Friends,
Let’s keep our immune systems healthy
This has been a tough winter with different variants of colds, flus, viruses, etc. I usually take pride in maintaining a strong immune system and not catching everything that goes around. If I do catch a little sniffle, my body usually fights it off pretty quickly.
This year has been different for me. I caught a bug in January and fought it off fairly rapidly and then I caught another bug last week. This one was more challenging and is hanging around longer than I’m used to. I don’t think we’re going to be able to avoid being exposed so that’s why we need to do our part to keep our own immune system strong.
With MS, it seems like our immune system is already somewhat compromised and we get affected more drastically than people without MS. Like MS, it is different for all of us. Let’s do all we can to maintain a strong immune system; like staying hydrated, getting proper rest, eating healthy, exercising daily, etc. If you’re not engaging in our programs as much as you could be, or would like to be, I would highly encourage you to do so. We are here for you.
Dr Jon Stevenson – THANK YOU!
Dr. Jonathan Stevenson of Strive Integrative Health gave a great educational talk on how red and near-infrared light may help support nerve health, reduce inflammation, and improve recovery for people living with MS.
Here is a link to his presentation slides. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1p-nD5Xepvf6HM9N4ybv7DBp_oHQ__xO6/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=116069757124832431910&rtpof=true&sd=true
Dr Jon explained them very well. I love how emphasized the importance of consistency and the examples he used to help it make sense. Now that the gym is open five mornings per week, you can gain from consistency if you show up five days per week. I hope you do!
Dr Jon donated some red-light sleeves to us. They are in the area by the Neubie on the shelf. I would encourage you to try them out and see if they make a difference for you. Thank you, Dr Jon for donating these to us! Thank you also for giving such a great educational presentation!
Let’s get together!
We’ll be getting together from 7:00am – noon on Monday through Friday mornings at the gym. Plus, Monday and Wednesday evenings from 4:30pm – 6:30pm 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
Email Dr Kate Kern at kborn1234@gmail.com with any questions.
Exercise class schedule (to start 3/16/25). Feedback welcome to make this as best as it can be!
Nutrition Program
We did not have a nutrition program Monday morning due to the winter storm. We were closed.
Last week, Janine and friends at the Nutrition program discussed Phytonutrients. It’s great to see how deep they are going into the science of why so many things are so important to us.
If you are not engaging in our nutrition program, I would highly encourage you to at least read the handouts that Janine prepares for us each week.
Here’s a link to the full handout:
Nutrition: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OYX221vchQ3Oa918ulO7T7uWBjgv4eUJ/view?usp=drive_link
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!
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, March 20th, 2026. 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!
Program Spotlight – Our Wednesday morning Prayer Group
This is a powerful experience for all who engage. Who knows why we get together and are here for each other the way we are? I truly believe this is God’s plan for us. This prayer group is a great opportunity to experience God’s love working with us and through us…and we have fun. 😊
Ed and Adam’s Podcast
Adam and Ed made a podcast with Dr Kate Kern. Dr Kate talks about her full time role here at MS-Just Keep Moving, Inc. There is great conversations about the benefits of the aquatics exercise program for people with MS.
Here’s the link:
A Conversation With Kate by Positive Vibes Living with MS
Thanks Adam, Ed and Ava for doing these podcasts together!
Educational Sessions
Friday, March 27th 11:00 – 12:00 Fayth Caruso from Bellicon will do another rebounding educational program and demonstration via zoom
Friday, April 10th 11:00 – 12:00pm: Sarah Stauder, MD in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Aurora Health Care will talk to us about the wheelchair clinic that she runs out of the Aurora and Froedtert health care systems. At the wheelchair clinic, patients are seen by a provider, a physical therapist, and the wheelchair vendor. They determine what type of wheelchair would be best for the patient and order it through the vendor, going through the patient’s insurance. Patients can receive a wheelchair or mobility device through insurance once every 5 years, sometimes sooner if disease progresses. Then the wheelchair vendor (usually National Seating & Mobility or Numotion) coordinates the delivery of the wheelchair and any further repairs/needs.
Friday, March 20th 11:00 – 12:00pm: Fayth Caruso will virtually join us for an hour of rebounding….
Wednesday, April 15th: Let’s Be Safe: tub/shower and bed transfers. Stephanie Wahlen, occupational therapist with with experience in home health and safety with ADLs, will provide a safe transfer workshop.
Friday, April 17th 6-8pm. Nyani Berg has invited a Traditional Medicine Doctor to speak with us about Traditional Medicine. A zoom option will be available for those that cannot make it in person. A flyer and zoom registration link will be available in the coming weeks.
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.
Day of Endurance Training
Event is Saturday, August 29,2026 – Training is now
What: Do what you can
- Consistent Daily Exercise
- One long day per week – increase each week – no more than 10% per week
- Buddy up and exercise together
- Enjoy the journey 😊
Arts for MS Program – Let’s engage!
I received a message from Dr Ng about next Monday’s singing program.
Hello Dan,
This is just a shout out that Danceworks will be sponsoring another group singing session next Monday (3/23) at 6:30 PM at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center (325 W. Walnut St). Attendance has been good and everyone has been having a lot of fun! Hope to see some new faces!
Thanks and take care,
Alex
Alexander Ng, PhD, FACSM
Remember when we had the first trial session here at the gym last fall? It was inclusive, fun and beneficial!
If anyone wants to carpool for these events from the gym, please let me know. Let’s do our best to make it easy for as many people as possible to take advantage of these wonderful opportunities for us, our family members, and friends.
Shoe Donations
We already filled four boxes and quite a few bags. 😊 Thanks to everyone who is donating their shoes!
Do you have any shoes you can donate? Becky Thomas is collecting old or new shoes supporting Soles for Jesus. These shoes will be distributed to people in need of shoes in Africa. She dropped off a box for us to drop them in. Please bring in shoes if you have any extras.
Coughs, colds, flus, etc. – Let’s not share
There are a lot of bugs going around. If you are experiencing any symptoms, please stay home and recover from them instead of sharing with the rest of us at the gym. We look forward to you getting over it and having you back quickly.
Special Educational Event for us – Save the date and register
Nyani is here on Fridays, offering Thai Massage. She is a licensed massage therapist, practicing only traditional thai therapies. Every year Nyani invites her teacher to Waukesha, to share the teachings she so passionately believes in. This year, she has requested Somananda Yogi to the gym to check the work she does and see what she can do to better benefit those she works on while being here. Nyani has also invited Somananda Yogi to do a private talk, just for the members (and family and friends).
Traditional Medicine: In this talk, being held for members of MS Just Keep Moving, Inc, we will take an introductory look at the body, health, disease and longevity from the perspective of South and South East Asian medical traditions. The incorporation of traditional medicine and lifestyle habits is a longstanding option to bring benefit to our daily lives. This event will be led by a traditional medical doctor and practitioner of Buddhist sciences with time for questions at the end. There is a zoom option for those who cannot attend in person. If you are attending via zoom, you will be provided a link in your email after registration.
Link to register for zoom attendance: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/kDXdKS2iT2-fbeForqr9Sw
About Somananda Yogi:
Somananda Yogi has dedicated his life to the study and practice of buddhadhamma and traditional medicine. He has spent most of his life studying throughout Southeast Asia, especially Thailand, Burma, India, and Nepal, where he focused on Thai and Lanna Medicine, as well as Ayurveda and Yoga. Though he has completed medical training in formal curriculum, much of his medical education and yoga studies consisted of apprenticeships with experienced teachers and practitioners. Somananda Yogi now travels the world treating patients, helping those in need, instructing, lecturing, writing and serving his teachers.
Dockhounds Game to benefit our MS-Just Keep Moving Mission – Save the date and get tickets
Friday Morning Bike Rides
We had a great season of bike riding from spring until fall. We are done for the season.
Let’s think spring so we can get back out there again! Until Spring…Let’s Bounce 😊 Check out our rebounding opportunities.
Research Needs us!
Marquette University, UW Milwaukee, University of Illinois, and Carroll University have research opportunities they would like us to engage in. We have flyers and more information about these opportunities at the gym. Please engage in these opportunities if you qualify. You could make improvements yourself and you could be helping so many other people with MS as they face their challenges. We really need to get this MS thing figured out and you can help by engaging in these research opportunities.
Here’s a research opportunity that Marquette University is doing for all of living with MS. I would highly encourage you to engage in this if you qualify.
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 672 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. Our total is $1,926.63 for the first nine months. That’s really good!
Parking
If you are able-bodied and willing to park across the street in the Acuity Foam 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 Fridays
Reiki is available at the gym, for FREE on Fridays with Linda C, 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 many ways!
In God We Trust…we are in good hands.
Dan
Our Website: http://msjustkeepmoving.org/
P.S. We had an exciting day this past week as our Sandhill Cranes returned to our yard. I went out to welcome them back and they got all excited.
Bonnie and I got excited too but we didn’t dance like they did. They were happy to be back.
I went for a walk at Nashotah Park and saw another pair there. Kind of a fun shot with the goose in the background.
It was pretty quiet at Nashotah Park so I had some fun taking my little cross out of my pocket.
This leaf found a nice spot to hang out. I wonder if it was hanging out there all winter.
With our snowfall yesterday, I thought I would go for a ride while it was snowing. I found this little guy in Lapham Peak.
This was fun to see.
The snow in the woods looked like a postcard
The blackbirds loved it by our bird feeder. They were fun to watch gather to eat the food and then they would all fly at once.
One of our Sandhill Cranes looked a little chili. The wind was pretty strong.
As the sun started to set and the wind was blowing the snow / ice around, this little bird was still hungry.
For those who cannot get out and enjoy nature due your challenges with MS…my heart is with you. You are with me every time I am 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.
