MSI Press Blog

Today would have been our 56th anniversary. We never got to celebrate our 50th — COVID locked the world down, and then 2021 took Carl with it. The grand plans we had for that golden milestone evaporated into hospital protocols and masked goodbyes. Life doesn’t always give you the ceremony you earned. But ninjas adapt. Ninjas restructure, reorganize, recalibrate. Ninjas keep moving. And this anniversary belongs in the Grandma Ninja series because Carl was part of the training long before I ever called myself a ninja. He went to every single one of my sessions with trainer Brittany. Every one. He’d sit there like my personal cheering section, amused, supportive, and absolutely determined not to be recruited into anything that looked like effort. If Brittany tried to rope him in, he’d grin and say, “You must stay up late at night thinking up the next marvelous torture.” Meanwhile, I was sweating through hours of drills — because it does take hours to go from flabby government wor...

  It started like this: I woke up and couldn’t turn my head. Not just stiff — guarded . My neck had decided that full rotation was no longer part of the job description. I tried to be reasonable. I asked it nicely. It said no. So I did what any Grandma Ninja would do: I listened. 🌼 First, I mapped the pain Morning: worse Evening: better Full turn: sharp pain Chin tuck: nope Shoulder rolls: yes, please Self-massage: helpful Heat: comforting Advil: not worth the GERD risk This wasn’t a mystery. It was a mechanical protest. My neck wasn’t injured — it was overworked and under-supported . 🌼 Then I built a routine Gentle shoulder rolls Light self-massage No heroic stretches Rolled towel under the neck at night Warmth when it feels “sleepy” Movement only within the pain-free zone I stopped asking it to do things it didn’t want to do. I started giving it things it actually liked. And guess what? It’s slowly coming back online. 🌼 What I’ve learned Pain i...

  People love to say, “Well, everything hurts when you get older.” As if aging is some kind of warranty expiration date. But here’s the secret no one tells you: Bodies don’t fall apart because of age. They respond to how we treat them. I’m not talking about kale smoothies or gym memberships. I’m talking about the tiny, everyday choices that either support your body or grind it down. 🌼 Sleep matters If you spend eight hours a night in a position your spine hates, your spine will complain. If you spend eight hours in a position your spine likes , it will stay quiet for decades. Ask me how I know. 🌼 Movement matters Not “exercise.” Movement. Scooching, lifting toddlers, climbing stairs, carrying laundry, reaching, bending — that’s functional strength training. Your body adapts to what you ask of it. If you ask it to move, it stays capable. If you ask it to sit still, it stiffens. 🌼 Listening matters Pain isn’t the enemy. Pain is information. “Tight” means keep...

  Constipation isn’t glamorous, but neither is sitting around waiting for relief, and it definitely interferes with my workouts. I have not found medicines to be all that helpful. Well, perhaps they are somewhat helpful, but I would rather do whatever it takes to avoid the need for medicine. I’ve learned that sometimes the best medicine isn’t in a bottle — it’s in your sneakers, your yoga mat, or even your living room floor. 🏃 Why I Move Your intestines are muscles too. When the rest of your body moves, those inner muscles get the hint: time to contract, time to push, time to clear the path . I think of it as giving my digestive system a gentle nudge. 🧘 My Go‑To Moves Morning Walks : A brisk 20 minutes around the block wakes up my gut as much as my brain. Wind‑Relieving Pose : I lie on my back, hug my knees, and breathe. Yes, it looks silly. Yes, it works. Twists : Seated or lying down, gentle torso twists massage my colon like a secret weapon. Deep Squats : Not just for ...