Just being lazy: A bigger effort to exercise

I know; I know!  It is so very important to keep up with my daily exercises and I have been doing better over the past few months.  I spend about 25 minutes daily doing my stretches, twists and bends, and my chair cycling.

It is hard going but I am bound and determined to make this work.  It is working for now.  So, here's wishing me continued exercising.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as a sight-loss coach and author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids, with their wide eyed smiles and infectious laughter, is secured forever.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan

And like me on Facebook at

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Hard work! Working out with my new exercising gadget

I bought this nifty mini cycle at Christmas 2020 and since then I have been doing my best to use it regularly.  It appears to be doing the trick when helping me to work up a sweat.

My heart beats faster and my legs feel great when I have finished my session. I can breathe more easily and I feel very refreshed.

Stephanie assembled it for me and it is very easy and comfortable for me to use.  I stay on it for about 15 minutes.  I sit in my chair, place my feet in the stirrups, and then away I go.

I use Alexa to help me stay on time and the trick for me is to do this regularly.  For if I don't then I will surely lose momentum. 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly sight-loss coach and advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as a sight-loss coach and author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids, with their wide eyed smiles and infectious laughter, is secured forever.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan

And like me on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Another challenge: Choosing some new exercise devices

For me, as someone with a vision impairment, it is crucial that I choose exercise devices and programs that I am comfortable with using.

It is obvious that I would never be able to run fast enough in order to make it count and the same could be said for walking fast enough or even using a bicycle in the same manner.

So, I need to turn to the stationary devices: a stationary bicycle, weights, strands, plus more.

I still love to swim whenever I can and this, too, has been added to my arsenal of exercise activities. I still ice skate whenever I can and I am always seeking other ways to exercise as long as I am comfortable. And let us not forget the good old treadmill.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids, with their wide eyed smiles and infectious laughter, is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!

From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts! www.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html

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'Let's Talk Tips' is my monthly resource for the most current and reliable informational tips available in the areas of Technology, Nutrition, Media, Business, and Advocacy.  http://bit.ly/ADJSubscribe

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan

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A new challenge: Searching for exercise bands

When I lost one of the bands to my Wonder Arms exercising device I had to go searching for a new one and I can tell you that it was not easy.

First, I discovered that the Wonder Arms device was no longer sold at the store where I bought it. But then I found out it was now being sold for practically nothing at a Dollar Store! What a shock!

Next came the discovery that if I wanted to continue using my Wonder Arms device, I would need to purchase a new one from the Dollar Store for just four dollars.

My friends went hunting on the Internet for solutions but not much luck. So, now I am left with a device that I can no longer use and nothing to do but to buy a new device! I am out of luck!

I’m Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day!

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids, with their wide eyed smiles and infectious laughter, is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!

From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts! www.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html

Subscribe to my monthly newsletter!

'Let's Talk Tips' is my monthly resource for the most current and reliable informational tips available in the areas of Technology, Nutrition, Media, Business, and Advocacy.  http://bit.ly/ADJSubscribe

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan

And like me on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Getting back into the groove: Missing the exercises

Call me lazy!  It is probably why I continue to miss my exercises but it is a bit more than this. I actually miss my exercises and I know that I need to do something about it.

For most vision-impaired persons, exercising is even more important as physical activity is needed if we are to stay in shape.  The need for physical activities for blind and vision-impaired persons is even more

important for our ability to enjoy outdoor activities without sighted help.

We are limited in how fast we can walk.  We are limited in the types of outdoor activities that we can participate in and we often need escorts to help us access fitness programs.

So what am I waiting on? I just need a kick in the pants to get me going!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids, with their wide eyed smiles and infectious laughter, is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!

From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts! www.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html

Subscribe to my monthly newsletter!

'Let's Talk Tips' is my monthly resource for the most current and reliable informational tips available in the areas of Technology, Nutrition, Media, Business, and Advocacy.  http://bit.ly/ADJSubscribe

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan

And like me on Facebook at

www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

A new ally: The Wonder Arms exerciser

I bought this nifty little device in late 2017 and I am so happy to report that it has turned out to be everything that I had ever hoped for.

I saw it being advertised on TV and after I had brought my mom’s attention to it we decided to go looking for it. 

The friendly sales lady in the store allowed me to try it out and it did not take me very long to decide to buy it.

Much later now and I am very happy with my purchase.  What I would say is this!  Make very sure that what you imagine it to be is what it really is.  That it can do what you desire it to do.  I think that this is even more important for someone who is vision impaired.

Having a great sales lady also helps a lot and hats off to the Showcase store at the Fairview Mall in North York, Toronto.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit http://www.donnajodhan.com

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids, with their wide eyed smiles and infectious laughter, is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts! www.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html

Subscribe to my monthly newsletter!
'Let's Talk Tips' is my monthly resource for the most current and reliable informational tips available in the areas of Technology, Nutrition, Media, Business, and Advocacy.  http://bit.ly/ADJSubscribe

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

A great addition: My new exercise device

At first glance you probably won't really know what it is but if you take the time to give it a second look you would be amazed to learn more.

It is called Wonder Arms and it is supposed to tone up the muscles of one's arms and with my continuing shoulder problem it is exactly what the doctor has ordered for me.

It works like this:  You place your arms across its length and fit the upper part of your arm into the grooves on both sides.  Then you begin to pull from side to side, working against the resistance of the thick elastic bands that are located in the inside of this nifty little device.

The device itself is simple in construction, made of hard plastic and elastic bands.  It is easy to move around, light in weight, and sits on my dining room counter.  I use it whenever I have a moment and it really does not take that long for me to complete my daily exercise.  Moreover, it is helping my shoulder!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advisor, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit
www.donnajodhan.com.

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Placing my blind trust: At the therapist

In the summer of 2017, I took the time to look after my poor right shoulder and over the course of two months I visited a therapist several times.

This was quite a new experience for me as I literally had to place my blind trust, so to speak, in someone that I did not know.  I had to trust her to help me with the various exercises and I was not disappointed.

Christy was very good and went beyond the call of duty.  She was helpful, extremely accommodating and did not seem to mind working with someone with a vision impairment.

She took the time to show me what to do, kept close watch over me, and always told me what she was going to do with me.  Hats off to Christy!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit 
www.donnajodhan.com.

There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.

And now my weekly podcast!
From recipes to apps, and 5 minute mysteries to tips for entrepreneurs and scam alerts!
www.donnajodhan.com/takeanother5.html.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Returning to tennis

After a somewhat lengthy layoff, I returned to resume my weekly blind tennis sessions in late 2015 and I must say that it was not as difficult as I had first thought.

I had to reacquaint myself with the sound of the ball, how it bounced as it came towards me, and I had to readjust my swing and timing.

I cannot see the ball so I have to depend solely on sound.  This means that I have to give all of my attention to the sound of the ball as it is coming towards me and then I have to use my skill to know when to swing and how hard.

Blind tennis is a lot of fun for me.  It all comes down to me facing off against the person tossing the ball to me and I have to make sure that when I swing that it is enough to send the ball back over the net to the person tossing to me.

The balls are made of sponge and they are filled with bells so that they jingle as they move.  They are very light in weight, of course, so this is another thing that I have to get used to.

For whereas the sighted person depends mostly on their vision to get them through their game, a blind person needs to use their sense of hearing to do the same.

We use junior-sized rackets to hit the balls and the nets are at the regular heights.  We play our tennis in a huge basement of a church.

Lots of fun and great exercise for me.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit  jodhanmysterybook.club/about-the-author
There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

Gayle and I with my exercise bike

A few months ago my sister-in-law, Gayle, came to my rescue when she willingly agreed to help me label some of the options in the programs on my exercise bicycle.

Like so many other pieces of equipment, access to the various programs for a blind person is nonexistent.  That is, a blind person is unable to program stuff for themselves because they are unable to access the touch screens and this is all due to the fact that there is no way for a blind person to know where to touch on the screen.

In addition, these touch screens do not come equipped with any sort of talking facilities. That is, there is no speech output to enable a blind person to be able to navigate for themselves.  Accordingly, a blind person needs to depend on sighted assistance to do it.

Gayle set up the options within the programs for me.  She asked me what I wished to have labeled after she had read the options to me and then she labeled the screen for me using dymo tape.

After all was said and done, all I had to do was to locate the various labels on the screen, press them, and then choose whichever option I desired based on the number of beeps emitted.

It turned out fine for me, and Gayle had helped me to gain access to the programs on my exercise bicycle.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day.

If you would like to learn more about me as an author then I invite you now to visit  jodhanmysterybook.club/about-the-author
There you will not only learn about me as an author but you will also gain insights into my campaign against bullying and why I strongly believe that you need to consider joining me in order to insure that the future of our kids with their wide-eyed smiles and infectious laughter is secured forever.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

My exercise bicycle

When I bought my exercise bicycle I knew that I would need sighted help to familiarize myself with it, but first things first. I had to find a way to get it assembled.

My superintendent was ready and willing to help me with this task and it was done in quick time. Then came the moment for me to learn what it could do for me and now I had to learn all about the various options and programs. Of course, the menus were not accessible to me because there were no spoken options. Nothing spoke and so for a blind person it was totally unusable.

You are probably asking yourself, then why did I buy it? I am yet to find an exercise bicycle with audio instructions and it is not for the lack of constantly asking the sellers and manufacturers why this continues to be so. I do not really get an answer to my question. The most I get is for the service folks to say that they do not know.

I hope that this changes some day sooner than later. Suffice it to say that for now I'll use the bicycle's basic functions.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day.

Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan.
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/author.jodhan

This is a personal message from author Donna Jodhan
"If you either are or have been a victim of crime, violence, abuse, or bullying, and if you are simply tired of being bombarded with audios and scenes of the above, then I am asking for your support. I have written and recorded audio mysteries that are completely void of vivid descriptions of sex, crime, and violence because I firmly believe that it is time for us to use the spoken word to help influence our kids to start listening to content that is clean and healthy. By doing this we can all do our part to tackle crime in a positive and meaningful way and it only costs pennies per day. Visit my online store at www.donnajodhan.com/store.html.
I thank you and your kids will also thank you!"

Discovering the gym

My curiosity got the better of me some time ago and I decided to bite the bullet and ask my friend to give me a tour of the gym. I am really not sure why I was always a bit hesitant but I was sure glad after I had my tour.

My friend was a very good tour guide. She placed my hand on each piece of equipment and explained each knob, lever, and button to me. She then allowed me to explore for myself and described all aspects of each piece of equipment to me.

I tried out the exercise bicycle, the treadmill, the stepper, and the rowing machine. I felt these pieces of equipment from front to back and at the end of it all I had a much better idea of how things felt and looked. My introduction to the gym.

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day. Come by and listen to some of my audio mysteries at www.donnajodhan.com.
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and @author_jodhan

Staying Fit a Challenge

For almost all of us, staying fit is a very great challenge but when it comes to a blind person like me, the challenge is just that more challenging.  You may be asking yourself why and here is my incomplete list.

 

It is difficult for a blind person to engage in walking activities; we cannot see where we are going so we are unable to walk at a fast enough pace.

The same holds for jogging and running.

Many of the exercising machines have digital readouts so we are unable to utilize them.

Many of the exercise devices come with instructional DVDs and videos and it is hard for us to follow the visual instructions.

In many cases, it is difficult for us to negotiate the machines at gyms.

 

So how do I do it?  I have a treadmill at home and I use a talking timer of my own which is separate from my treadmill machine to time myself.  I have learned where the buttons are in order to set my speed. I have another device to help me stretch my muscles and do push-ups.  I also swim in my condo's pool. 

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and encouraging you to go out there and help lobby manufacturers of exercise equipment to make their digital readouts more accessible to those with vision problems.

Visit www.nfb.org to learn more.