A lesson from boxing, get off the mat

Somewhere between high school and first year in college some 47 years ago Simon and Garfunkel wrote and sang a song called “The Boxer.” The winters and city of New York can be hard on anyone trying to cut out a living from the bottom up. The boxer in the clearing shows visual reminder of how hard life can be. Boxing has always had it’s roots with poor people. 

It seems my dad and all the young men from the depression who went in to the service boxed, or so it seems. Have you every put on the gloves and tried to knock out your opponent who in turn is trying to do the same? It sounds crazy, but I am glad I tried a few bouts. I learned I took more punches then I gave out. Just a few and I went into retirement. Fighting bullies or attackers on the street was easier. Most never expected a kid with CP to fight back. 

I haven’t met a fellow CPer who was anything but brave. It eats at me that there are those who would steal, bully, mistreat any who has to deal with pain, balance, falling, and a number of other issues. For me it left me with a bit of a short-fuse. Coming to faith in Christ, God over the years has helped me put down the gloves. I know that is a motivator for me to help others one way or another. 

Over the years I have enjoyed the Robert Parker character Spencer and Hawk boxers who keep getting up, helping others who basically are being bullied and knocked down. The characters stay ageless as they return to the gym to restore their health to keep at it. 

The Psalms are like a spiritual gym, a place where we can meet God and God can restore us. We have needs in our body, mind and our spirit. The world, sin, and spiritual forces are more brutal than a New York or Chicago winter. There are too many in pain today, hurt by others and warned down with care. There is a Great Physician who has balm greater than the balm of Gilead. (Check Wayne Stiles link below for back ground on the balm of Gilead)

Lately I have been biking with HITT 30 minute, 45 minute workouts. On my TV using You tube app, type "cycling workouts" and a variety of workouts come up. I’m back training in the gym with Spencer, Henry and Hawk like a boxer. Just a CP guy trying to keep walking. 

In the clearing stands a boxer

And a fighter by his trade

And he carries the reminders

Of ev'ry glove that laid him down

Or cut him till he cried out

In his anger and his shame

"I am leaving, I am leaving"

But the fighter still remains, mmm mmm

https://www.waynestiles.com/a-balm-in-gilead-your-solution-is-nearer-than-you-imagine/#more-14044

Be positive, adapt, work through challenges

One of the purposes of my blog is to record my journey for better health and fitness as I age. One of the things that I've noticed my story is not one  and done and happy forever and ever. No for me it is a series of changes, some of them unexpected. 

Part of the John Lennon quote, “Life happens” challenge my possible success story. I never anticipated falling into a depression and anxiety from a long term insomnia. Walking was also helping me sleep. Lifelong stressors then adding a few more setbacks, my brain wasn't working right. Like Humpty Dumpty I wasn't able to put my life back together. 

TRX give it a try

Returning to health I was back on the walking trail, but a serious fall in the winter two years ago and walking as I had known it changed forever. (I still have issues) While I was recovering I was able to improve my resistant training with body exercises, TRX, and resistant tubes.

Walking was replaced by my indoor recumbent bike, indoor walking with Lessie Sansone with brief periods walking that I could tolerate with my backache.

Having cerebral palsy with thousands of falls has a practical outcome of joint pain from head to toe. Pain management involves help for my GP, physical therapists; but surprisingly, the most relief comes from therapeutic movement, resistance training, aerobic training. Flexibility has

It hurts but latter you
will feel better

issues all the time in the life of someone who has cerebral palsy. What I have found it is easy to have more problems; for example, putting my socks and shoes on. I suppose many seniors experience the pain is they age into their 80s and 90s. But for me right now it is extremely painful. What do I do to relieve the pain? Two or three times a day I cross my feet on my knee and rotate the foot at the ankle joint and each day the pain is less. (I have to work through the pain and I can’t let it go) This was something I never had to do it when I was younger, but pain teaches you new things.

I want the blog to be a positive experience as I share some of my successes. The fat Man exercises, adopted push-ups, sit ups, dips, squats, heel raises, walking stairs are all just about anybody can do as we age. These moves are adapted to fit you. A push-up off the stairs from lower stair to four steps up give you a push-up from hard  to easy. Using a countertop, table top or a wall give other levels of resistance. Dips can be done at a corner on counter top in the kitchen. You use your legs to vary the resistance. The Internet can showing you how to do body resistance exercises.

Today I did I hitt program enjoying the Internet cycling workout 30 minutes. The exercise

The bike I use

includes interval training of high intensity, higher resistance cycling with periods of lower intensity and resistant cycling. The cyclists in the program are all using hi end indoor bikes. Once again I adapt the program to use my indoor recumbent bike and to keep my biking in the heart range that is good for me at 65. I am not going to compete with Younger more fit people on the screen. I follow the beat of the music and keep my pace up and increase resistance in the sprint periods. 

I stayed in my heart range and following program I've biked about a mile longer then I would have if I was biking by myself. 

I really strongly recommend an indoor recumbent bike. The comfort and adaptability to bike listening to a book, watching TV, listening to music; you will find yourself biking every day. You don't have to buy the most expensive one, but by a good one. Biking is a good way to battle diabetes and for many of us get the steps we need each day to be healthier. For me it is an activity where I have no back pain.

If you go to YouTube and typing cycling workouts you will get a lot of options. Check out the link below. Work with your doctor in this. Keep walking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRylMkvahjM

The reality of the Bible illustrated

In Acts 16:11-40 is the story of a young slave girl controlled by evil spirits to tell fortunes and make profits for her owners. She was set free of evil infuence by Apostle Paul. No longer able to make money for her masters they sought to imprison Paul for their disruption of business.
I can remember talking to young prostitutes (ages 13 and 14) about the gospel who were beat up for talking to me. The girls were a mess the next time I talked to them. The johns who drove by to use these girls I used to yell at them in their cars, "Don't I know you? Hey I bet the misses would like to know what you're doing!" They always sped off. After a couple of memorable confrontations with the pimps I was asked to lead the discipleship program and was moved away from the red light district. (Co-workers feared retaliation) Most of the prostitutes were on the younger side of 15 and all were abused by the pimps. If you want to see evil you don't have to look far.

Philippian Jail in Paul's Day

Life has many bumps, and often for doing right by others. Paul for helping this abused slave girl used in perverted ways only to make money was thrown into prison. There he was beaten and his companion and put in prison. In the picture you can see the actual prison he was thrown into. You can see where the rocks are built up from the ruins found. You can see the Roman Street in the lower left. The prison and town was a real location. The evil in slavery we still see today. Young men and women are still enslaved all over the globe for sexual and human misuse for money. The events of the Bible are in real places effecting real people. Protecting our girls from abuse is still as vital as it was in the Roman world with 60% slavery. People still may suffer for doing the right thing. The good news of Christ still delivers people from evil. Keep walking.

Dealing with arhtritus

We don't need assault rifles. Personal defense guy weighs in

Hit the link below for the awesome graphic.

         I don't know if you can access this page from the New York Times, but it is an amazing graphic. Chicago is #1 but note it records children killed by guns in the urban setting. Loads of data, how many are gang related? How many involve 17-23? How many are domestic? How many are legal and illegal guns? How many have a racial component? Race killings go each way not just white on black, but black on white also. With the increase of Latino there is a factor as well. Ethnic violence? How many involve mental health? Most who use a gun are not mentally ill. How many deaths were involved in a legal self defense? How many self defenses were unjustified?
        We are divided about guns with people like me would like an option against possible fatal attacks (we don't need assault rifles unless we are invaded by foreign powers, unlikely in my life time) and people who want a ban on guns. Our biggest need is for people to embrace life and hate murder. Too many have a low opinion of others.
        Responsible ownership of guns looks at the intent of the gun for self defense, hunting,

Actual weapon found in hotel room in Vegas

target shooting for sport or recreation. Murder, suicide, mass murder, crime and drugs needs law and regulation. People in the cites need to be challenged on many destructive behaviors, illegal gun running needs stiffer penalties.

       The shooting in Vegas underscores assaut rifles can be modified for greater killing potential. It is clear we need to address this type of gun. We cannot ignore it. The purpose of this gun goes beyond personal defense, hunting and sport shooting. Guns like this for military or law enforcement require discipline and training with these guns. Reagan called it common sense. 

America responded on Dec. 7, 1941. They again went into action on on Sept. 11, 2001. Assault weapons have been used in semi automatic in up close mass killings and now modified for mass destruction from a 1/4 mile away. There are people who have them and use them within the law, but the potential for mass murder requires we the people have to move with a better measures to stop what may be only the beginning. It looks like this guy was also open to use the bomb power like Timothy McVey. 

A few targeted the audience in the Country music crowd, but this guy was planning an analysis of a rap concert in Chicago. These killings were not the fault of Rock fans in France, or gays in Orlando, or co-workers on California. We don't know the motive, but he had one and he forced his violence on others with planning and ability to carry it out. Everybody wants to play a psychiatrist and diagnose this evil, he is nuts but he is responsible, a year to 6 months of planning. 

Back to graphic about urban violence,  each death here with the symbols needs to be accounted for. What ever your opinion this is an awesome visual to understand the complicated problem we have. The human race demonstrates our bent towards sin.I am going to do my best to chase down information in the Chicago deaths. Deaths in other urban centers may be slower to reach the body count in Las Vegas but maybe causes are similar or maybe there will be differences. These deaths are too many and do call for a different response than the usual banter. Keep walking, but be safe.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/10/06/us/las-vegas-gun-deaths.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

We are getting older embrace mental health p. 1

“Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:6, 7 Like Ps. 4 at the end of a stressful day we can call on the Lord in our anxiety and He can give us peace.

I have had many days where God gave me peace and a confidence to trust him concerning something I was worried about. I have read along time ago that 95% of the things we worry about never come true. That should give us confidence, but we are probably thinking about the 5%.

Due to long term insomnia, triggered by traumatic recovery my mental health broke down. As savvy as I am concerning awareness from scripture, psychology and 50+ years I could not resolve my problems. With panic attacks, sleep deprivation I slipped into a clinical depression. Inside my brain was not functioning the way it should. Insight from my son and wife told me I could not solve this. I needed help.

On one side, we are told to understand people with mental illness with compassion. There is more hope today

Will, my son intervened when I needed
it most. Will earned his masters this
summer from Kansas University this
summer, (proud dad!!!!)

to help people cope with their illnesses. After both medical and therapeutic support my depression and anxiety is in remission. These days I am actually sleeping and I feel pretty good mentally. I am going to start a treatment to boost my metabolism to counter act the weight gain that comes with the medicine. Every medicine we take has the side effect. This latest treatment I am going to double check with my GP, and there may be adjustments. 

On the other side, being open about mental illness can also have a negative affect as to how people view you. Generally I am okay with this because I want people to feel good about seeking care for a mental health as we get older. Some things I know:

• 25% of us at the age of 63 may be clinically depressed
• By the age of 85, 50% of us have some form of dementia
• My uncle from my mother side told me how many people in the family develop panic attacks around the age 55
• Wear and tear in our body also occurs in our brain. We are becoming aware of concussions that we may have had earlier now come to roost as we get older. Sad but true, I have two rocks in my head from previous injury. Those of you who know me you might be thinking "I knew it!” 
• I am just learning process of Alzheimer's developing in the brain. It is now believed it starts in about 20 years before any symptoms develop. It could be soon we learn how to be detected earlier and work on treatments to further delay development of disease. There are eight other common dementias.

Obviously mental health is personal and there are genetic factors from all sides of my family. But I am becoming aware through both experience an increasing data that as we age our brain ages with us. Every part of us ages. I believe it is imperative that we developed a friendly view concerning mental health. Rather than fear it let's embrace it.

Getting treated for depression is certainly better than trying to live with it on your own.

Mental illness is not first and foremost criminal. The vast majority of people are trying to cope with mental illness as best they can. We need to make it easier for people to get help. Right now to enter a mental hospital you have to demonstrate you are a danger to yourself or others. I think this is okay for a legal point of view to help people who are in danger to themselves or others. But the vast majority of people with mental illness may need to technology in the hospital for evaluation and emergency care. In my experience, I under went five days of evaluation in the mental hospital and then continued my care as an outpatient. In the daytime I underwent intensive therapy and medicine adjustments. I could sleep in my home bed and begin practicing the therapy I was learning with panic attacks. 

I have known hundreds of mentally ill people from my seven years of working in the mental hospital and 9 weeks of therapy that included group education and group therapy. My perspective now comes from both sides of care and being cared for. People who were severely mentally ill are not generally criminal. There are a very few who are extremely dangerous. I personally know two people that would become mass murderers. Both had informed others of their intentions before they happened.

I have known several to attack their own families. Many chronic mentally ill people there occurs a painful unofficial divorce that usually happens in their 20s. This isolation is real and you can see it in the many single room hotels and homeless peoples through out our country. There is a large gap between the poor and working poor and mental care. The cost of the mental health professional is too high for too many people. No professional in any field wants to cut their salary to care for the poor. Greed is a powerful thing.

From many I have known there is a sincere desire to get help and be for functional in their relationships, work and daily living. There are many who do just that.  Getting older,  consider adding a mental health professional on your care team. Keep walking