Discovering The Mature Lifestyle Make the Great Outdoors great again Column inside
The Great Outddors
July 20 & 21, 2017
July Issue
New Brighton couple are veteran hikers BY SUE WEBBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER Tom and Sue Masso of New Brighton have been hiking together for 15 years. They are members of the 25-year-old New Brighton Hiking Club. The group has 28 members. “We do a lot of walking, and there are two reasons to do this,” Masso said. “First, it’s good exercise. And second, it’s evolved into a social thing. People like to sit down and talk after a hike. We’ve really made a lot of different friends.” At 8:30 a.m. every Wednesday from April 5 through Oct. 25, about 20 members of the hiking club leave on a hike. They’re usually back by noon. They travel to their destination in two city vans. Masso drives one of them. “My job is to get us there safely,” he said. “I really enjoy it.” They’ve developed a list of destinations, each of which offers a hike estimated at 2.4-3.6 miles, including Long Lake Regional Park, Bunker Hills, Boom Island in Minneapolis. “We’ve hiked around a lot of lakes: Como, White Bear Lake and the Coon Rapids Dam,” Masso said. “We were just at Lake of the Isles. We’ve been to Lake Calhoun, Lake Harriet and the Rose Gardens, Hidden Falls, Rice Creek, Bruce Vento Trail, and Eloise Butler Wild Flower Garden.” They don’t set out if the weather is threatening, though. The only requirement to participate, Masso said, is substantial, waterproof shoes. Some members use walking sticks, he said. Bug spray and sunscreen are suggested, as well. “A city employee comes with us, and brings a first aid kid,” he said. “They’ve been extremely helpful.” “Once a month, the Hiking Club stops for coffee afterwards,” Masso said. “About 10 to 15 people get together at a
fast-food place afterwards and just sit and talk.” During the winter, a group of club members meets every Wednesday to walk at Silverwood Park. Walking comes naturally to Masso. “My parents grew up
nior Center. As we age, we have to keep very active.” Masso is retired from a career as a food inspector with the Department of Agriculture. The Massos have three children who were runners; all five of the couple’s grandchildren
include walking. According to the Mayo Clinic website, it is possible to walk your way to health. “The faster, farther and more frequently you walk, the greater the benefits,” the website said. The website explains:
Tom and Sue Masso of New Brighton, who have been hiking together for 15 years, are members of the New Brighton Hiking Club. (Submitted photo) in the Midway area of St. Paul, and they never had a car; they took the streetcar,” he said. “My folks would walk from Hamline University to Sears and the State Capitol and back home.” Now, Masso and his wife walk five times a week. Masso also bikes 1,500 miles a year, he said. Through the years, the hiking group has continued to be really well organized, according to Masso. “The city is concerned about its seniors,” he said. “A lot of us volunteer at other things at the New Brighton Se-
are involved in sports. Masso also is active with a car club, and with Bethlehem Lutheran Church in St. Paul, a congregation that collaborates with 15 other churches across the Twin Cities to feed and minister to people on the street in the Midway area.
What the experts say about walking The Department of Health and Human Services recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, which could
“Physical activity doesn’t need to be complicated,” the website said. “Something as simple as a daily brisk walk can help you live a healthier life. For example, regular brisk walking can help you: •Maintain a healthy weight •Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes •Strengthen your bones and muscles •Improve your mood •Improve your balance and coordination Technique is important, too.
Turning your normal walk into a fitness stride requires good posture and purposeful movements. Ideally, here’s how you’ll look when you’re walking, according to the website: •Your head is up. You’re looking forward, not at the ground. •Your neck, shoulders and back are relaxed, not stiffly upright. •You’re swinging your arms freely with a slight bend in your elbows. A little pumping with your arms is OK. •Your stomach muscles are slightly tightened and your back is straight, not arched forward or backward. •You’re walking smoothly, rolling your foot from heel to toe. The website points out other considerations: •Get the right gear. Choose shoes with proper arch support, a firm heel and thick flexible soles to cushion your feet and absorb shock. Wear comfortable clothes and gear appropriate for various types of weather. If you walk outdoors when it’s dark, wear bright colors or reflective tape for visibility. •Choose your course carefully. If you’ll be walking outdoors, avoid paths with cracked sidewalks, potholes, low-hanging limbs or uneven turf. If the weather isn’t appropriate for walking, consider walking in a shopping mall that offers open times for walkers. •Warm up. Walk slowly for five to 10 minutes to warm up your muscles and prepare your body for exercise. •Cool down. At the end of your walk, slow down for five to 10 minutes to help your muscles cool down. •Stretch. After you cool down, gently stretch your muscles. If you’d rather stretch before you walk, remember to warm up first.”
The Great Outdoors June 2017 Issue
Discovering The Mature Lifestyle
July 20 & 21, 2017
New Hope gardener finds tending to blossoms, plants therapeutic BY SUE WEBBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER For 40 years, Dyanne Sather has nurtured a yard full of blossoms, plants and shrubs in New Hope. “As soon as the snow is gone, I’m out here,� Sather said. “It’s my therapy.� Husband Arne agrees: “It’s her life,� he said. “The only thing she has more of than plants is books and magazines about plants.� The Sathers’ corner lot is ringed with hedges that set off gardens all the way around the yard. “We have a wild garden on the corner that isn’t under control yet,� Dyanne said. A small garden in the middle of the front yard features a statute of a lamb, reminiscent of the lambs Dyanne remembers from her days growing up on a farm in North Dakota. The gracefully curving front steps are lined with plants and flowers. Sather grows mostly perennials, but also has annuals in pots, hanging baskets and in borders around the yard. Tall lilies and daylilies
are among Sather’s favorite flower varieties. But, she said, “I really like the spring bulbs, too. They’re the first to come up. I love hostas. Each season is different.� Old-fashioned coral bells bloom all summer. Bleeding hearts, foxglove, peonies and woodland poppies are visible, plus irises in a variety of shades.
Dyanne Sather has maintained a yard full of blossoms, plants and shrubs in New Hope for 40 years. (Photo by Sue Webber) “Everything bloomed early this year,� Sather said. “The daylilies bloomed in June. There’s something new opening every day.� Many varieties and siz-
es of hostas grow along the side of the house, including a blue and yellow plant, one that’s all blue, and a plethora of green plants. She points out the digitalis (foxglove). “The bees love it,� she said. There’s even a patch of mint, featuring both pineapple and chocolate varieties. Growing up on the farm in North Dakota, Dyanne said, her mom always had gardens, though they were predominately vegetables. But she remembers petunias and some other flowers growing there, too. Arne, who retired 15 The front entry to the Sather home in New Hope is years ago from his career decorated with plants. (Photo by Sue Webber) as a senior tax consultant for what is now Xcel Energy, grew up on a farm in Donnelly, Minnesota, that now is rented. He still returns there monthly to work, sometimes bringing rocks home to augment Dyanne’s gardens. He also spends time working at a daughter’s home in Minnetonka. Dyanne is a member of the New Hope Back Acres Garden Club, as well as the Hennepin County Horticulture So- Many varieties and sizes of hostas grow along the side of the Iris in a wide variety of ciety. She has a plant sale house. (Photo by Sue Webber) shades are in bloom all over Some years, she starts the Sather gardens. (Photo by each spring, and sponsors a plant exchange in the plants indoors during the Sue Webber)
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fall. In 2012, Dyanne won New Hope’s RAVE! Award, one of several awards the city presents each year for outstanding residential yards and gardens. Her gardens were featured on Cable Channel 12 last year. As she tours visitors through her garden, Dyanne is knowledgeable about the names and origins of each species. “I’m kind of self-educated,� said Sather, a retired nurse. “I don’t put anything bad in the garden. I don’t use insecticides.� She subscribes to three British gardening magazines, preferring them to American gardening magazines filled with advertisements. “I’d rather pay twice as much and get more information,� Sather said.
winter. But once spring comes, she spends five to six hours a day gardening. Even when it rains, she sits outside under the front overhang of the house to work on potting plants. “Houses with not even a bush look naked,� she said. “They have no personality.� Two summers ago, the Sathers enjoyed a 10-day cruise sponsored by Garden World magazine that took them from South Hampton in England north to a private garden on the first day, then on to Ireland and the Outer Hebrides and Shetland Islands. They saw Shetland ponies and 5,000-year old ruins before heading east down the southern coast of England. “We saw a lot of beautiful gardens and learned about some
wonderful history,� Dyanne said. The couple, who have three daughters and seven grandchildren, try to get to England every year to visit daughter Kathryn in Altrincham, and to Seattle several times a year to visit daughter Krista. Daughter Kari lives in Minnetonka. During the winter, both Sathers sing in the choir at their church. Dyanne also knits, reads, sews and goes to Bible study classes. She is a willing mentor/ consultant to other gardeners, and has conducted tours of her yard for garden clubs and church groups. “I keep giving plants away and encouraging everyone,� Sather said.
The Great Outdoors June 2017 Issue
Discovering The Mature Lifestyle
July 20 & 21, 2017
Make the Great Outdoors great again There’s an antidote for the blues and the “blahs,� for boredom and burnout and for lethargy and “inner inertia.� It’s called “outdoors.� Too many people — especially seniors — don’t get outside enough. Spending time outdoors is good for your health at every age. There’s a reason why teachers want kids to go outside during recess. “Fresh air and exercise� really are good for you, and big kids need to get outside to play too. That’s why biking, hiking, camping, canoeing, fishing, hunting, skating, skiing, swimming, running and even walking are such popular outdoor physical activities. It’s why outdoor sports like baseball, soccer, tennis and golf attract thousands of participants
every year. Being active health. All you have to do outside helps us stay fit and is show up and pay attenhealthy, and it’s fun. tion. But you don’t have to be Getting close to nature has a calming effect on the mind. It promotes perspecGuest tive and clarity. column Things seem less complicated out in the open; and ... by Bob it’s difficult to stay Ramsey stuck in negativity out where the sun is shining and the sky is blue. That’s an elite athlete or a fitness why treatment and rehab nut to benefit from be- centers often feature natuing out-of-doors. Mother ral settings and plenty of Nature is open 24-hours a outdoors areas. day and free of charge for Likewise, the senior everyone — even couch community where I live potatoes, tech geeks and faces a city street and nearthe athletically challenged. by stores and professional As it turns out, even doing buildings, while behind nothing while outside is lies a quiet park featuring good for you. a small lake. Enjoying time spent I tell visitors that we can outdoors isn’t just good walk out the front door for your physical health, into the midst of comit’s good for your mental merce and the community
and out the back door into the more pastoral serenity of a natural setting. It’s the best of both worlds. Naturally, residents gravitate to the park and frequently sit on the park benches to enjoy the view or walk around the lake at their own pace. It’s nature’s therapy at work. Obviously, there is something peaceful, grounding and healing in the sights, sounds and sensations of the outdoors and in observing nature’s critters at work and play. Like the time I was dozing by a pool when I awoke with a start, because something was nibbling on my fingers. It was a squirrel. I frantically tried to chase it away; but it refused to be chased. Eventually, it left of its own accord when I ceased to be entertaining (or tasty). Then, I began wondering. Can I catch something
from this squirrel? Is there such a thing as “squirrel fever?� What about rabies? I worked myself into such a tizzy I ended up going to urgent care, where the doctor assured me I was OK. Even such a misadventure with nature, however, provided welcome relief from everyday pressures. Nature nurtures our mental wellness in many ways. And lastly, experiencing the outdoors not only boosts your physical and mental health, it’s good for our spiritual well-being as well. Getting outdoors is good for our soul. It replenishes the spirit. Feeling God’s presence through nature allows you to follow author Ian Brown’s advice to “let your inner butterfly out.� Enjoying nature firsthand (not through a TV, computer or hand-held device) improves your mind,
body and spirit. There will always be lots of excuses for avoiding the out-of-doors; but there are no good reasons. Thoreau was right when he said, “We can never have too much nature.� That’s why F. Scott Fitzgerald lamented later in life, “After reading Thoreau, I felt how much I have lost by leaving nature out of my life.� You don’t want to make the same mistake. It’s time to make the great outdoors great again — in our minds, our daily routines and our lifestyles. Enough cocooning. Follow your teacher’s advice and “Go out and play!� Bob Ramsey is a lifelong educator, fr eelance write r and advocate for Vital Aging. He resides in St. Louis Park and can be contacte d at 952-922-9558 or at jo yrammini@comcast.net.
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The Great Outdoors June 2017 Issue
Discovering The Mature Lifestyle
July 20 & 21, 2017
Did you know? Women over 65 need both strength, aerobic activities According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each week women who are 65 years or older, are generally fit and have no limiting health conditions should combine at least two days of muscle-strengthening exercises with at least two hours and 30 minutes of
moderate-intensity aerobic activity. Women capable of more strenuous cardiovascular activity can substitute one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity with their two and a half hours per week of more moderate-intensity exercise.
The CDC notes that distinguishing between moderate-intensity exercise and vigorous-intensity exercise is pretty simple. Women can use a 10-point scale in which sitting is zero and working as hard as is physically possible is 10. Moderate-intensity
aerobic activity will make women breathe harder and elevate their heart rates, but should not make them feel completely drained at the end of a workout. These activities will register as a five or six on the 10-point scale. Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity includes those
exercises that women would deem a seven or eight on the 10-point scale. Such activities should elevate the heart rate considerably and get women breathing hard enough that they will be unable to say more than a few words without pausing to catch their breath.
No two women are the same and age must be considered when developing a healthy exercise regimen, but brisk walking may qualify as moderate-intensity aerobic activity while jogging or running would be considered a vigorousintensity activity.
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