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Wednesday and Friday Workouts, ‘Friday Dr Kate Habanek will be here’!

Friends,

I was confused and wrong last Friday – Sorry
For some reason I thought Dr Kate Habanek was going to be here last Friday.  That was my fault, I was a week off.  Dr Kate Habanek will be here this Friday @ 11:00am to teach us about training cross cord reflexes to improve muscle activation.  It should be interesting.  I’m sorry for the confusion…please forgive me.

It’s cold out there!
Last week and this week are very cold.  I’m really pleased with how many people are taking their training and staying ahead of their MS so seriously and coming to the gym despite the cold.  Please be careful as you venture out.  We have the heat on in the gym and we’re paying for it whether people come or not.  I hope you’ll come, stay warm, get some good exercise, have some fun conversations with friends and help us get the biggest return out of the cost of heating the building.  The more people we get sweating and creating body heat, the more it saves us on heating the building 😊.  I’m always looking for way to keep people moving while saving money.

Shannon made my day!
Shannon has been working really hard with the help of so many volunteers, Dr Kate and the students from Bryant & Stratton College when they were here.  After two years of not being able to walk in her apartment, Shannon shared with us that she was able to walk in her apartment independently with her walker again for the first time last week.

Once again, that goes to show that we can make progress with our MS despite how challenging it gets.  Shannon has been working VERY HARD and has had much help.  It’s certainly not easy and it takes a strong will to work through these challenges.  Unfortunately, MS is still MS and not everyone gets to make progress like Shannon is.  If you’re not making progress, please don’t feel bad or think you’re doing something wrong.  We, just like all the researchers and doctors out there don’t have MS figured out yet.  It is what is, we need to make the best of it on a daily basis.

I can say, with confidence, that personally, if I hadn’t started exercising at the level I did when I did and kept at it daily for 25+ years now, my life with MS would have been much different.  Let’s do what we can to stay ahead of our MS and maintain or improve upon our level of mobility…together.

A huge THANK YOU goes out to all the volunteers, supporters, friends with MS, therapists, doctors, etc. who helped Shannon reach this milestone.  Let’s keep doing what we can with all our friends with MS.

Valentines Day Fairy Food orders – last week to place orders
Our dear friend Shennan Helbig is offering to make homemade fairy food as a fundraiser for our MS-Just Keep Moving mission again this year.  She’s been doing this for us for years.  If you haven’t had Shennan’s fairy food in the past, I can tell you it’s very good.  A little too good.  It just melts in your mouth and takes you to a real sweet spot.  Thank you, Shennan!

There is a sign-up sheet at the gym.  Thank you to all who signed up.  We’re getting close to the maximum amount Shennan can make but we can still take a few more orders.  So, if you’d like to order some of Shennan’s famous fairy food, you can still order it on the order sheet at the gym before January 24th .  The candy will be delivered before Thursday, February 13th, just in time for Valentine’s Day.  100% of the proceeds go to our MS-Just Keep Moving mission.  Again, THANK YOU Shennan!  And thank you to all who order fairy food.

Spin / Cycle Classes Friday’s @ 9:00am
Mike Beiermeister is offering to lead some spin / cycle classes again this year on Friday mornings @ 9:00 in the front room.

Please be prompt and ready to start riding @ 9:00am.  Spin bikes are limited so it will be on first come first serve.  We did pick up one more used spin bike since last week so let’s put it to good use.  Let’s get ready for spring bike riding.

Thanks, Mike for offering to lead these classes again!

No Regrets – Men’s Conference – February 1st
An opportunity for the men of MS-Just Keep Moving.  Please join us on Saturday, February 1, 2025 to watch “Livestream” (on the BIG TV) the No Regrets Men’s Conference.  The event starts at 8:00 AM and ends at 1:00 PM.  This year’s theme is “Rescued”.

The event will feature group worship, compelling messages from leading pastors and teachers, testimonies of how other men have done it and seminars on the topics of most interest to you. Take advantage of this day to avoid the distractions of life and renew your dependence on Christ, the solid rock on which we stand.
Here is a link to the event – No Regrets Men’s Conference – No Regrets Men’s Conference (noregretsconference.org)
There is no cost to attend the event, but if you would like lunch, the cost would be $10.00.  Please let Cal, Larry, or Dan know if you plan to attend.  It sounds like we have about 10 guys interested so far…that’s awesome!

Day of Endurance Training Kickoff
It’s January, that means it’s time to get our Day of Endurance training journey started.  We will doing a kickoff presentation on Friday, January 31st from 11:00am – noon.

We will be sharing experiences from prior years, explaining the program and answering any questions about the journey.  Let’s make this journey and experience the best yet and have some fun…together.

Ed and Adam’s Podcast
This week, Adam and Ed had a fun and energetic conversation with Bobby.  Oh man! 😊 This podcast got cut short.  We might have to have Bobby with a “y” come back and do another one.
Here’s a link:

A Silly Conversation with Bobby by Positive Vibes Living with MS

Thanks Adam, Ed and Ava for doing these podcasts together!

Member Spotlight
Read about Shannon’s milestone above 😊

Cardio and Balance 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 evenings (open from 4:00pm – 7:00pm)  Not this coming week – Kate is off
5:00 pm: High intensity interval training (HIIT)
5:30 pm: Standing balance
6:00 pm: Seated balance

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. 

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. 

Fridays:
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 at kborn1234@gmail.com with any questions.

Friday Morning Bike Ride
We are done for the season.  Let’s work hard over the winter so we can pick right back up where we left off.  Let’s enjoy our winter together and think Spring!

Educational Sessions

This Friday, January 24th 11:00am – 12:00 pm- Dr Kate Habanek DC, DACNB, Chiropractor will present to our group about training cross cord reflexes to improve muscle activation.

Friday, January 31st  11:00am – Noon.  Day of Endurance Training Kick Off.  Dr Kate Kern and Dan Erschen will explain how the Day of Endurance journey will work this year and how we will help you enjoy this journey and do the best you can.

Friday, February 7th  11:00am – noon.  Bill Stedman – Self Defense.  Join us for a self-defense workshop with Bill, a firefighter/paramedic with nearly 30 years of service and 13 years of experience teaching self-defense. This interactive session will cover practical safety tips, verbal strategies, and self-defense principles and concepts designed to empower individuals in everyday situations.

Friday, Feb 21st 11:00am – 12:00 pm- Jackie Radaj, NP, and Jenn Kolesar-Springhetti, DPT, from ProHealth Care will present to us about bone health and osteoporosis.

Friday, February TBD 11:00am – 12:00 pm- Dr Kate Kern will demo the steps it takes to get up from the ground, whether it be from a fall or on purpose!

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, February 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 576 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 Heldt
Ricky will be here on Wednesdays doing Thai Massage.

There is a sign-up board to be used to accommodate your needs for your exercise plan.  Some people with spasticity need to be massaged / stretched out before they can exercise.  Some people need a massage after a hard workout to loosen up their tight muscles or relieve pain.

We have limited spots for massages, please be considerate of people that need the massage the most in order to do the exercises they need to do or recover from the exercises they just did.

You can pick the time slot that works for you.

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.  Winter time without snow in Wisconsin can be challenging to find the beauty in it.  Especially when it’s as cold as it is now.   If you just look out the window, everything looks brown and drab.  When you get right out there in nature, winter is a beautiful time of the year even when we don’t have snow.

When it gets real cold, ice crystals form on frozen water.  I took this one yesterday on the Pewaukee River.  Yes, it was below zero 😊

This sunset was interesting last night.  There were ice particles coming out of that cloud.

Here’s our porch window this morning.

Last Friday, I went for a walk at Lapham Peak at sunset.  I slowed my shutter speed down and captured the beauty a bit.

I also went to Delafield and saw some ducks with some awesome lighting.

I just happened to be there at the right time

They were very close and cooperating quite well.

I think they liked getting their pictures taken

I went down by the Mississippi River again for a little while on Saturday.  The eagles were actively trying to share one fish

I didn’t get as close to them this week as I did last week.  It was still fun watching them.

This guy looks cold

I found a few icicles on the way down there.  I had to stop and take a picture.

The state patrol was doing his job and stopped to see if I was OK.  It was pretty cold out.  He was a nice guy.

I’m not sure how it happened but this single leaf was frozen to some icicles.

We had nice visitor in our backyard this evening 😊

I was lucky and did capture some of God’s beauty in the winter without snow this week.  I’m thankful in so many ways.

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.