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FEBRUARY / MARCH 2020 • MONTANA SENIOR NEWS
Dropping Out of
Dropping In
BY BILL LEVINE
(SENIOR WIRE) A couple of Saturdays ago, I’m serving to my
younger tennis opponent, Jim. I have lost the first set, 3-6, and am
down 0-4 in games, up 10 years in age, and down a lot in stamina
in this second set. My competitive nature is losing out to weakened
aerobic capacity, so quickly losing the next two games would be
OK. I will put up an “*” next to my 0-6 loss, to indicate “should
have been 1-6, if I were not exhausted.”
Ten minutes later, I indeed lose 0-6—the entire match taking
about 50 minutes, which, unfortunately, is probably my singles-tennis
competitive limit as a member of the Silver Sneaker generation, even
though I go to the gym four or five times a week.
I do have the antidote to uncompetitive tennis in the form of a flyer
I have designed to hang in my town’s senior center. But my ambiv-
alence about being considered an old fart as made even tangentially
associating with the senior center as somewhat unappetizing—like
attacking corn on the cob with bad dentures.
Even as I rapidly close in on 70, I still feel too young for our town’s
senior center. I don’t think I’m alone in this regard as no baby boomer
friend in town has asked me to head to the center for a bingo and
Bing (Crosby) hour.
That said, I only recoiled the first time that the Dunkin Donuts
barista rang me up automatically for the senior discount as I realized
there were some advantages to baldness and wrinkles.
The fact is I have no problem asking for one-off senior discounts
within the capitalistic system, because I am treated as a consumer
demographic—just like kids under 12 and military— and not viewed
under a paternalistic senior center scope.
It was indeed a dawn of my golden age as a golden ager when I
qualified for discount senior tickets eight years ago while taking in a
movie on Cape Cod with my teenage son.
It was a Captain America film, so I imagine most of the discounts
went to the younger discount demographic. Since then, I have
racked up many discounted movie theater showings.
My two prized ameliorating-old-age-by-benefits are the Senior
National Park pass ($80 for lifetime) and my MBTA public transit
rides at about 60-percent off. This pass can create an oldster
double play when a younger rider offers me a seat, eliminating
claustrophobic strap hanging.
Unfortunately, I have yet to take advantage of the National
Parks Pass, but I am happy that all these parks are not out West,
and some feature buffalo wing restaurants rather than buffalos.
It’s not just me who is leery of senior centers. Many of us boomers
see such facilities as the gateway to dinner theater attendance. An
online piece about my area’s senior centers echoes my take that these
places are perceived as too rocking-chairy—the local administrator
says, “I hear people in their 70s and 80s saying that they are too young
to be in a senior center.” This official has thus changed the name of
the center from “Jenks Senior Center” to just the “Jenks.”
Another admin from my home town agrees that, for people in
our society, there is a prejudice about aging. This one admits they
are trying to attract 60-year-olds with more relevant programming.
I would be more interested if the center’s class selection were to
be youthfully jazzed, so the line-up would include Black Jack For High
Rollers, Backgammon, triathlon training, Marine Aerobics, Computer
Hacking, Weight-lifting and Muscle Flexing, Gymnastic Balancing,
and High-stakes Bingo.
Only then could I feel comfortable showing up just to hang and
out and read the paper.
Still, my only hope for an honest match of tennis may depend
on finding partners my own age, so eventually I will probably slip
into the center and post my flyer.
If my senior center opponents are not, like me, exhausted,
sweaty and rubbery after 45 minutes of tennis, then I may just ask
my new friends how to sign up for Strength and Flex and Balance
and Movement.
Otherwise I may still ask them about the center’s Evergreen
Meditation class. MSN
FItNESS PAGE 39
Q&A with Dr. Movement
Your resource for health and movement questions.
Q1 from Emma (Kalispell): I’ve tried physical therapy
before and the activities were so basic it seemed like a
waste of time. Wouldn’t a good PT program be something
that is hard work I would feel sore from afterward?
I can absolutely understand that feeling; I have asked simi-
lar questions during my education. However, over the years
I discovered how productive small movements are in
“re-wiring” the connection between your brain and your
muscles. This is especially true when you are in pain and
want to avoid exacerbating symptoms. Physical therapy is a
long-term solution and takes more time than a “quick fix.”
Look at the activities with a new perspective; you might be
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municating with you along the way so you know why you
are doing what you are doing. Sometimes the first step to
health is a very small one!
Q2 from Michael (Columbia Falls): A friend told me to go to
physical therapy for pain in my toe. It seems pretty ridicu-
lous to go in for something that small. Have you seen
patients for things like that?
Absolutely. No pain is ridiculous! The way we move is highly
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nected and each component—no matter how small—serves
a purpose. To get you to your optimal health, every part of
your body needs to be in its optimal state. Pain in any loca-
tion will likely force your body into compensating and that
can cause other, bigger issues.
Q3 from Neil (Kalispell): I have seen some stuff from PTA
that talks about physical therapy for prevention. Why
would anyone would go to physical therapy if they weren’t
in pain?
This question has a two part answer. First: physical therapy
can help you discover pain or limited mobility that you are
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deficits that a skilled Physical Therapist (PT) can identify.
There are over 600 muscles and 300 joints in the human
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Second: we are trying to get people to think ahead and
incorporate habits into their lifestyle that will help them
avoid diseases and surgeries in the future. If we look at it
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It is so wonderful to see questions coming in about wellness
and movement. We live in a thriving, active valley that is
perfect for facilitating movement in the best way. Whether
you are currently experiencing pain or you are simply inter-
ested in improving your current physical state, movement
will help! If you are unsure of where you stand at this
moment or how to take steps toward accomplishing your
goals, I am here for you!
Dr. Chris Leck is a licensed physical therapist holding advanced
certifications accompaning his 12 years of clinical experience. In
addition to holding a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, he is a
Board Certified Sports Specialist, Certified Strength and Condi-
tioning Specialist, and CEO of PTA Physical Therapy. Health, well-
ness, and movement is what Chris knows well. “Dr. Movement”
aims to help you move better, feel better, and live longer!
Ready to get moving?
Call PTA today 406-756-7878
Please submit your questions to: [email protected]!