Embrace Your Destiny:Take Charge!

Working the Core

Today has been a typical Wednesday. Toastmasters  at 8:00 am, followed by workout at Gold's gym, followed by lunch, piano practice and left over chores. Everyday, I try to include elements of physical exercise and mental exercise. I practice piano and do puzzles for the mental exercise. Diet is also monitored. Everyday I try to consume a 16 ounce juice and a cup of bone broth. The rest of my diet will be mostly plant based. 

I have found this combination of practices helps improve my MS symptoms. Physically, I have good energy and low pain. That allows me to do more that I want to do. Mentally, I am quicker in decision making and less bothered by stress.   

Everybody is different and all forms of MS are different. However, I do think I'm on the right track with this approach. Brain& Life magazine, the MS research on the MS Society website, and medical magazines from Medicare and AARP all validate that these practices are good for anyone with a neurological issue or is simply dealing with the aging process.  Specifically, I'd like to tell you why I find investing time in Toastmasters and a personal trainer are valuable to my improvement. 

Receiving Competent Leader Certificate

I have been doing Toastmasters since 2014.  I joined to seek help and encouragement on telling about my MS journey. What I never dreamed I'd find is much more than that. I  found support and practice in speaking in everyday conversations. I find developing and delivering interesting speeches to be challenging. I am learning to use storytelling and humor effectively.  I also practice using deliberate pauses and movement to emphasize points. I have embraced the competitive speech contests for some unknown reason. As I've said before, it's not the winning I'm after but more the challenge. 

Next year I've decided to embrace yet another element of the Toastmasters which is leadership. I have been elected President of our Four Seasons Toastmasters club. I'm sure I'll have many opportunities to tax my thinking, reasoning and decision making skills. It will also challenge me to engage team building and organizational skills I haven't needed to use in many years. 

I have been going to Gold's Gym several times a week following hot yoga. Most weeks I get in at least 4 or 5 strength workouts in addition to once a week with my Trainer, Lacey. Lacey gives me a worksheet at the end of my session with all the warm-up and strength exercises we did. I have over 30 possible workouts to choose from. She says I am getting progressively stronger in my legs and core. Improvement in muscle strength seems to be very similar to yoga; little bit by little bit. I can say that I indeed feel more confident and coordinated in my walking. We are currently working on lots of abductor muscles that are hard to get to and very hard to do. We use the machines, but most of the work she gives me involves a band, mat, kettle ball, TRX straps and free weight. Lacey is very good because she makes me do each exercise right and takes pictures when needed to make sure I don't forget.

One of the most delightful therapies I do is piano practice. Strange but true. In the past year, something wonderful has happened to make me more relaxed and loose over the keyboard. I'm not sure what has made the difference but, little bit by little bit improvement is coming. I believe it's regular practice and the relaxing exercises Annette has given me that is kicking in. I actually felt competent enough to agree to being in a recital. 

When I started taking lessons I told my teachers I would never be in a recital. So much for that declaration. Piano playing is a joy. I am confident it's a primary contributor for managing stress and for mental development. The recital came and went. I performed to the best of my ability and I think it was appreciated. What more can you ask for?

Exercise, diet, mental stimulation, and repetition are excellent tools for neurological conditions, aging and general well being. It takes some time, but the payoff is enormous.