MSI Press Blog

  My 46-year-old son, Shenan, has CHARGE syndrome: malformed ear canals, balance issues, respiratory compromise. on oxygen. 4'7", a lifetime of medical trauma. And yet — he is stronger than the average 30‑year‑old American man. He lifts. He carries. He moves. He works. He doesn’t fear effort. He began shoulder pressing 10 pounds, and now he can handle 80 -- the same for all the upper body and lower body machines. He comes close to matching me on the upper body (not yet on core and lower body, but he is working it at the gym, where he goes whenever I go). He has lived through things that would flatten most people, and he still shows up with more functional strength than men twice his size. People see disability and assume weakness, but disability often builds strength — real strength, the kind forged by necessity and resilience. Shenan is not fragile. He is a force. Grandma’s Ninja Training Diary  is the inspiring true story of a septuagenarian grandmother who dared to dream b...

  Yoga is one of the safest, most beneficial, and most adaptable forms of movement during pregnancy — as long as you choose the right style and listen to your body’s cues. It supports strength, mobility, breath control, and emotional steadiness in ways few other activities can match. Here’s what yoga actually adds during pregnancy, and how to approach it trimester by trimester. Why yoga is so valuable during pregnancy 1. Strength + stability Prenatal‑appropriate yoga builds: deep core support (without straining the abdomen) hip and glute strength shoulder and back stability pelvic‑floor awareness These are the muscles that help with posture, balance, and labor endurance. 2. Flexibility without overstretching Pregnancy increases relaxin , which loosens ligaments. Yoga helps maintain mobility safely , as long as you avoid pushing into extreme ranges. 3. Breath control Breathwork (pranayama) improves: oxygenation stress regulation labor coping skills sleep quality It’s one of the mos...

Most days, Grandma Ninja can take on the world. Steep hills? No problem. Ninety‑pound garbage cans? Bring them on. Workouts with planks, glute bridges, and Russian twists? Just another morning in the dojo. But then came a pinched nerve, followed by prednisone. Not the whole‑body‑weakening, can’t‑lift‑a‑thing kind. Oh no. Prednisone chose a far more mischievous strategy. It went after my balance . Not my strength. Not my endurance. Not my ability to haul a garbage can down a 30‑degree incline while a well‑meaning neighbor tried (and failed) to “save” me from it. No — prednisone went after the tiny stabilizer muscles. The micro‑adjusters. The little ninjas inside the big ninja. And suddenly, the BOSU ball — my old friend — became a treacherous, wobbling island. One moment I was centered. The next, I was sliding off like a cartoon character stepping on a banana peel. Strength? Perfect. Coordination? Fine. Balance? On vacation. Prednisone had declared itself the new s...