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Health and Wellness: Fitness Instructors that Care - No excuses during COVID Social Distancing!

7/31/2020

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In most states, the gyms are still not open, but that doesn't stop everyone. If there's a will, there's a way.

At my YMCA, I attended a number of classes - mostly Zumba (and Cardio Dance). When the lock down was mandated, those classes stopped. Those classes were the one major thing I missed about the Y.

I could do exercises at home with YouTube videos and I could do my weights. I could also take long walks at several local parks and at a couple of malls (on rainy or extremely hot days) that opened up early for mall walkers.

When it came to Zumba, there are a lot of instructors online (mostly YouTube), but they were missing two important ingredients..... my favorite instructors and my classmates.

Very early on, my favorite teacher, Dawn DeWitt, and her daughter, Raven Puentes, offered Zumba via Zoom.
Zoom offered us the opportunity to follow her leadership and also to interact with each other - the teacher and my classmates. We could all see each other and it was "almost" like being there, sort of. Definitely better than not seeing anyone ever.

I love Dawn's teaching technique and she really cares about her students,
always offering encouragement right when you need it. It was motivating.

The point is this, there are teachers who care and those who are just in it for the money and the personal workout. If you look around you will find a caring teacher that will lead you even under the most undesirable circumstances.

If you have such a teacher, show your appreciation.
Let them know you appreciate the extra effort they put into reaching out to you.

If you are looking for online classes and you don't know where to start, here are some links that are available anywhere you have internet, no gym memberships required, all free:

ZUMBA

Zumba Dance Workout for Beginners Step by Step/ Best Dance for Weight Loss: https://youtu.be/sdoNOB6w1fY

WE LOVE DANCE - 80s Warm Up (Mix by DJ Baddmixx)
This instructor is gentle and I like her level of speed and steps: https://youtu.be/Xewf0Ecyrfs

Dura - Daddy Yankee / ZUMBA
with Claudio Lopez Utreras - Claudio is one of my favorite online teachers: https://youtu.be/DuVcNbSykv4

WORKOUTS

Standing Exercises for Older Adults - Using a chair, too: https://youtu.be/mQLzNf8VOIc

Standing Pilates for Seniors
- 30 minutes of exercise to Improve Strength & Build Confidence: https://youtu.be/i3PYS_jsA1c

Over 60 and self-quarantined? Do these 5 exercises DAILY -
taught by a physical therapist: https://youtu.be/yQ0G5x5hI28


There are videos for walking online,
but really all you need to do is just "walk".


Walk around your house inside or out. Walk your neighborhood, go to a walking park, go to any park, go to indoor malls that open early for mall walkers (I love this, because it's climate controlled and safe).

The important thing is just walk. Start with a goal that you can reach.

If that's 2000 steps, then get 2000 steps a day. My base goal is 6000 steps a day, my daily goal is 10,000 steps a day, and my ultimate goal is 15-20,000 steps a day.


I usually always make my basic goal of 6000.
At least 2-3 times a week I make my daily goal of 10,000 steps, and about 2-3 times a month I make my ultimate goal of 15-20,000 steps.

I have a goal to walk,
to move

EVERY SINGLE DAY
NO MATTER WHAT!
ALWAYS!



Don't use the COVID Lock down or Stay In Place mandate stop you from staying active. It's vital to your health, both physical and mental.

Please share how you are staying active and what you are doing for your health during this weird time in our life. What do you do to keep moving physically and mentally?

XOXO
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Book Review: What are you reading this summer? My recommendations.

7/17/2020

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Over the last year, I have read a lot of books. Some of them were good, some were okay, and some were not that good. I read a variety of books, fiction and non-fiction. I hope that you are reading a lot during this lock down.

Reading does a lot of good things for our brains and our health. It keeps our brains sharp and capable of recognizing common words, phrases, and ideas. It gives our minds a chance to imagine people, places, things, and events that we have never actually seen or experienced. I relate to some books as taking a vacation when I read them. My mind takes me away from reality and places me a fantasy world for the time I am reading.

I would love for you to comment about what you are reading and if you want to recommend a book, I would love to learn that also.

Please take a moment to leave your book comments and/or recommendations in the comments either here on the blog or on the On Fire Facebook page. Thanks!
​

Here is a short list of some I read and found good to be good in random order. No matter what your interests are or your needs, you will find that one of these books will fill the order. Enjoy!:
​
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If He's So Great, Why Do I feel So Bad? by Avery Neal - I wrote a blog book review on this book, I recommended it for every woman, no matter what age, read it. It was an eye opener for me and I am over fifty years old. The games people play with our hearts is sometimes subtle, but always cruel.

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Muscle and a Shovel by Michael Shank - A true story about a young couple who while relocating to a city to pursue their dreams, meet a man who turns their spiritual beliefs upside-down. This book has changed many many lives for the better. It will touch your soul.


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Choice Theory by William Glasser, M.D. - A new psychology of personal freedom. This book is another recommendation for anyone who wants to live the life you want while not losing people you love and need. It's common sense that is not all that common.

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Ashes of Her Love by Pierre Alex Jeanty - A book about recovering from a romantic breakup (marriage, dating, etc.), written in prose. Each page is dedicated to a unique feeling or situation. This book is written in a format similar to prose and it was beautifully done.

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Behold a Pale Horse
by William Cooper – Cooper is a former US Naval Intelligence Briefing Team Member and he reveals (with documentation) information that will either chill you to the bone or raise your interest to the highest level possible. No subject is off limits if he can find documentation. Nothing.



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The Basement Quilt by Ann Hazelwood - This was her first book of fiction and it is part of a series. You will meet some wonderful characters that you will most likely find one that you identify with and will want to read more about. Ann carries these characters throughout her series while also introducing other interesting characters. The stories are a mixture of love, mystery, life and it's changes, and of course, quilting. Quilts play a main role in each of her books in this series. A real vacation book that left me feeling good.

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Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King - The wild and crazy imagination of Stephen King is turned loose in this odd story about many many women suddenly falling to sleep with no real reason or seemingly connection to one another. It will leave you asking what did I just read? Love Stephen King.

These are the books I am planning to read this summer:
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There is a River by Thomas Sugrue – This is the true story of Edgar Cayce. Whether you agree or believe or not, this book will give you much food for thought on what you believe and what you think you believe.

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​Doctor Sleep
by Stephen King - Should be another good read as it is the sequel to The Shining. The New York Times says “[A] Vivid Frightscape”. Hope so.


If I get through those 2 books before the end of summer, I will start one of these and hopefully I will finish the following before the end of September 🙂:
​


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Healing Secrets of the Native Americans by Porter Shimer - A book full of medicinal wisdom used by Native Americans. It is full of useful information about many ailments.

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​To Scotland with Love
by Patience Griffin – A romance about choices set in the beautiful Scottish seaside town of Gandiegow.


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The Quilter's Daughter
by Wanda E. Brunstetter – Volume 2 in the Daughters of Lancaster County. A young Amish woman faces tragedy and doubts her faith. She becomes reluctant
​to love – again.


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​America, A Narrative History
by George Brown Tindall and David E. Shi – first printing 1984. Written BEFORE our history was revised. 🙂


Reading is a great way to keep your mind healthy. Following a plot line or learning new self help techniques and all the other things we get from reading help our brain retain and build new connections that keep it young and healthy.

There are so many options for “reading” a book. Books can be downloaded on tablets, phones, or computers to be read like a hardcover book. You can also “read” an audio book. A recorded book can go anywhere with you. Your library is an excellent place to download books that are free. You can even request a book and they will try to get it for you. You can also borrow a physical book from your library or purchase a book from any bookstore, online or brick and mortar.

Take some time this summer
(and during the COVID stay in place life)
to read a book.
It won't hurt you and
it will only help you.


Please share your interesting (or not interesting) reads so far this year. Share any recommendations you have, I am always looking for a new book. I get a lot of suggestions from others. Read, read, read!

​XOXO 
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Money Over 50: Cutting the Cable TV cord - Can you? Should you?

7/10/2020

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A lot of us over 50 folks are retired and being retired means that most likely your income is fixed, less than before your retired, or both.

If you are most people, you are always looking for ways to cut living expenses. Entertainment is one of those areas where it is sometimes easy to cut expenses without cutting enjoyment.

Several months ago, my son gave me a television antenna. It's a thin bar that attaches to the wall.  It brings in all the local channels and a whole lot  of others, about 29 total. If you add that to the ROKU channels I get, that's a lot of viewing options. 

After a couple of weeks, I turned in my Direct TV boxes and cut the cord. It saves me over $120 a month just in television programming. 

There are other ways to cut the cable TV cord and get good entertainment. Here are a few ideas:

Netflix is under $14 a month and you have more movies, documentaries, cartoons, and tv than you will ever be able to watch. For details: www.netflix.com

Amazon Prime not only gives you perks on shipping, but also unlimited movies, TV shows , documentaries, cartoons, etc. You have options to purchase or rent more entertainment. Cost ranges from $8.99 per month for Videos to $12.99 per month for videos plus other perks. For details: www.amazon.com/prime

Hulu offers all kinds of options, movies, tv, cartoons, many other choices. They offer four levels of membership: $5.99 per month for Basic Service; $11.99 per month for Premium Service; $54.99 per month for Basic plus Live TV; $60.99 per month for Premium plus Live TV. For details: www.hulu.com

YouTube offers lots of choices also. Really good old movies, biographies, short videos on every subject on the earth. I find that I watch YouTube on my big screen TV more than any other channel. You can subscribe for 70 channels and pay $49.99 per month for all programming, but I don't. I just watch the free stuff for now and there's plenty of those.  For details: www.tv.youtube.com

Sling TV – not really familiar with this channel but here's what I found online. While there are free movies and TV available, they have three tiers of membership: $30 per month for Sling Orange or Sling Blue, and then for $45 per month Sling Orange and Blue Combined. For details go to: www.sling.com

Just a note on ROKU. Roku streams from your internet, but it's free. Some of the channels that stream from ROKU charge a monthly fee, but a lot are free. Some will offer a ton of movies or TV programming ( one day delay) for free as well as, more offerings for a monthly fee. I just watch the free stuff and it is awesome. Most TV come with ROKU preloaded now, but if you have a TV without it loaded you can by a ROKU box fairly cheap. It's easy to install and works great.

There are other options like ATT TV, Apple TV, etc., but I have no experience with those and I have more TV than I can watch now anyway. 

Hope this helps someone save some money and gives you ideas. I wish I had dropped my cable and satellite programming a lot sooner, but fear will stop you in your tracks.

Does anyone have anything to add to this blog? Do you have any other suggestions? Do you have experience with any of these offerings or ones not mentioned? Please share so that we can save a fellow On Fire 50 some money!

XOXO
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SPECIAL: The 4th of July - The United States - Our Great Nation

7/3/2020

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Tomorrow is the celebration of our great country's independence. It is one that has always been a day of cookouts with friends and family, concerts, picnics, boat rides, skiing, and fireworks. Some people would take vacations and visit our national monuments and historic battlegrounds. It was a time for all Americans, no matter of your origin or skin color, to celebrate the blessings of this country.

Is this country perfect? No.
Name one country, if you can, that is perfect. Every country has it's own issues to deal with. Some handle their issues better than others, some never handle the issues at all. Most issues can not be "fixed" overnight. Many issues take time to fix. Time not only to implement the change, laws, or leadership needed to fix the issue, but also time for the people to adapt and accept the remedy. The later is the most difficult. But one thing for sure, rioting and looting do nothing to speed the process along. 

Tomorrow, when you seek ways to celebrate without risking Covid-19 exposure, remember to pray. Remember to pray for our great nation and the people (all people) who live in this great nation. We have always needed prayer, but especially now.

Try to  remember:

God is still in control and 
everything "will work for the good 
to them that love the Lord 
and are called according
to His purpose." 
- Romans 8:28 (NKJV)


Remember, that:


 God "desires all men
to be saved 

and to come to the
knowledge of the truth." 

-1 Timothy 2:4


(Notice, the Bible says "all". It doesn't matter to God what color your skin is. He's sees our spirit and soul, not skin color and loves us all and wants all of us to be saved.)

Celebrate the blessing in
living in one of the
​greatest nations on earth!
Happy 4th of July!


XOXO

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    My mission​

    Sharing thoughts and ideas for the woman over 50 that are helpful, fun, creative, inspiring and interesting. Over 50s who want to remain relevant, happy and loving their life.
    On fire for your own life!
    ❤ Sheryl ❤

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