A Stroke Did it for Me!!!!!

by William J. Jones
(Freeburg, IL. 62243, United States)

Hello Logan,

I have just discovered your site and I love it. I like your straight forward approach to everything.

Well, my story starts with a stroke in Nov.2006, three days before Thanksgiving, with surgery the day before Thanksgiving, and out of the hospital on Thanksgiving day to bed-rest.

Following my recovery, my wife and I decided we needed to start working out on a regular basis. We have been working out now for two years come this July.

My wife Kathleen has trimmed up fantastically all over her body. She hasn't lost that much weight, started at 180, and now ways 160, but is hard as a rock and has a blood pressure reading of 119/65. She is full of energy

Now this ole fella at 71 weighs 235, down from 276 at the time of my stroke. We work out on Magnum Machines at the Training Room here in Freeburg, Illinois. My weight loss has caused a reduction in my blood pressure meds. Of course I am doing great. I leg press 315 lbs, goal of 400 lbs right now. Shoulder press 145 lbs., goal of 200 lbs. Bench 200lbs. Leg ext. 170lbs., and so on.

As you can see, I have made real progress since the stroke. I had to learn how to print again, how to use a knife and fork and everything else with my right hand. I had to work hard to overcome a very weak right leg.

So that is what has happened to us so far. We seniors in Freeburg send off a big thank you for being there.

-William & Kathleen Jones

P.S. Bill Jones here again. I was reading on your site about jogging and running. What surprised me was that you did not mention jogging on a rebounder. Some people may not know what a rebounder is. Here is a description of one: it looks like a small round trampoline, about 48 inches in diameter.

Some people do all kinds of bouncing exercises on them, but for seniors I think jogging is fine. You can get one for as little as 70 to 80 dollars. To me they are just for jogging on. You can save your joints, because you are jogging on a surface that gives and saves your joints, but gives you good resistance to work you legs and core because to maintain balance you must keep your core tight. Ten minutes is equal to a mile and I do three and a half miles per day, 6 days a week since my stroke. This along with my weight program is helping me take off my weight, and my doctor loves what it is doing for my lungs and heart. I give a AAAA-plus recommendation. It will get your heart rate up just like jogging on the ground and it gives your body more strength and endurance at the same time. It has given more me energy and strength in my workouts. The great thing about it is that you can jog on it outside on good weather days, and inside on bad weather days.

I believe it will help thousands of seniors like me get in their jogging where they haven't been able to because of sore joints or maybe a fused ankle like I have. Thank you for listening.