Instead of a telling off, the neighbor took her to the piano and explained what everything on the sheet music represented. The staff, the measures, the notes, the dots & other symbols...  and Sheila took it from there. One day, family members came home and heard beautiful piano music and were shocked to discover it was Sheila playing. She's still playing all these years later, though now on the white pearlized digital piano that her husband designed and made for her... you read that right... She and Jerry are amazing and so well-suited! 

Among other things she did back in the day, Sheila drove big rigs. You would never guess that to look at her, but it's true! That still blows my mind! Again, The stories she can tell! She has always been very active and over and over again has managed to bounce back from health issues, sometimes even coming back from an injury for which the doctors held little hope of recovery.

One example came long before I met her when the hamstrings on one side become detached while playing badminton. Doc said she'd never walk again. A devastating diagnosis ... but this was Sheila. She was determined to walk and dance again ... and she did! It seems telling Sheila she can't do it is just the medicine she needs to actually do the thing. And she will. 

Several years back, Sheila slipped and fell, breaking her hip and her wrist. It took much longer than she would have liked, but eventually she was back in class, smiling, joking, moving. She has had numerous scares and hospital visits since that first class over 10 years ago, but bounces back every time, much to everyone's amazement and delight. She's the life of the party and we all miss her when she's away. Today, she's back attending fitness class every week unless she sleeps in or feels under the weather. 

Approaching the big '9-0h' this month, Sheila is such an amazing example of how important it is to keep moving as we age. Her motto, quoted to me many times over the years, is: "If it hurts, move it." As someone who has been incredibly active all of her life, she can't imagine not making the effort, and even though she has experienced intense frustration when yet another medical issue pops up, her positivity and determination prevail, in part, of course, due to her wonderfully supportive husband, lovingly referred to as POJ (poor ol' Jerry). "He's an absolute genius. I'm very fortunate indeed to have him." - Sheila

I have lost count of the number of times the two of us have had discussions about how important it is to keep moving as we age. Sheila is a living, walking, talking picture of that. Life is just better when you're able to do the things you enjoy. The moment you stop being active, you begin to age more quickly and mobility starts to diminish - ask any health care professional. 

In fact, there is a group of 30+ health conditions that can be prevented by movement. These are called hypokinetic diseases - inactivity-related conditions such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Joint pain is a really good example because so many people don't move because their joints hurt and don't realize that the joints may actually hurt because you DON'T move.

Bear in mind that a period of inactivity may be just what you need to recover, which makes sense if you have an acute injury. But get back to being active as soon as you are medically cleared to do so. Hip replacement patients are moving as soon as possible right after surgery, for example. I have a friend who has severe arthritis and she swears by the 'movement is medicine' concept. The less she moves, the more she hurts, the more she moves, the less she hurts. The body is truly amazing!