Moving Matters! (ALS Exercise Tips)

Have you seen those funny “Mannequin Challenge” videos that are making the rounds on the internet? In the videos people strike a pose as if they are statues frozen in time while a moving camera records the scene. The challenge is to pose in increasingly unusual locations, like a TV station, a gym or at a football game.

What’s ironic is that according to the Centers for Disease Control, 90% of Americans lead such sedentary lives that they could be re-classified as statues!

I have to admit I don’t really find “Mannequin Challenge” videos all that humorous. Because - - becoming stiff-as-a-statue is one of the real side-effects of ALS! For those of us living with the condition, being sedentary IS our new normal. Or, does have to be?

In my July post, A Healthy Sit, I shared three simple steps to improve how you sit, especially if you find yourself sitting most of the day. Now, let’s add some physical movement into the mix! 

Experts are in agreement that long bouts of uninterrupted sitting have undesirable physical and emotional consequences. Studies show that sitting motionless reduces blood flow to the legs; increasing the risk for atherosclerosis and retention of fluids or swelling in the lower legs. Too much sitting also causes weight gain, osteoporosis, weakened muscles, as well as neck and back pain, lethargy and plain old foggy thinking.

Speaking of foggy thinking, the NEW news is of the beneficial relationship between exercise and brainpower. Exercise appears to help our brains resist physical shrinkage (brain size) along with enhancing our cognitive flexibility (thinking skills). And the best news for those of us whose health conditions create sedentary lives is that the exercise itself needn’t be exhausting to be effective for the brain. (How Exercise Could Lead to a Better Brain )

“Even a little bit of activity, spread throughout the day, is a practical, easy way to improve well-being,” says Jack Groppel, a founder of the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute.

So, even though my own level of activity has slowed way down over the past six years that I’ve been living with ALS, I’ve found that several pre-planned moving breaks sprinkled throughout my day - - help to keep my energy up and my mind alert.

Moving breaks are easy - - but without a few important helpers in place - - they can be easy to forget to do! Let me share with you what I do and how to ensure your own success:

Begin by re-framing your thinking:

1.     Instead of thinking exercise, think: moving. We’re simply making up for all the incidental exercise that comes from normal daily activities. If for example, someone else fixes all your meals, makes your bed, fetches the mail, waters the plants, etc., then you’re missing out on a lot of incidental exercise - - the simple physical movement that would have provided your body, muscles and bones with healthy activity and stimulation.

2.     Instead of thinking I can’t, think: I can’t…yet. I realize that ALS symptoms are different for everyone; some of us use walkers, others wheelchairs. For some, legs don’t move well, for others its arms. So, for your moving breaks I will have several options you can pick from.

Let’s begin with your first moving break - - right now!

·         Slide your hips forward to the front edge of your chair. Sit up as tall as you can.

·         Look up. Look side to side and all the way behind.

·         Let upper back touch your chair back, sit up tall again, drop back, sit tall.

·         Reach arms up and pretend to climb a rope; hand-over-hand.

·         Stretch legs forward and flutter kick feet.

·         To finish, return to a healthy sitting position.

Want a little longer moving break? Try this one:

https://youtu.be/22iw-p8KITg

Congratulations!

Bookmark this post so you can take one more moving break later today.

----------------------------------------------------

I want to help you become successful at taking several moving breaks daily! So, in my next several posts I'll include more videos, tips and ideas on how to move.

Until then, YOU have a homework assignment! To select and set up your tracking method.

One of the best ways to begin and continue with a new habit is by tracking your progress. For years, our only option was writing everything down and I always relied on small spiral notebooks. But now we have Apps! No more need to put pencil to paper; they’re convenient, can be customized to your needs and there are many to choose from. Here are two that I’ve used and like:

Habatica: https://habitica.com/static/front

“Habitica makes self-improvement a fun game in which  the player collects items such as gold and armor to become more powerful. Rewards are achieved through maintaining real-life goals, in the form of Habits, Dailies and To-Dos.” Free

Loop Habit Tracker: http://loophabits.org/faq.html   

“Create and maintain good habits and achieve your long-term goals. Detailed graphs and statistics show you how your habits improved over time.” Free

Check them out or use another a tracking app that appeals to you. Download and set up your tracker to list two moving breaks every day. Now, every time you take a moving break - - check it off in your App. 

We’re on our way to moving!

Direct link to reference: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/magazine/how-exercise-could-lead-to-a-better-brain.html)

Dagmar Munn
ALS and Wellness Blogger

Tomorrow you will have wished you had started today!

Murray Newlands

Email recipients: Use this link for internet version.

Balance - - from Outer Space to Inner Ear! (ALS Exercise)

If we're smart enough to send a man to the moon and back, then why the heck can’t we…?

I’m sure we’ve all said it at one time or another. I know I have - - especially when dealing with the numerous challenges that come from living with ALS (also known as MND or Lou Gehrig’s disease).

Of course, sending men (and women) into outer space has brought us many discoveries that we all benefit from every single day. Even low-tech simple discoveries - - like how to deal with dizziness.  

You know, those woozy feelings we get right after a too quick a turn of the head or from bending down to pick something up and suddenly the room starts to spin. Yup, all those off-balance moments we write off as just one more sign we’re getting older.

Turns out, astronauts experience exactly the same kind of woozy, off-balance sensations we do. That’s because while they’re up in space, the combination of zero-gravity and minimal physical movement provides very little stimulation to the astronaut’s inner ears and vestibular (balance) system. Their brains and bodies simply adjust to the “new normal” of - - floating. Once they return to earth and gravity, even the simplest of movements can trigger an over-reaction inside their inner ears, causing balance wobbles and disorientation. But rather than live with it, they do slow, progressive training and in three to four weeks are back to normal.

Photo courtesy of
Somersaults Gymnastics Center,
Cedar Rapids, IA

Actually we’re all at risk of not doing enough movement to stimulate our inner ear receptors. As kids we hung upside down, ran in circles and had fun on the swings. Adults who participate in sports and fitness programs that include lots of variable movement can maintain healthy vestibular systems as well.  But most of us go from our cars, to our computers, to eating meals and on to an evening of watching TV; all in the same seated position. Eerily making our “new normal” a lot like - - floating!

Then, just bend down to pick up a pencil and BINGO - - sparkly stars!

Even though I’ve faithfully followed a daily exercise routine I thought would help counteract the effects of my now slowed-down life, I noticed occasional bouts of dizziness. No, not a new symptom of ALS or ‘old age’; I simply wasn’t doing enough of the right kind of exercises - - ones specific to stimulating my inner ears and my body’s balance system.

What are the best exercises to do?

The best exercises for inner ear health are ones that move the head up, down, sideways and in full rotations.

Two of the basic five RESET series taught by Original Strength are head nods and rolling. Of course, the entire RESET series was already part of my daily routine... or was it? I’ll admit that after a while doing several sets of just looking up and down got boring. And rolling on the floor became precarious trying to avoid various pieces of living room furniture. Often I’d leave head nods and rolling to the very end of my routine and you know how it goes:  Oops! Out of time!

So, how did I build these two essential and beneficial exercises back into my day? Do them first thing in the morning - - and in bed!

Think about it. A bed mattress provides perfect padding for a few simple exercises, they take only ten minutes to do and once done, are out of the way for the rest of the day!

Of course you should only use a bed that’s wide enough for you to safely roll from your back to your stomach and back again. Plus, have a spouse willing to relinquish their side of the mattress for your new morning routine!

What are head nods and rolling?

According to Original Strength, in addition to activating the vestibular system, head nods restore reflexive control to the neck which is the ability to move the head through full range of motion.

HOW: The basic head nod begins by looking down (tucking chin into chest), then look up as high as you can, chin in the air. Repeat up and down, up and down and up and down.  Second part: bring your chin towards your right shoulder then swing it to your left shoulder. Repeat several times. Third part: using the chin again, draw a big imaginary circle in front of you. Slowly going clockwise and counterclockwise. 

Moving Your Head

Use this link to watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/j4yBESA3rKM

Rolling is a way to safely rotate (spin) the head and body all the way around which provides healthy stimulation for our inner ears. Plus, activation of your body’s entire vestibular system which includes the brain, inner ears, eyes, skin, spine, hands and feet.               

HOW: Rolling is simply lying flat and transitioning from your stomach to your back and from your back to your stomach. There are many ways or styles of rolling and they are all wonderful to experience. I suggest you learn Tim’s ‘relaxed rolling’ first and then progress to the variations found on their video channel or the book, Pressing RESET; OriginalStrength Reloaded.

Relaxed Rolling

Use this link to watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/o9fk4TLncCQ

I’m proud to share that after just a few weeks of getting back to daily rolling and head nods my moments of dizziness completely disappeared. My mini-routine is now a solid habit and since it’s super easy to do, I’m never gonna give it up!

Try it out yourself.

And remember, as you go forward happily navigating the space that you live in, be sure to thank the astronauts for showing us - - it can be done!

____________________________________________________ 

Dagmar's 10-minute Rolling Routine:

               

Take a slow deep breath in and slowly exhale while relaxing your belly.

1.  Begin on your back. Draw the knees up to your chest and rock your bent legs slowly side to side.  Then keeping the knees bent lower your feet to the mattress - - roll the head right, chin to shoulder, roll head left, chin to shoulder. Repeat several times.
2. Slide both legs straight (lying flat on your back) and slowly roll over to your belly. If there is enough room, continue in the same direction and roll onto your back. Rest a moment, breathe and roll all the way back to your starting position. Rest, breathe repeat several more full body rolls.
3.  Roll onto your belly and prop yourself up onto your elbows. Perform several head nods going up and down. Several looking right and left. Then use the chin to draw an imaginary circle thus performing a large head circle in one direction and the other.

Finish by stretching out flat on your belly or back. Take a few more deep breaths and relax.  

_________________________________________

Dagmar Munn
ALS and Wellness Blogger

"Head nods not only restore posture, they can help your body's major systems (immune, digestive, cardiovascular and respiratory systems) to not only function better, but to function optimally."

Tim Anderson & Geoff Neupert, 

Creators of Original Strength

Email recipients: Use this link to read blog on the web. 

A Healthy Sit (ALS Fitness)

Back when I was in high school, we had to sit in those universal one-size-fits-all desks. You know the ones: everything all hooked together; the writing surface connected to the chair, the book tray connected underneath.

In order to sit down, we had to slide-in from the left and the flat surface for taking notes was "conveniently" placed to write on with your right hand.

Too bad I was left-handed.

Never-the-less I adapted. I twisted my body to fit the desk while others around me - - in the right-handed desks - - also slumped and slouched their way through the school day. We all grew up, but still slump and slouch and - - still spend too much time sitting.

According to the health and fitness gurus, sitting is the new health hazard of the modern world. We’re told that too much sitting causes weight gain, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, as well as neck and back pain, weakened muscles, lethargy and plain old foggy thinking. 

The experts advise us to "get up and move!" Take a walk! Use a standing desk or don’t sit on a chair at all - - sit on a yoga ball instead!

But for many of us living with ALS (or similar health conditions), sitting on a yoga ball or taking a walk are no longer options. We spend the day fully knowing we’re doing something unhealthy - - but have no other choice than to do it anyway. 

Don’t lose hope! Because I maintain that no matter what is making you spend your day in a seated position - - you can sit healthy; just by following these three steps:

Use the Correct Sitting Posture

If you think “correct” means perching on the edge of the chair and forcing your back ramrod straight - - you’re mistaken. A proper sit involves scooting the hips all the way to the back of the chair. Knees can fall open and our back is resting, yes resting, on the back to the chair.

Let’s watch Dana Davis, from Sonoma Body Balance - - with an excellent demonstration:

It seems that the only place we take great pains to make what we’re sitting on fit our bodies is when we’re behind the wheel of a car. Before driving away we adjust everything! We need to be just as serious about every chair we sit on. The seat height, seat length and back area may need extra help from a cushion, pad or even a book placed under each foot.

Esther Gokhale, from The Gokhale Method, calls her technique "StackSitting" and in this short video she shows us exactly how to do it:

https://gokhalemethod.com/video/gokhale_moment_stacksitting_your_behind_behind_you

Build in Breaks

James Levine, MD, inventor of the treadmill desk recommends taking a 2-minute break from sitting every 30 minutes.

I keep a small timer near my computer so the hours don’t sneak up on me. Every time it goes off, I follow-through and perform a few simple movements such as:

• Sliding hips forward to the front edge of the chair.
• Look up. Look side to side and all the way behind.
• Reach arms up and pretend to climb a rope; hand-over-hand.
• Stretch legs forward and flutter kick feet.

If you need a few more ideas, just follow along any one of these four routines on my Youtube channel. Just click on the photo:     

Un-kink the Knots

Lucky for me in high school, my after-school activity was gymnastics which helped my body un-kink from my hours spent sitting in a bad position. It helped me to stretch and move in opposite directions from my day’s posture, something I continue to do today.

Here are a few of my essential anti-sitting stretches. Ideally, they’re done on the floor but if the floor is out of the question for you, do them lying on your bed mattress instead:

1.      Roll onto your stomach and prop yourself up on your elbows. Hold for a few minutes, allowing the entire front of your body to feel a gentle stretch.

2.      Lay flat on the stomach, chin on your hands. Bend legs at the knees and alternate kicking heels up and down.

3.      Prop yourself up on the elbows again and slowly raise and lower your chin. Then chin towards right shoulder and left. Try a full circle right, then left.

                                                                                                                                   

Original Strength has several great videos demonstrating variations of these exercises. Just click on each video title to watch:

"Strong as a Baby Challenge"

"How to Watch TV"

"Using Your Head at Work"

Now 
it’s your turn!
Try it...

You CAN sit healthy
today!

 

Dagmar Munn
ALS and Wellness Blogger

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” 

Thomas A. Edison 

Email recipients: use this link to read blog on the Internet

I'm Still Bouncing! Rebounder Update & ALS Exercise Tips

Here’s exciting news - - I’m still bouncing!

So? You ask, what’s all the fuss?

Well, let’s begin with the fact that I have ALS, and I am embarking on my 15th year of living with the condition (Note: the average prediction for survival with ALS is only 2-5 years following diagnosis). I attribute a large part of having reached this milestone to following basic wellness lifestyle principles. One of which is - - daily moderate exercise.

In 2015, I wrote ("Why I Bounce") about how an important part of my daily exercise is using a rebounder - - one that had been originally designed by my father George Nissen, inventor of the modern trampoline. I also shared that when I began bouncing again post-ALS, my feet had completely forgotten how, and I had to learn to bounce all over again.  Soggy-walking slowly transitioned into soggy-bouncing. I challenged myself to complete just 50 bounces, then to keep going through a whole song and finally build up to a daily 20-minute workout.

And now one year later, thanks to the wonderful folks at Active Fun and X-L-Ent Care Products, Inc., I’m bouncing on a new, up-graded model of my father’s original design. This new unit is called a Health Bounce Pod® or simply a B Pod® (as in, Bounce Pod).

NOTE: Unfortunately this unit is no longer available in the U.S. - - It is available and being used in senior living facilities in Japan.

You’ll notice right away that the design is very unique. It’s made for people who want to enjoy the benefits of rebounding but need a super-strong, rugged, stable, supportive apparatus that - - can even look nice in a home setting.  

The side arches and center C-hoop are what make the B Pod® fun, safe, and easy to use. The C-hoop is at the right height and position to use as a handgrip, it moves with the bouncer and is convenient as well as firm enough to lean against during brief rest periods.

The B Pod® arrives in a flat box and is pre-assembled - - except for having to slide the leg bars on, unfold the arches, and attach the center C-hoop - - all easily managed. Although the arches can be folded back down between uses I highly suggest leaving everything up and intact. If it’s ready to go, you’ll be more likely to use it! If you do need to move the unit, the leg bar design allows for an easy slide across the carpet or similar surface. 

Remember, the Health Bounce Pod®/B-Pod® is not for trampoline skills or super-high bounces, it is for fundamental rebound therapy, which includes: gentle cardio, muscle tone, kinesthetic awareness, balance training, movement coordination, and mood enhancement.

Having ALS leads to a lack of daily physical movement and most of the day is spent sitting, which fast-forwards our body to that of the typical elderly person. Inactivity and sitting reduce vestibular stimulation; which means our inner ears lose the ability to communicate with our brain in order to regulate our body’s equilibrium or balance. Having poor balance leads to falls.

In 2011, researchers in Germany studied the effects of rebounding as an intervention to help the elderly reduce their risk of falling. Following a 14-week period of exercising on a rebounder, participants increased their foot planter flexion muscle strength by an average of 10% and demonstrated the increased ability to regain balance during a forward fall by an average of 35%. The researchers concluded that “the improvement was attributed to the higher rate of hip movement generation.” http://www.jelectromyographykinesiology.com/article/S1050-6411(11)00006-X/fulltext

I know I’m happy with the benefits I’ve experienced from following my program of regular daily rebounding and I look forward to even more gains using my new Health Bounce Pod®/B Pod®. 

In fact, I can boast that I’m now able to hop from foot to foot! YAY! 

Take a look at my video:

Having trouble viewing the video? 

Use this link: https://youtu.be/YJFPYP62ds4

And yes, to prove that the Health Bounce Pod®/B Pod® is based on my father’s original design, is manufactured following strict requirements, using high grade material: each unit comes with its own engraved authentication number - - Just like an original Nissen trampoline! 

Update 2025:

The Health Bounce Pod®/B Pod® is now only available in Japan.

READ:

"Why I Bounce"

------------------------------------

Dagmar Munn
ALS and Wellness Blogger

"Exercise is medicine!"

Becky Farley, PhD, MS, PT

Email recipients: use this link to read this blog online.

How I Use Crawling & Original Strength for my ALS Exercise Routine

     It's no secret that I'm a fan of Original Strength and their unique fitness training system. Why? Because it fits all bodies - - even if you have ALS. So it was a great thrill when several months ago, I was invited to write a guest article for their blog site. Recently, I've been receiving comments asking for that particular article and links to it, which I'm happy to provide. To give you options: the links are included in this paragraph plus I've reprinted the original article below.

___________________________________

     Common or universal languages are all around us. Pictogram signage in airports helps us navigate our way to public restrooms, departure gates and information desks. Those little icon symbols on our computers and hand-held devices are understood around the world. And I believe we can add one more valuable universal language to that list: the reset series developed by Original Strength. It’s a language that “speaks” to bodies needing rehabilitation, physical therapy or in my case – – a full system reboot! Let me explain.

     I grew up in gymnastics, studied dance and pursued a career directing a hospital-based wellness center. My world was full of physical movement and teaching others how to move. So, it came as quite a shock in 2010, to be diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). It’s a disease that robs the muscles of their motor neurons; the ones that help us talk, eat, breathe and move. The usual prognosis is total paralysis within 2-5 years and it is fatal. Within months of the diagnosis I began walking with a cane, by the end of the first year – – I needed a walker with wheels.

     Medical experts still don’t know what causes motor neurons to deteriorate and unfortunately our bodies can’t generate or grow new ones. However, the experts do agree that exercise for people with ALS is beneficial. I researched the topic and learned that a growing number of studies show that exercise not only helps keep neurons plugged into muscles but helps to protect them from deterioration as well. Reading that gave me hope.

     Sifting through my old notebooks containing variations of fitness routines from years past, I attempted modified versions of each. But to my dismay, even the simplest yoga poses and Pilates moves had become too “complicated” for my body to perform correctly. The messages being sent from my brain through the neurons and on down to my muscles had become garbled. On the return path, proprioceptors in my feet relayed completely inaccurate information. My sense of balance, spatial awareness and body control was out of whack! Even though my mind clearly remembered how to do a particular movement, my body regarded it as an alien command.

     It wasn’t until further research brought me to Original Strength, that I had my own “ah-ha moment.” It happened as I crawled, rocked and rolled. Wobbling and lumbering along like an old circus elephant, I was humbled that a coordinated baby crawl required such concentration! Sure, I needed a rest break every 4-5 rocks, but everything I did felt good! Finally, I was moving, exerting energy, engaging my core and retraining my vestibular system, plus, no sore muscles. My brain and muscles were speaking a common language – – the one that (as Tim says) “is programmed, or hard-wired inside all of us.” As I practiced my series of movements I felt I was truly PRESSING RESET.

     For a while, the resets were my entire workout. Eventually, I added the variations Tim demonstrates in his Movement Snax videos. Now five years later, I’ve expanded my daily workout from one twenty-minute session to several per day. This year, I’ve added in a yoga downward facing dog pose, planks and modified push-ups. My version of “dead bug” used to be in a loose tuck position, now I’m extending arms and legs right up to the ceiling. I could go on and on, but suffice to say I’ve actually had improvement! Something not lost on my neurologist and physical therapists at the MDA-ALS Clinic that I attend every three months. “Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it!” they’d exclaim following the functional strength tests they administered. So far, my muscle strength is holding steady and in some areas – – has actually improved. My neurologist agreed that the cross-lateral movements and rolling were stimulating my vestibular system and added, “Those range-of-motion movements are keeping your tendons stretched and helping prevent the muscle tightness associated with ALS.”

     Obviously, I am not looking for a miracle cure – – I am a realist. I only want to feel better, feel in control and keep my body healthy. I may never be able do the Spider-man crawl and when I walk, I still need to use a walker. But that’s OK, because five years later, I’m still here – – and I’m moving!

     Thank you Tim and Geoff for Original Strength; it’s a wonderful movement system that has made a positive impact on my health!

     For helpful videos, books, blog posts and more: www.originalstrenth.net 

Dagmar Munn
ALS and Wellness Blogger

"How long does it take? As long as it takes, but not as long as you may expect."

Geoff Neubert, Original Strength

Email recipients: Use this LINK to read this article on the web. 

ALS Exercise: Use RESETS From Original Strength

It's no secret that I'm a fan of Original Strength and their unique fitness training system. Why? Because it fits all bodies - - even if you have ALS. So it was a great thrill when I was invited to write a guest article for their blog site.

Click here to read my guest post: "A Language that Speaks to all Bodies"

I began using the Original Strength exercises during the first year of my ALS, and credit them for helping me maintain my core strength and joint range-of-motion over the past five years. Although moderate regular exercise is recommended for PALS (people with ALS) there's no real consensus about exactly "what" to do. I found the exercises offered by Original Strength to be gentle, easy to learn, adaptable and they produced the results I wanted: to help my balance, my strength, my range-of-motion and...to feel better.

What are Resets?
The Original Strength system is built around a series of movements referred to as RESETS. These are the fundamental movements that we all first experienced as infants. RESETS follow a baby's natural physical evolution from a belly wiggle, to lifting the head while arching up, to rolling over and finally crawling.

When adults perform RESETS, we're strengthening the muscles of our core: shoulders, chest, stomach, diaphragm, and upper-mid-low back areas. We are also firing up our brain-motor neuron pathways as well as the system that controls our sense of balance.  ...all good things for PALS!

My favorite RESETS are: rocking, rolling, arching up and baby crawling - - a mighty four that are an essential part of my daily routine!

RESETS are usually practiced right on the floor, as demonstrated in the "how to" videos below. If getting down on the floor isn't an option for you - - use your bed instead! A bed that's size 'double' or larger, and has a fairly firm mattress is a safe and accessible surface for practicing most RESETS.

Rocking:

Having trouble viewing this video? 

Use this link: https://youtu.be/5e08_N8Ca7M

Rolling

Having trouble viewing this video? 

Use this link: https://youtu.be/IEtmbw9XdiI 

Arching Up

Having trouble viewing this video? 

Use this link: https://youtu.be/HiA1hDnsGlk 

Baby Crawling

Having trouble viewing this video? 

Use this link:https://youtu.be/ZmOXCmoLlTI 

A Lighter Version
Here's a super-easy beginner series that you can do while lying in bed:

1. On your back: draw both knees up to the chest and place hands on your knees. Slowly rock knees and hips right and left. Repeat 8 times.
2. Extend the legs and slowly roll over to your stomach. Return roll to your back. Repeat 4 times.
3. Roll to your stomach and prop yourself up on your forearms. Look right, look left then down and up. Repeat the head movements 2 more times.
4. Place hands under shoulders and push yourself back and up to a hands-and-knee position. Gently rock forward and back within a range that is comfortable for your body. Repeat 4 times.
5. Slowly return to lying on your stomach, roll to your back and finish with a few deep breaths. 

Want to learn more? Go to: www.orginialstrength.net 

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Now that I've introduced you to my favorite fitness routines for ALS, what do you do to maintain your fitness? Was today's article helpful to you? What did you try and how did you like it?

Dagmar Munn
ALS and Wellness Blogger

"See physical fitness as a practice, not a goal."

Terri Trespicio

Email recipients - use this LINK to view blog on the Internet.

My Book: "Align, Lengthen & Strengthen Your Resilience; While Living with ALS

I'm excited to share with you my book: 

Align, Lengthen & Strengthen Your Resilience; 
While Living with ALS.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), or are facing any other kind of life-threatening illness - -I wrote this book for you!

Through numerous personal and humorous anecdotes as well as drawing on my background in wellness I share with you practical advice for creating a resilient life. 

This book is a guide for not only you, but for your caregivers, family, and friends. 

My book, Align, Lengthen & Strengthen Your Resilience; While Living with ALS is absolutely FREE. I will not ask you for your email or try to sell you something later on. This is my gift to the ALS community. Please share it with others!

Enjoy :-)


One reader's comment:
     "I wish I had a resource like this when I was first diagnosed. It was the worst day of my life when I found out about my diagnosis. It was so difficult to get up and start living again. I had so many of the same experiences and felt so along. The book is so positive" I love the concept of having to 'Show up'...it would be so easy for someone with ALS to shut down and stop enjoying life. I also appreciated how she described how she dumped her group of whiners, and the importance of surrounding yourself with positive people."

     "I was surprised by the humor as well. I read this while I was on a flight and I realized that everyone was staring at me whenever I laughed out loud!"

Warner Smith, former University of Arizona and NFL player

__________________________________________ 

DOWNLOAD:

You can download the book for free in these formats:

• PDF  (for computer)  click and save
• .ePUB (for e-readers)  click, download and save

After you've read my book do come back and share your thoughts about it. I'm interested in learning which chapters helped you. Share what you are doing to live a resilient life.

Dagmar Munn
ALS and Wellness Blogger 

"Wellness is more than being free from illness. It is a dynamic process of change and growth. A conscious self-directed and evolving process of achieving full potential."


The National Wellness Institute

Keep Moving ALS Chair/Seated Exercise

“Keep Moving!”

It’s what I tell myself every day - - and, it’s something I encourage others do as well. In fact, I’ve been motivating others to bend, stretch, reach, and huff & puff along with me for the past thirty years!

But suddenly now, MOVING has become more important than ever - - both for me, and for anyone else like me who is living with ALS. We PALS (persons with ALS) want to keep moving for as long as possible; something that I believe is possible - - by practicing regular therapeutic movement.

Notice I didn’t say, exercise; I said, therapeutic movement. Which is a key concept that my thirty-some years in the wellness and fitness profession have taught me: almost everyone dislikes having to exercise, but if we think of it as therapeutic, at least we’ll give it a try! I know, I know, it’s all semantics. But, as I’ve covered in previous blogs (“Adversity, Beliefs & Consequences” ) even something as simple as a change in perspective can go a long way towards achieving success.

Thankfully, we’ve reached the stage where medical experts agree that exercise (ahem, therapeutic movement!) is beneficial and recommended for PALS. This includes the basic three categories of: cardio, muscle strengthening and (my favorite) range-of-motion exercises.

Doing a simple arm circle is one example of a range-of-motion or, ROM exercise because we’re moving through the full range of our shoulder joint. ROM movements help prevent a muscle condition called, disuse atrophy; which is a fancy way of saying, “if you don’t use it, you lose it.” Sedentary lifestyles and lack of exercise contribute to disuse atrophy and it’s a condition of paramount concern for us PALS.

In addition to disuse atrophy, we also experience muscle weakness and loss due to neurological atrophy; when our motor neurons no longer send signals to our muscles. It’s a double-whammy, for sure. But, we PALS need to remember that our unaffected muscles still need MOVEMENT; every day - - several times a day - - especially taking our muscles and joints through their full range-of-motion - - for us, it really becomes therapeutic movement!

Range-of-Motion (ROM) Exercise:

-          Prevents stiffness in the joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons.

-          Improves posture and trunk stability.

-          Improves smooth coordinated movement of the muscles around each joint.

-          Relieves muscle tension due to mood or mental stress.

-          Helps combat muscle atrophy due to aging and/or sedentary lifestyle.

-          It feels good to do it!

Welcome to my collection of ‘therapeutic movement!’

In a previous post ("MoveAlong"), I shared my frustration at not finding any fitness videos that met my current ALS movement needs. I always felt a little like an ‘ALS Goldilocks,’ searching and testing but never satisfied: the videos were too fast, too slow, too long, too boring, and on and on. The result was: I created my first ALS exercise video and posted it on my YouTube channel.

Now, thanks to the positive response from you, my blog readers - - I’ve added a few more short videos to my collection of therapeutic movement for ALS!

These three videos fall into the category of ROM. They are easy to follow, gentle movements that you can modify according to what your body or energy levels need. The routines are performed seated in a chair and range from five to eight minutes in length. All in all, the ‘ALS Goldilocks’ in me would agree that these are, “Just right!”

Yes, the videos ARE vintage - - that’s me, back in 1996 and 2002, (check the bottom of this post for the back story). And yes, these certainly prove that I have been encouraging people to move for a long, long time! Give each one a try and let me know what you think of them.

Come on, let’s KEEP MOVING together!

Gentle, dance-inspired movements: 

Having trouble viewing this video? Use this link: http://youtu.be/ihR0AZPCo8o

Gentle, tai-chi inspired movements:

Having trouble viewing this video? Use this link: https://youtu.be/01K5vd53TXI    

Moderate intensity movements:

Having trouble viewing this video? Use this link: https://youtu.be/22iw-p8KITg

Be sure to add the video links to your “favorites” on your computer so you can return and follow along every day. I also encourage you to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you’ll be notified whenever I add new videos.

Dagmar Munn
ALS and Wellness Blogger

Back Story:

In 1996, I was part of a team that created the St. Luke’s Center for Health & Well-Being. A department of St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, we were the first hospital-based complementary and alternative therapy center in the state of Iowa. It was considered pretty radical at the time, as we offered classes in yoga, tai chi, Pilates and meditation in addition to massage therapy. Over time, we grew to add Holistic Nursing, acupuncture, Reiki and even Holistic Physician services. As the center's Director, my time was spent teaching classes and educating patients, hospital staff and the community on the topic of wellness and our unique services.

In 2002, the Heritage Agency on Aging invited me to be one of their fitness leaders for, “Food, Fun & Fitness,” a television program aimed at home-bound seniors. This very successful half-hour program aired on the local Kirkwood Channel, and featured interviews and advice on nutrition, a fitness segment and a fun bingo game. Segments replayed for several years before funding discontinued.

I hope you enjoy these fitness excerpts from my past. I appreciated the opportunity to have these experiences and appreciate the opportunity to share them with you now!

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