Accents
My walking buddies
Grandmothers are great walking buddies, and I have two of the best: Eufrocina "Inday" Cepe and Pressie Faraon. Like me, they have whales of tales about the grandchildren—the dreams of little ones and their needs that only a grandmother's sought-for special tender, loving care could provide.
Florvel Phase II in Oton is a laid-back subdivision with streets short enough for a round-trip of a walk and a tete-a-tete on stories accumulated through the years of grandmotherhood. Inday Cepe has 14 grandkids and 3 great grandkids. Pressie has 5 grandkids, and I have my own precious 4.
Mrs. Cepe had the time of her life dealing with children, being a retired teacher in the elementary school. Her cooking prowess results in the most nutritious "laswa" from the freshest produce to gourmet dishes translated from the pages of a cookbook. She is an early morning walker who patiently battles arthritic pains with feet wrapped up in comfy socks and walking shoes.
Pressie is another retired teacher who, like me, once taught English and American Literature. I guessed right where she got the name of her very personable, intelligent daughter Eppie—from George Elliot's Silas Marner, a required reading in high school. Also, like Pressie, I got so enamored with the heroine Randy in the novel King's Row, that I had my daughter named after the exemplary character.
To all the couch potatoes (I exempt my walking buddies Inday and Pressie from this classification), I'm reprinting these excerpts from Stepping Up, an article by Mary Anne Dunkin in the journal Arthritis Today, March-April 2008 issue. It is an absorbing read whether you're arthritic or not:
For people of any age with arthritis, walking is especially good medicine. It strengthens muscles, which helps shift pressure from joints and reduce pain. And walking repeatedly compresses and releases the cartilage in your knees, helping to circulate synovial [joint] fluid that bring oxygen and nutrients, and nourishing your joints. When joints don't get this nourishment, they deteriorate faster.
Head down the road to good health. Start with these five strategies for walking success:
1. Find a buddy. One of the best ways to start and maintain a regular walking program is to find a friend committed to walking with you. Recruiting a walking buddy really may help if you're a senior. Walking with a friend—human or canine [your dog]—makes you more safe and secure.
2. Do something different. To make walking more pleasurable, find ways to make it different and interesting. Vary your route, [but] the same route can be interesting with a little attention and creativity … Be aware of the clouds in the sky, the movement of the trees in the breeze, the feeling of the sun on your skin.
3. Get good shoes. Nothing spoils a good walk faster than aching feet. A pair of shoes is virtually the only equipment you need for walking, so it's important to choose the right pair.
4. Track your progress. It may sound simple, but keeping track of how far, long and often you walk can give you a real sense of achievement. Experts advise starting with attainable goals—say, walking from your house to the next corner, or walking around the block—and then, once you achieve those goals, setting new ones.
5. Ditch the excuses. No doubt, there are other demands on your time and energy. Time—or the lack of it—is the No. 1 barrier to exercise. Yet, people who make exercise a priority find the time… Try making your walk do double duty. Walk to a nearby friend's house for a visit, or do nearby errands on foot. Come up with an alternate plan for getting around other barriers: If the weather is bad, walk at the mall or at an indoor track at the gym. On days when your joints ache or you're really tired, take a shorter walk. But keep moving—a brief walk may end up giving you enough energy for a longer one.
To my walking buddies, thanks for the companionship and for walking with me.(E-mail: lagoc@hargray.com)