MSI Press Blog

  I don’t need a gym membership to prove my strength. I’ve got laundry baskets that weigh more than kettlebells, a staircase that doubles as my cardio machine, and a vacuum cleaner that fights back harder than any sparring partner. My house is my dojo, and every chore is a stealth workout. But let me be honest: When I step into a gym, I’m sharpening my sword in a controlled environment. I know exactly how many reps I’ve done, how much weight I’ve lifted, and how fast my heart is racing. It’s measurable, progressive, and efficient. When I tackle my daily chores, I’m sparring with life itself. Carrying groceries becomes a farmer’s carry. Scrubbing floors works my core. Running up and down 17 stairs with laundry is interval training. The catch? It’s unpredictable. The laundry basket doesn’t weigh the same every week, and the stairs don’t count my steps for me. Here’s the trade-off I live with: Gym time gives me control and progression. Life activity gives me resilience and rea...

  I call it “cheating,” but really it’s ninja brainwork. The grocery list becomes a game: Rhymes : “Beans and greens, don’t forget the means” → beans, greens, rice. Stories : The cat drags a loaf of bread while juggling apples → bread, apples, cleaning supplies. Journeys : Milk waits at the top of the stairs, carrots line the hallway, tea sits at the table. Chunks : Produce in one hand, dairy in the other, pantry items balanced like weights. Every list is a kata — rhythm, imagery, and recall. My brain stays limber, my memory sharp. The dojo isn’t just the kitchen or the stairwell; it’s the mind itself. Visual created with AI; text AI used at times in editing. Grandma’s Ninja Training Diary  is the inspiring true story of a septuagenarian grandmother who dared to dream big—by training for  American Ninja Warrior . Teaming up with her coach and trainer, she embarks on a three-year journey to build strength, resilience, flexibility, balance, and endurance—starting f...

  Keeping the mind fit is as important as keeping the body fit. Otherwise, what is going to tell the body how to work? There are ways to combine both with daily living. After all, being a grandma comes first, ninja training second. Here are some of those ways: Remember the grocery list without writing it down → mental kata: recall drill, sharpening working memory. Balance on one leg while reciting yesterday’s chores → dual-task training, body + brain coordination. Match socks from the laundry basket → pattern recognition, visual memory, and fine motor skill practice. Cooking without a recipe → sequencing and problem-solving, ninja chef style. Storytelling while sweeping the floor → narrative recall, keeping language and rhythm alive. Russian twists while naming family members in reverse age order → core strength plus cognitive flexibility. Phone dash drill → sprint to answer, then recall who called last time — speed + memory. Cat litter farmer’s carry up 17 stairs →...

  I love the demands of daily living — they keep me trained-fit when I cannot make the gym. Every task is a kata, every chore a drill. Picking up pebbles from four Fresh Breeze litter boxes → good for 40–50 squats Cleaning out the dishwasher → a couple dozen bend-and-lifts Sweeping the floor → upper body activity, broom as staff practice Cat vomit on the floor → down on my knees, scrub-scrub, arms at work Bringing in cat litter (38-pound boxes, two at a time, up 17 stairs) → farmer’s carry with elevation — grip, biceps, glutes, and cardio all in play  Being jungle gym for the 3-year-old little tyke → lifting up and over my head, down and around — ah, finally, some tricep action Getting dressed → balance drill: one leg for pants until topple, then switch — 40–50 seconds per leg Phone ring in the middle of it all → sprint drill: dash to the other room, cardio, heart rate spike Break time — Russian twists → ah, finally, some core love: obliques firing, torso rotation, balanc...