THE MEDICINE CABINET
The Good Witch of the North Returns
By Jean Sutherland

     At the end of this month The Good Witch of the North returns. No longer riding a broomstick, she flies in on a 727 and then is picked up by her favorite chauffeur...me.
     Yes, it’s my mother. 86 years old and still going strong. This five foot high little dy-no-mite will be here for three months and for three months she will put me to shame. Why shame? Because at 86, she has far more energy than I do and can outwalk me even with her recent knee replacement operation. Last year for three months I watched in wonder as she walked every day from Chula Vista into Ajijic to go to the gym. I doubt I could make it to Superlake without collapsing. An hour at the gym and then she is on to roaming all over town.
     She thinks nothing of hopping on a bus and going out to Jocotepec. She loves to join parades she runs into, though one of them did turn out to be a funeral procession and not a parade. She is one gutsy little lady. She talks to everyone in English and just expects they will understand her and I think she fully believes they know what she is talking about. After the gym her roaming starts and she walks everywhere. With her cane to keep her steady and her little white hat to protect her from the sun, off she goes. This starts at 9 a.m. and she usually returns by 4 p.m. So there she is out and about all day long and still has the energy to walk home. Absolutely amazing.
     In elderly people, the development of disability can be delayed, or pushed back, with aerobic exercise. In addition, those who exercise regularly live longer and have lower rates of fatal cancers, heart disease and other conditions. Also, elderly people who take dance or exercise classes that promote balance will have far less falls than those who do not. Exercise also helps in keeping bones strong for those with osteoporosis.
     My mother from the age of 70 on, would golf all summer, bowl and in the winter, be out on the golf course with cross country skis, and of course, year long, the three to five mile a day walks would be in there. I credit this for being one reason she has lived as long as she has.
     Recently she called to tell me she is now up to seven minutes a day on the bike at the gym and though she is not happy with this number it is amazing given that it is only eight weeks since the knee replacement operation.
     The other thing that seniors must consider is mental fitness. It has been proven that if you exercise your mind then you are more likely to stay mentally fit as you age. Seniors need to be encouraged to participate in activities that will keep their mind sharp. Mental games such as Scrabble, crossword puzzles or even the computer can help keep a mind as young as its body.
     If you happen to be in Ajijic after January 1st, you will find this little dynamo out and about in town and every Wednesday at the market helping Anita’s Animal shelter. She loves to help with the book sales that are there every week. Be sure to stop by and say hi and ask her what book she recommends. Trust me, it won’t be X-rated..