This year I signed on for 30 Days of Biking again to shake up my routine. Around the world, 7300 people made the pledge: to ride every day in the month of April – any distance, any destination.

I feel like I am getting the hang of biking every day just for the pure joy of doing it. And as I approach retirement next year, I am gaining appreciation of cycling as a healthy activity to keep on keeping on. Heading into National Bike Month, these are the takeaways that keep me going.

Riding every day is motivation to get creative and try something new.

My usual routine is riding to work a couple times a week and a cruise on the weekend, typically on some deeply grooved routes that I know well. The prospect of more of the same was not too inspiring. It became a game to see how many new places I could pedal to in 30 days.

The Ghost Riders supplied an adventure for Day 1. This friendly group that I met through my daughter and son-in-law normally takes off late at night to cruise the city. I joined them for an unusual afternoon trip – the Fool Moon Ride on April 1. After pedaling over the Eads Bridge, we rode to Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park in East St. Louis where a series of five long ramps leads to a beautiful view of the Mississippi River and the Gateway Arch.

On week two I ventured beyond my comfort zone with a city ride home from a conference at Union Station. The next week I discovered a levee trail less than five miles from my house that goes past a wetland area where there is a mating pair of eagles. I wasn’t fast enough to catch them on camera but I’ll keep trying. I rode to yoga class, the dentist, the chiropractor, the ice cream shop and the March for Science. Every new destination expanded my thinking about where you can go on a bike.

Cycling is Preventive Medicine

As I teeter on the brink of 60, I value even more how cycling can help me stay healthy by doing something every day that I enjoy. The cardiovascular endurance and muscle strength gains make it easier to do other everyday things, like carrying the laundry up and down the stairs or raking up the gumballs. Cycling can even help prevent falls by improving balance and leg strength, according to two small but promising studies with older adults in Sydney Australia.

I met plenty of of “seasoned” adults on wheels through biking groups and events all over town. They are clearly enjoying the benefits. Oasis has a small but mighty biking group that meets for weekday rides on the trails and greenways in St. Louis. Its a social and intergenerational activity that keeps people connected, and that’s good for all of us.

You meet lots of fun, friendly people on a bike.

I met Tony on the aforementioned Fool Moon Ride. Tony rides with a payload of at least 80 pounds, including a cooler, a speaker, a giant American flag and flashing lights aplenty. He led quite the parade and the visibility in traffic was great. Our tour of East St. Louis and neighboring towns stretched into a night ride after all. Fortunately we were able to take the Metro back.

There are no weather problems, only gear problems

April showers tend to cool one’s enthusiasm for biking. On an unrelenting rainy Saturday, faced with the prospect of getting on the trainer to get in the day’s ride, I dug out my rain jacket and pants and did a run to the grocery store instead. It was just two miles round trip, but it was total fun and I got credit with the spousal unit for picking up dinner.

On Day 30 I pushed the gear further with a Trailnet 30-miler in a steady rain that had us riding through 4-5 inches of water at times. I wouldn’t do it again anytime soon, but it stretched my concept of rideable weather.

Biking helps me stay balanced in other ways

This year I have struggled more than usual with balancing work and life. Part of it has to do with completing some unfinished business before retiring next year. I get deep into a bunch of projects and let too many days go by with no exercise, not good. Getting into the mindset of riding every day has helped me get back on track.

True confessions: I missed one day when I was sick, that could easily have stretched into two or three more. The day after as I hunkered down making up for lost time at work, the 30-day drumbeat in my head said “STOP. Go for a ride!” A short little cruise exploring the neighborhoods around the office with the dogwoods and azaleas in bloom – and these characters – was my reward.

Biking = Happiness

At times in the past, biking for me has been all about training hard to get faster. For sure, racing and training with other people is exciting and fun and helps you get stronger and speedier. At the same time, there was a lot of static from my inner critic about not measuring up.

Lately I’m focused less on how fast and more on how often. I can just enjoy the physical effort, the mental break and the beautiful world. Getting out there puts a smile on my face.

On a ride down to the Gateway Arch with the Maryland Plaza Tuesday Night Riders, I met a woman who eloquently expressed what biking every day feels like – “Wheeee!”

Save

The tutoring season. It begins toward the end of September, when the kids get settled into their school routines. That’s when Oasis tutors, like Dale “Woody” Woodard, get excited and start doing what they do best:  connecting with children one-on-one.

“Through tutoring, the kids gain self-confidence, and I feel good knowing that I played a part in that,” says Woody. “Tutoring helps build their self-esteem, and it leads to success in school and other personal situations. Several parents have told me that their children are now more integrated.”

Finding the connection

When he started tutoring, Woody remembered how his own granddaughter responded when he read to her, so he needed no convincing on the power of providing consistent, one-on-one attention to children with a caring adult. His experiences as a tutor have only reinforced what he knew all along.

“I remember working with a young fellow who had transferred to many different schools. When he arrived here, he felt unconnected and he didn’t open up.  But then he told me he liked sports. I brought in a book about basketball players with lots of pictures of players and bios. His eyes lit up; that’s what broke the ice,” Woody says. “After that, he was always ready to go for our sessions, and for fun, we sometimes wadded up paper and shot baskets in the trash can.”

A surprise from the Lt Governor

Since 2006, Woody has provided more than 750 hours of tutoring, helping numerous children in grades K-3 at the Pattonville School District, in suburban St. Louis County. His dedication as a tutor was recently resulted in some unexpected recognition.

A U.S. Navy veteran, Woody was presented the Missouri Veterans Service Award for ten years of service as a tutor. He is one of 34 Missouri veterans to receive the 2016 award for exemplary service to their communities. The award was presented by Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder, who expressed his appreciation.

“Woody Woodard has touched many lives and helped affect the future for the good,” Lt. Governor Kinder said.

As for Woody, he was surprised and overwhelmed by the honor.

“I never expected something like this as a result of just wanting to help out,” he says.

Woody is an avid reader himself, which is one of the reasons he is so enthusiastic about helping kids with reading. “Books can take you places,” he says. “You can do things through books that you can’t do yourself. With books you can go on lots of exciting adventures.”

When Woody isn’t tutoring, he seeks his own adventures on his motorcycle and teaches motorcycle safety classes.  

“Sometimes I ride my motorcycle to school and wear my motorcycle jacket. The kids really like that!” exclaims Woody.

Woody is one of nearly 5,000 Oasis tutors across the country working to provide learning support to thousands of children. Since 1989, Oasis tutors have impacted more than 420,000 children. The program is currently offered in 10 states.

Making a bigger impact – Generation to Generation

Stories like Woody’s are important to inspire more people to get involved.  Oasis has an opportunity to do this in a big way as a partner with Generation to Generation, a national social action campaign powered by Encore.org that aims to mobilize one million adults 50+ over 5 years to help young people thrive.

“We need more people like Woody who are passionate about helping kids,” says Jeanne Foster, Oasis National Tutoring Manager. “As an Encore.org partner and leader in intergenerational learning for 27 years, Oasis can share our experience through learning labs in preparing tutors to help children succeed. And we know the children are not the only ones benefiting. Our tutors tell us all the time that they are getting just as much out of the experience as the students.”

The Generation to Generation campaign began November 17. You can get involved by becoming an Oasis tutor.  To learn more , visit https://tutoring.oasisnet.org/.

Emelda Harris has an important long-term goal – to get in the best possible shape for her health and manage her diabetes. She knows from experience that there is no quick fix.

She’s making headway after participating in Better Choices, Better Health®-Diabetes, a six-week discussion-based workshop developed at Stanford University that offers adults with Type 2 diabetes strategies for common challenges.

“By setting weekly goals after reviewing good health habits in the class I have been really successful,” she says. “I am studying food labels and measuring my blood glucose more often. I’ve also increased my exercise and vegetable intake. I’ve lost eight pounds.”

Oasis offered the program to more than 800 adults in Indianapolis and St. Louis in partnership with the National Council on Aging, with financial support from Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Results of the study show improved A1c levels, a test that measures blood sugar over time, and reduced depression, which is more common among people with diabetes.  Study results were published in June in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

Emelda learned a lot from the program leaders and her fellow participants, all of whom were there to either learn things for themselves or for people they know who have diabetes.

“It was nice to share little tricks and tips with one another. I feel like I’m going to be able to keep this going. I don’t feel like I’m being punished. These changes are good for me, period.”

Finding the best fit

When it comes to health and fitness, one size does not fit all. Adults can find any number of ways to be physically active through Oasis: dance classes, martial arts, yoga, Pilates, walking groups, aerobics and stretching classes, to name a few.

Oasis has an answer for people who are not quite sure where to start: Fit For Function. Made possible with funding from AARP® Medicare Supplement Plans, insured by UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, the seminar and mini-assessment help participants determine which classes are best for them.

“Fit For Function helps older adults identify which program is right for them, setting them up for success in reaching their goals,” says Sarah Lovegreen, Oasis national health director. “Reaching big goals by conquering smaller ones first is a great way to approach better health for people of all ages. By reaching smaller goals, we are empowered to stick with it, ultimately reaching our long term goals of better health.”

Finding the right class can make a significant difference. For Sally Needles (at right in the center), a Better Balance class at the Crown Center for Senior Living has boosted her confidence to keep moving like she should. She walks in the mall twice a week and is more steady on her feet.

“I can get in and out of a chair without using my hands,” she says. “The class provides constant movement for an hour and it makes me feel stronger.”

Visit St. Louis Oasis

Never give your social security number over the phone. Think twice before you wire money. Be sure to look over credit card and bank statements carefully. Shred, shred, shred.

Keeping pace with the number of ways to prevent being tricked out of our hard-earned money is challenging because new types of fraud are being developed every day. Older adults, especially those who are isolated, can be easy targets.

“We’ve all had one kind of experience or another, an attempt at fraud that we recognized for what it was. This is certainly a subject that needs publicity,” says retired economics professor Dick Waits. Dick is among a group of Oasis volunteers who served as facilitators in Fraud Fighters, a pilot project supported by Wells Fargo Advisors.

Fraud Fighters empowers adults 50 plus to help one another stop scammers in their tracks. With a curriculum based on materials developed by the Federal Trade Commission, Wells Fargo Advisors’ “Hands On Banking” and other expert sources, the project reached over 500 people directly in San Antonio and St. Louis, with information to share with friends and loved ones.

Fraud Fighters facilitators were trained to provide information about common types of fraud, such as identity theft, paying too much, healthcare scams, imposter “granny scams, ”You’ve won!” scams and tax fraud.

Facilitators and participants were encouraged to share what they know and learned with their family, friends and neighbors. More than 83 percent indicated that they planned to do so. Ninety percent rated their ability to identify fraud as “improved or greatly improved” as a result of the class. Over half of participants said they planned to make changes to the way they handle their own finances.

“Elder fraud is a priority for our center,” said Brenda Schmachtenberger, executive director of San Antonio Oasis. “As we are talking to seniors in the community, we know that they are being targeted. It is important that they are aware of the new scams that are being developed.

“Elder financial abuse is a crime that is estimated to cost victims in excess of $3 billion each year,” said Ronald C. Long, Director of Regulatory Affairs and Elder Client Initiatives at Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. “Partnering with Oasis has been a great way to educate older adults about how to protect themselves and others from fraud.”

Even if you shun the sugar bowl, there can be spoonfuls of added sugar hiding out in your food and drinks. Too much sugar can lead to weight gain and high blood sugar levels.

Oasis volunteers Joyce Rollins and Mary McFerson find the sugar in some common foods in this video:

Did you know?

A 12 ounce can of regular soda contains 39 grams of sugar – almost 10 teaspoons. One can is more than the daily limit recommended by the American Heart Association ( 6 teaspoons for women or 9 teaspoons for men.)

You can check the Nutrition Facts label on a packaged food item to find out how much sugar it contains. Four grams equals one teaspoon of sugar.

The Skinny on Sugar is one of a series of Oasis “Healthy Habits for Adults” classes that offer tasty, good-for you recipes, energizing activities and practical tips to stay on track with healthy eating and physical activity. 

Many of the tips are published in the Oasis “Healthy Living Guide for Adults” –  available to download for free.

Since July 2015, more than 3,200 adults have participated in the Healthy Habits for Adults workshops in 11 states. Evaluations show that 88 percent of participants are sure they can be more physically active and 91 percent are confident they will eat healthier.

The Healthy Living Guide and Healthy Habits for Adults classes are supported by Anthem Foundation.

First of all, let me acknowledge that, with the occasional exception of posing with a grandchild, I do not like to have my picture taken. Period. I had to go to great lengths to find a photo to submit for our college reunion book; I felt badly cropping out my brother. I hoped friends would focus on the Rocky Mountains behind me, not the bags under my eyes.

I just don’t get it — what’s the big deal about sticking your arm out and aiming at yourself? Whether one is posing with a “BFF” at O’Connell’s bar or in front of the Statue of Liberty — get a life. The Statue of Liberty is important, not you. So you were there; do you really think you’re going to forget you were in New York? Photograph New York harbor…..or the Gateway Arch….or the Grand Canyon, but must you be two-thirds of the picture?

Facebook shows so many lovely selfies of girlfriends together, usually with their tongues sticking out or their cheeks deliberately puffed out like chipmunks. “I am here….I have friends….I am important.” Talk about an ego trip!

Maybe it’s something cultural. Years ago when I was in Japan, it was difficult to take a picture of a temple without waiting for a group of Japanese (seldom tourists) standing in front, having their picture taken by a friend. I’d wait for them to move on so I’d have an unobstructed view, but before I could get my camera ready, another group would have taken their place.

I will admit, though, that I have taken pictures of family members with mountains in the background; that’s sort of a “two-for-one” shot, family and location. That’s a little different from taking a selfie, though. In a selfie, the emphasis is on — define the word: self! “I was here! Me, me — it’s all about me.” That’s why you can hardly see the U.S. Capitol behind the freckles and the acne! And now with the selfie “stick” gadget, it can only get worse.

Does anyone remember “Kilroy was here”? Probably not; there are not too many of us left who remember the World War II scribblings. Maybe acquiring a collection of selfies is like making a totem of one’s life. Or maybe it’s like a dog marking his territory; he doesn’t look at the beauty of the tree — just wants to be sure his friends know he was there.

It often starts with a gift; one that comes with minimal instructions.

“A lot of older adults have been given a tablet or iPhone by well-meaning family members because they want to have a way to stay in touch,” says Oasis Connections volunteer Jim Salih. “So they hand Grandma an iPad, without thinking that she doesn’t know how to use it.”

There are classes people can attend, of course. But in bring-your-own-device classes, a working knowledge of fundamentals, like setting up and retrieving a password is required. Some people completely new to technology need someone to sit with them and walk them through these activities. They need a “techie,” like Jim and his founding partners Wally Canis, Parks Smith and Marge Williams. These Oasis Connections instructors have opted to dedicate even more of their personal time as volunteers to launch the Ask a Techie program.

This pilot program began in February and has served 178 St. Louisans, giving them one of the things they need most to function in the digital world: confidence. Ask a Techie is currently offered free of charge one day a week at two locations in the St. Louis metro area. Online donations are accepted to help support the program.

People who have turned to Ask a Techie know that no question is too small. Techie volunteer Parks Smith says questions run the gamut, but most have to do with nuts and bolts: passwords, setting up new software on iPhones, setting up email, software updates.

“Often people come to us when something doesn’t work right,” says Parks. “We have folks come in regularly for help. They know they have to wait their turn, but that they’ll get the help they need. Ask a Techie gives people a place to sit down and get help in a non-threatening way.”

Our volunteers agree that their time and energy is well-spent, as Jim Salih points out:

“Somehow I got started into the digital world, but there are many people my age who, for any number of reasons, haven’t. They need some help. They are the most amazed with the digital world, much more so than kids, who have grown up with technology. To see the amazement on their faces is really something.”

The Techie team also includes John Arenberg, Larry Duke, David Mingo and Howard Nathanson. One of the best parts of my job is working with caring instructors around the country who help people solve their technology barriers every day. October 3 is National Techies Day, so it’s the perfect time to thank them.

Ask a Techie is successful with help from our volunteer experts! Shown here with National Connections  Program Manager Amy VanDeVelde, are (from left): Larry Duke, Parks Smith and Howard Nathanson.

Oasis Connections is made possible with generous support from AT&T.

We have all heard the phrase from the commercials,

“I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!”

Sometimes we might think that will never happen to us and other times, it might just scare us so much that we actually do fall. Did you know that one of the risk factors for falling is the fear of falling? Is it the self-fulfilling prophecy or knowledge that your balance is impaired and you feel weaker than usual that makes you fearful? Who knows? What I do know is that many falls can be prevented with simple modifications in your home, and exercise, which is essential.

An Oasis Better Balance class helped Lin Dempsey enjoy the trip of a lifetime–an African safari.

“I had just retired from a very sedentary desk job, and I knew I wasn’t physically fit,” she says. “Friends who had been on similar trips told me that being able to get in and out of the very large safari trucks was important.  I wasn’t sure I could do it, so I decided to take the Better Balance class to improve my strength.  I survived the trip without falling and had  no muscle soreness from all of the activity of traveling.”

Lin found the class so beneficial that a year later, she is still taking the class. Her classmates agreed that exercise has been important for strengthening their muscles and maintaining independence. Most said they find it easier to do their everyday activities such as getting dressed, going up and down stairs and getting up from a chair.  They told me about other positive results as well:

• I can lift and pour a gallon of water into my coffee pot with one hand.
• I can wrestle a 40-lb bag of mulch out of the trunk of my car.
• I am a better driver because I can look back over my shoulder further and more easily.
• I physically feel better. 
• I walk with more confidence and stability.
• It is easier to pick up things up from the floor.
• Getting up from the floor is easier for me.

These are just a few great reasons to take steps to improve your balance and flexibility. If you’d like to get started at home, you can get free resources from Go4Life, an exercise and physical activity campaign from the National Institute on Aging at NIH.

Many people prefer to be part of a group. If you haven’t attended an Oasis Better Balance, Matter of Balance, or Free from Falls class or had a balance screening at one of our events, I highly encourage you to do so.

As one enjoying the last chapters of life, I have read a lot about organizing financial matters, making end-of-life plans, downsizing, and so forth. Sometimes included among these “wonderful” topics is that of leaving a legacy.

Sure, I could write letters to my children and grandchildren, encouraging them to be kind and loving, care for the earth, stay close to their Creator, and leave the world a better place because of the lives they live; I may do that. I can make lists about who gets the china, the silver, the jewelry.

A posting in Facebook recently made me think of a different type of legacy members of my generation could leave. This person, whom I don’t even know, posted a photo of two small crosses that her grandmother had tatted many years ago that were a precious memento. This picture generated many comments from her friends who either remembered their own grandmothers enjoying that craft or were envious that they didn’t know how to do it or had never even heard of “tatting.”

I must admit I don’t know how to tat, although my mother did until her arthritis stilled her hands. I found good beginner videos on YouTube, so maybe someday. But I do know how to knit and sew. I know how to play bridge and mah jongg. I did try to teach my daughter how to knit once while she helped me recover from a knee replacement. It was a slow process, but one that brought a lot of laughs as each row she knitted ended up with a different number of stitches than what she started with. She eventually mastered at least the fundamentals of knitting, but then cast that aside when the time restraints of mothering began.

My father taught me how to play cribbage, and she’s learned that from me. I hope she will pass that along to her daughter — to be played on a real board with real pegs, not on a computer screen!

I can only hope that today’s young people will take some time away from their electronics and explore the arts and crafts that have been passed down for many generations. I know I for one, am going to get out the knitting needles and dust off my sewing machine when my seven-year-old granddaughter comes to town. Many years from now maybe she’ll say, “My Grandma taught me that.” And who knows, maybe we’ll both learn to tat.

And then I’ll write that letter about making the world a better place.

“Gardening is the best hobby to have. You get exercise, you’re grounded, and it’s very humbling. We get to see how big nature is and how little we are,” says Mary McFerson.

As a former researcher in community nutrition at BJC, Mary understands what living an active life and filling your body with healthy foods is all about. She devotes some of her spare time to caring for her garden with over 20 different fruits and vegetables combined.

“I finally got the chance to share what I have learned over the years with children and it has been so fulfilling,” she says.

Mary believes that being a volunteer for CATCH Healthy Habits has given her so much opportunity to remain active, both physically and in her community. She has been able to share her passion, inspire, and give the children a new direction toward living healthier. This experience hasn’t just marked one child, or two, but their families and their friends. Teaching healthy habits can be catching!

This summer, Oasis partnered with the Strength and Honor Mentoring Program (SAH) to offer an opportunity at EarthDance Farms in Ferguson. The collaboration included  elements of CATCH Healthy Habits and the SAH focus on the cultivating appreciation for good lifestyle choices and teamwork. Other intergenerational activities such as reading with volunteers and dancing were also part of the program.

Mary says she enjoyed the experience as much as the kids – every second of it.

“I’ll never forget the first day at EarthDance,” says Mary. “We were doing one of our activities and this boy had a surprised look on his face. He looked at me and said ‘Wow! You can still move?’”

Mary has been volunteering with CATCH Healthy Habits for a year now and has never felt better. She is more active and has had the powerful opportunity to share her healthy eating lifestyle with children. She says, “There’s not a more satisfying emotion than creating that domino effect on children to embrace a healthier life at a young age.” Her favorite part of the program is simply the one-to-one interaction with the kids.

“What a phenomenal experience it is to get a glimpse of their world with their fascination and curiosity,” she says.

CATCH Healthy Habits is the nation’s largest evidence-based, intergenerational health program.  The program has impacted more than 23,000 children and 8,600 adults nationwide. The program is sponsored nationally by Anthem Foundation, and in Missouri by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation.

Learn more:

CATCH Healthy Habits
Strength and Honor Mentoring Program

EarthDance Farms