<p>Amazing story CountingDown. All of it, including surviving the leukemia. You certainly are a survivor. Thanks for sharing.</p>
<p>Amazing story. Amazing son! Thank you for sharing, CD.</p>
<p>Ditto ditto Counting Down. So glad your son was there and knew how to help you.</p>
<p>Your story is informative and amazing. With my strong family history of heart disease and stroke, I try to keep aware of women’s symptoms, but I have no idea if I’d recognize what was happening to me. </p>
<p>Glad you’re still with us, Countingdown.</p>
<p>I have a lot of trouble with my neck and last year, when I hurt my lower back (God, I’m a mess), I started seeing a chiropractor. He has done wonders for my back and treats my neck as well. He told me that my first line of defense is hydration. Most muscle cramping and tightness is due to dehydration. He also suggested that I do the following stretching exercise for my neck. I hold a heavy weight in one hand and let it hang down next to my thigh. While I do that I lean my head in the opposite direction to stretch my neck and shoulder muscles. It fees soooooo good!
I really think that stretching and balance exercise is as important as strength building as you age.</p>
<p>I also like water at room temperature and think it is more refreshing that way. Can’t explain why,</p>
<p>Oooh, that sounds like a good stretch, EPTR!</p>
<p>CountingDown – it really is amazing and informative to read your story. I too have very low cholesterol, so I assume I’m not at risk for heart disease. Thank God your son was there that day to save you.</p>
<p>EPTR- it sounds like a great stretch. I am going to try it tomorrow. </p>
<p>I was too lazy to get up this morning and do weight lifting. I dislike Mondays so I didn’t want to get out of bed. But I did drag myself out and did 25 minutes of cardio. So I’ll force myself to do a good workout tomorrow and start with a good stretch!</p>
<p>EPTR - what a great stretch! I tried it just now.</p>
<p>On the subject of stretches, I found this youtube video with two great hip stretches. I already knew the first one, but she makes it different and more effective by engaging the glutes:</p>
<p>[How</a> to Do Hip Mobility Stretches | Sleek/Strong With Rachel Cosgrove - YouTube](<a href=“How to Do Hip Mobility Stretches | Sleek/Strong With Rachel Cosgrove - YouTube”>How to Do Hip Mobility Stretches | Sleek/Strong With Rachel Cosgrove - YouTube)</p>
<p>Here is another idea for stretching … I bought one of those pull up bars that hooks over the door frame. Of course - no pullups, but I stretch using this… pulling my arm, side, shoulders …etc. Really feels good.</p>
<p>^^^
Would that make me taller? 
If I was taller I would be the perfect weight!</p>
<p>^^^^I’d totally hit the like button for that if there was one!</p>
<p>If I were a guy and 5’10", I’d be in the ideal weight range!</p>
<p>Count me in as appreciating this thread although I hesitate to say so for fear of ticking people off.</p>
<p>I’m also accumulating a few too many pounds having reached that magic 50. Counting calories is not going to happen but I am trying to eat sensibly and it has at least stopped the creep. Hoping that if I increase my activity level it will take care of some of the rest. Trying to park further away, vacuum more often, and stretch while watching television. I could do a treadmill while watching tv also, but a gym just isn’t going to happen. </p>
<p>For those who are having trouble with sleep, there was a time when it was a problem but seems to have at least gotten better. If I go more than three or four nights when I could use an extra hour or two, I take a benadryl when I go to bed and it seems to work. The doctor suggested it to me because it helps pain meds work better and it had that added benefit of helping sleep.</p>
<p>Thanks for the stretch, EPTR. I mostly telework these days which translates into sitting in my kitchen with my laptop, well. . . , in my lap. I spend too many hours a day with my head slightly bent forward and do have some neck soreness.</p>
<p>If this link comes through, it’s something I shared with some friends this morning and might try: <a href=“http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xRNRfatLnRc/T5grtBZX9kI/AAAAAAAABNk/D7D6vW91rpw/s1600/224208_10150588194380277_503495276_18502252_7523951_n.jpg[/url]”>http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xRNRfatLnRc/T5grtBZX9kI/AAAAAAAABNk/D7D6vW91rpw/s1600/224208_10150588194380277_503495276_18502252_7523951_n.jpg</a></p>
![http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xRNRfatLnRc/T5grtBZX9kI/AAAAAAAABNk/D7D6vW91rpw/s1600/224208_10150588194380277_503495276_18502252_7523951_n.jpg[/url]](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xRNRfatLnRc/T5grtBZX9kI/AAAAAAAABNk/D7D6vW91rpw/s1600/224208_10150588194380277_503495276_18502252_7523951_n.jpg%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
<p>The thought of doing 25 squats, let alone doing 25 times 3, just exhausted me,</p>
<p>Ice in the streets this morning. A good day for treadmill.</p>
<p>I’d rather do the squats then the wall sit. But I don’t trust any poster that recommends sit ups. There are much better and safer exercises for your corps and a lot of evidence that sit ups harm your back. [Is</a> Your Ab Workout Hurting Your Back? - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/17/core-myths/]Is”>Is Your Ab Workout Hurting Your Back? - The New York Times) You are much better off doing things like planks and bird dogs and working with a stability ball.</p>
<p>^agree that regular sit-ups are supposed to be passe. I ordered a new stability ball that’s on its way!</p>
<p>I exercise every day, I do not watch how much I eat that closely, it is not fun. Exercise is fun for me because I selected certain activities that make me feel great and eliminated others that make me feel worse. I am ancient by the standards of this thread. The best exercise for me has been swimming. Not a swimmer, never was in any sports, absolutely cannot run, could not run even when I was 15, so that one was an easy elimination. So, my advice for those who wants to stick to dally exercise routine for as long as possible into very old age, find activities that are fun for you, do not listen too much to others, including me. The same goes for food, stick to whatever you personally like, no diet outside of your comfort zone can last for a long time. I exercise for 2+hrs every day, including vacations, where it is even more fun.</p>