Friends,
Holly and Debbie’s presentation – Adaptive tricks
When we live with MS, our challenges can be very different. Many people lose their ability to use their hands the way they used to. Last Friday, Holly and Debbie did a presentation on some ways to adapt to challenges with limited use of a hand and other tricks.
I loved how many people from the gym offered input into this presentation and others engaged and shared during the presentation. I’m confident some people will benefit from this sharing experience. Thank you to all who contributed and who engaged.
Here’s a link to the presentation. If you have any questions, feel free to ask Debbie or Holly when you see them.
How did Rick do last week?
We’ve been sharing how Rick has been doing with the new rejuvenation therapy we came up after
JoAnn Schmitz’s presentation on the lymphatic system a couple weeks ago. I can honestly say I don’t think we have experienced any one thing this encouraging since we started the gym 13 years ago. Last Wednesday, Rick walked 50 feet in 5 minutes when he got here. Keep in mind the week before, he couldn’t walk at all when he first got here. After 50 feet, he was fatigued at the level he couldn’t lift his legs anymore.
We did the same lymphatic system therapy we did a couple weeks ago for 20 minutes. After that he tried walking again. This time, he walked 150 feet in 8 minutes 50 seconds. He turned around and went to 175 feet. Again, he was totally fatigued to the level he couldn’t lift his legs at all.
We decided (Rick had a little reluctance because he was so fatigued) to do the rejuvenation therapy again for 20 more minutes. Rick agreed to do that.
Rick tried walking again and this time he surprised us all. He walked 150 feet in 6:52 (fastest so far) and then turned around. He walked 175 feet in 8:35, 200 feet in 10:01, 225 feet in 11:22, 250 feet in 12:51, 275 feet in 14:30 and finished 300 feet in 16:39.
His total for the day was 525 feet. Great job Rick! Abby was a big help…thanks for all the encouragement Abby!
To me, that’s incredible! We have seen people make a lot of progress through the years but it typically takes a long time and a lot of hard work. Granted, Rick worked really hard in able to do this but he’s only been doing it a few short weeks and only on Wednesdays and Fridays when he can get to the gym. Let’s hope we can add some consistency and see how his body responds long term. To be continued…
Hopefully, we can see others respond to this therapy as well. If you want to know more about what we are doing, please read my first message about this. https://msjustkeepmoving.org/wednesday-and-friday-workouts-combined-compression-elevation-movement-and-breathing/
Outdoor Walking Opportunities
Our walking group is going to keep walking together. This is a good time to start if you want to start building your walking endurance. What we are experiencing is…if we want to walk better, we need to walk more. That sounds simple but walking seems to fire our MS symptoms up until we get used to it. Even then, with MS…it’s a challenge.
We should have different fall colors each week as we go forward for a while. It’s a beautiful time of the year to be out there, especially as the sun rises.
These walks are on Thursday mornings starting @ 6:00am and ending between 10:00am and noon. You don’t have to start at 6:00am. You can meet up with us at any time during that time and walk as far or short of a distance you want. Just let Joan, Pam or me know and we will circle back to meet up with you. We keep our phones with us on these walks and communicate that way.
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.
I would encourage you to start where you are and gradually make progress like we are. I hope you will join us at some level.
Nutrition Program
It made me happy this week to learn that the nutrition program went on even though Janine was not there and we had 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 the spices Cilantro and Coriander. The benefits and risks of them and how you can incorporate them into your life. Janine even included a recipe for Guacamole which sounds really good.
Guacamole
5 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/3 red onion, chopped
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tsp cumin
Juice from 1 lime
2-3 Tblsp red wine vinegar
2-3 Tblsp olive oil
Tabasco sauce (to taste)
Salt and fresh ground pepper (to taste)
2 ripe avocados
Here’s a link to the handout https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EPQvdKfWvwVVof87d_TLZLYm2ry2oB7G/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 – Milestones + 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 save the date and plan on joining us for an afternoon of sharing.
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
Member Spotlight – Bill Beres
Bill started volunteering for us doing our reporting for the IRS…I know, not fun, right? Bill continues to do that for us along with so much more. He brings his passion for our mission and willingness to help out however he can.
Let’s thank Bill and ALL our volunteers. We certainly couldn’t do all we do without them.
Ed and Adam’s Podcast
Adam and Ed did not do a podcast this past week. Hopefully, we have a new one for next week.
Thanks Adam, Ed and Ava for doing these podcasts together!
Learn more about MS and Living with MS
We have some great learning and engaging opportunities coming up in our area this fall. I’ve listed them by date with a link to more information. I would highly encourage you to go to all of them. These are experts in MS putting these on. Knowledge is power when living with MS and these are all excellent opportunities to learn more and apply what you learn to be able to truly “live” with MS
- October 11th 9:00am – 3:15pm Dr Obeidat – Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Multiple Sclerosis Team – Symposium for People with Multiple Sclerosis and related conditions Symposium for People With Multiple Sclerosis and Related Conditions | Froedtert & MCW
- October 11th 1:00pm – 4:00pm Shirley Ryan AbiltyLab – Open House https://www.sralab.org/events/2025-10-11t130000-0500/multiple-sclerosis-ms-open-house
- October 18th 8:00am – 12:00pm Dr Khatri and the Center for Neurological Disorders – Living well with MS Join us: Living Well with MS Conference – OCTOBER 18th, 2025
- Wednesday, October 15th 4:00pm – Yoga Moves MS – Chicago Holistic Health and Wellness Forum for MS – In person or virtual Hollistic Health and Wellness Forum for MS – Yoga Moves Any Body
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
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 link: MS 2025.08.11 Seasonal and Local.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
8:00am – Rebounding Class
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
We will be riding Friday morning as long as it’s not raining and above 45 degrees. As we get into October, every Friday morning ride is a bonus. It looks like we should have a another beautiful ride this week.
Last Friday, the weather was so nice, we just wanted to keep riding. We ended up riding 16 miles which was our farthest Friday morning ride all year. I told the riders that we were going to be a little late getting back and I didn’t’ want to hear any whining about it since it was so nice out. Lisa said “As long as I make it back to the gym for the 9:30 high intensity interval training circuit workout, I’ll be ok”. That just warmed my heart know that was so important to her. Thanks Lisa! She made it on time 😊
We will 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, October 10th 11:00 – 12:00pm: Gregory Borden presents the difference between a Million, Billion, and Trillion (a sense of scale).
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 this Friday, October 3rd, 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 649 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 had this Cooper’s Hawk chasing a blackbird around our backyard this week. Kind of a cool looking bird. It didn’t catch the blackbird.
Last Thursday, I had an opportunity to go to the Mississippi River by LaCrosse with some friends. I’ve never been on the river by LaCrosse so I was excited. It was foggy when we went out. Kind of fun to leave a boat ramp you have never been to in the fog not knowing what the day would bring.
We didn’t get far from the doc and we saw our first pair of bald eagles.
It was cool seeing the fishermen out there as the fog was rising. Peaceful.
This egret was keeping an eye on the river
We watched this great blue heron for a while and it finally took off
This sea gull was trying to pick a fish off the top of the water. I happened to catch it when it looked like it was walking on water.
These two pelicans looked like they were enjoying their time together.
This one came in for a landing
We saw a few eagles. I like it when they fly low.
And I like it when they fly high
And when they land in a tree near us. It looks like this one is waving to us.
Did we catch any fish? A few but we didn’t need to catch any fish to enjoy a day like this out on the river.
On Sunday morning, I went out at sunrise to see if I could find anything interesting to take pictures of. I happened to have an eagle do a fairly close fly by.
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.
