. I hope it continues to grow and more people will benefit from the program and from each other.
This week our nutrition group discussed Nutmeg. The benefits and risks of Nutmeg and how you can incorporate it into your life.
Eggnog
6 egg yolks, large (fresh, organic, pasteurized)
1 tsp cinnamon, ground
1/2 cup sugar, granulated
1/2 tsp nutmeg, ground
1 pinch salt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups milk
Here’s a link to the handout:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16d0YRJ1xgpU8-Leeq_tnPIHLB4EDHPa5/view?usp=sharing
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!
MS-Just Keep Moving, Inc Experience – Movement + Gratitude + Vision – Open House November 8th
Date: Saturday, November 8th
Time: 1:00 – 4:00pm
Place: MS-Just Keep Moving, Inc.
W228N791 Westmound Drive
Waukesha, WI 53816
Please plan on joining us for an afternoon of activities, love and fun.
Who should come?
- Our MS – Just Keep Moving family of people living with MS, volunteers and loved ones
- People and organizations who have supported us in the past – we want to show you how impactful your support has been to our mission, thank you and show you where we are heading
- Anyone who wants to learn more about our mission and how you can engage
Joel’s Playing in Waukesha on Halloween
If you’re not going Trick or Treating, you might want to join some of us with Joel Harris and his band. As many of you know, Joel has MS and has done much of our graphic design work through the years for free…Thank you Joel! He’s certainly making the best of his MS in many ways.
Member Spotlight – Susan Clausing
Susan always seems happy at the gym. She certainly passes the Thea love test. It warms my heart to learn that Susan’s physical therapist is seeing huge improvements. Keep up the great work Susan!
Ed and Adam’s Podcast
Adam and Ed made this podcast called All about Everything. I didn’t get a chance to listen to it yet. I hope you enjoy it.
Here’s the link:
All About Everything by Positive Vibes Living with MS
Thanks Adam, Ed and Ava for doing these podcasts together!
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 and Tuesday afternoons for the aquatics program. I hope you’ll join us!
Where:
Wisconsin Metal Parts – Westmound Building
MS-Just Keep Moving, Inc.
W228N791 Westmound Drive
Waukesha, WI 53186
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
6:30am – 8:00am – Rebounding – Total Body Functional Fitness and Stretching
8:00am – 9:00am – Rebounding – Gentle Functional Fitness and Balance
9:00am – Nutrition Program – Friends with MS, caretakers and volunteers are encouraged to engage.
9:00am – Noon – Open gym and Neubie use for independent members, or those who come with a care partner.
10:00am – Seated and/or standing stretching, strength, and balance with Ricky
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 Mornings
6:30am – 8:00am – Rebounding – Total Body Functional Fitness and Stretching
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
6:30am – 8:00am – Rebounding – Total Body Functional Fitness and Stretching
8:00am – 8:30am – Rebounding – Gentle Functional Fitness and Balance
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 and/or standing stretching, strength, and balance with Ricky
11:00am – noon: Prayer Group
Thursdays
6:00am – 10:00am Outdoor walking – contact Joan, Pam or Dan to find out where we’re walking. You can meet up with us at any time within this time period
Fridays:
6:30am – 8:00am – Rebounding – Total Body Functional Fitness and Stretching
8:00am – 9:00am – Rebounding – Gentle Functional Fitness and Balance
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
We had a great season of bike riding from spring until fall. Unfortunately, it’s fall and the temperature for this Friday looks to be in the 30’s. It looks like we are done for the season and will be transitioning into rebounding at the gym on Friday mornings for the rest of the fall, winter and early spring.
Despite our mechanical issues, we had a nice ride last week. We discussed this will probably be our last ride of the season. A bittersweet ride for sure.
Let’s think spring so we can get back out there again! Until Spring…Let’s Bounce 😊 Check out our rebounding opportunities.
Educational Sessions
Wednesday, November 12th 11:00 – 12:00pm – Joy Cochran, PT, DPT Founder & Owner of Joy Explorations Joy is a credentialed balance and falls professional will present and demo how to safely fall to the ground.
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.
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, November 7th, 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 654 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!
Metals for MS
Thank you to all who brought in aluminum cans, gutters, copper, brass, etc. Please keep bringing them in…you are helping us.
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 and shutting down.
Open and closedown procedures.docx
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. I ate a fortune cookie this week. The message inside seemed to be true for me.
Speaking of natural beauty, the fall colors are full of natural beauty these days.
We have a lilac tree that is confused and blooming right now.
This young eagle must have had a nice view of the fall colors.
It was flying over this section of the river with strong winds on Sunday.
These Cormorants were having fun flying together
I sure love the forest floor this time of the year.
More fall colors
Last evening, I went for a ride and saw a couple deer playing together
They were fun to watch…playful.
Here’s another one I saw this past week.
The Sandhill Cranes are still having fun
Until the turkeys come around
It seems like they have their own way of communicating with each other
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.
