From Running to Walking

The day running became painful and I was told by my physician to take up walking I was stunned. As a child, running and other physical activity was an important part of my life. It made me feel good. But when I started smoking cigarettes in high school I lost that desire. Nine years later, running helped me quit smoking and sustained me for the next fifteen years.

Not overdoing physical exercise but doing enough and maintaining good form helps me participate in outdoor activities like walking, hiking, kayaking, and gardening. By being physically active I am better able to maintain a healthy mental and emotional balance in life.

I remember watching Mary Decker on TV run in the Olympics and I was envious. I was surprised to read in Arthritis Today (Nov-Dec 2015) that she thought her injuries were due to over-training, but today thinks they make have been related to arthritis. She finally listened to what her body was telling her and retired from running in 1999. An earlier diagnosis might have helped ease the depression that went along with her having to retire from the sport she loved. According to this article she now enjoys other activities, including hiking.

Being physically active is critical to some people. After a physically active day it is nice to relax with Maine Warmers’a microwave heating pad. An extra large Back Warmer relaxes stiff muscles, is versatile, and can be used to relax tired feet (the body parts I feel most at the end of the day). The discomfort is likely due to some arthritis, and heat stimulates circulation and increases flexibility.

A gluten-free diet keeps inflammation from arthritis in check and makes me feel better. For gluten-free recipes see the Main Warmers’blog.

Encouraging Children to Enjoy Swim Lessons

We want to encourage our grandchildren to enjoy swimming and have taken them for lessons for several years at a local school.  In Maine, in the winter, the ladies’ locker room feels cold, especially after basking in the warmth of the heated pool area. Our young granddaughter’s teeth would be chattering as I tried to change her out of wet swimsuit and into some warm, dry duds.

I wondered if a Maine Warmer might help make that transition a little more comfortable for her and make the locker room experience less frantic.  I wanted to make the experience as comfortable and fun as I could.

So, before we left home I would microwave a Back Warmer, wrap it in a Turkish towel, and place it in a canvas bag. We would leave an hour before the lesson, pick up our grandchildren, and drive to the pool. At the locker room I placed the bag in the locker while we waited the hour for the lesson. After two hours, the towel and heating pad would be nice and warm and our granddaughter was elated to be wrapped in a heated, dry towel while I pulled her clothes out of the locker.

Warm a Turkish towel with a Maine Warmers' Back Warmer and enjoy soothing warmth after a winter swim in a pool.

The Turkish towel is quite large but folds up into a small area, taking up less room than the terry towel that she takes into the pool area and returns with soaking wet.

Once dried, dressed, and in the car, we gave them snacks – usually a banana, but occasionally a granola bar. We would return them to their home just at suppertime. On the last day of the session, we would take them out or buy pizza to celebrate them and with their parents.

Maine Warmers’ microwave bed and body warmers bring soothing warmth and comfort in the middle of winter to young and old. A variety of Neck Warmers and Back Warmers are available in traditional shapes or in unique animal designs and patterns.

Maine Warmers' Cozy Sheep Bed and Body Warmer