Another consideration would be to purchase a high density foam roller, they come in many sizes but if you get a 36" x 6" you can use it all over. Physical therapists use them for aligning the spine, neck stretches and a verity of other uses. I just ordered one and plan on using it for myofacia /fibromyalgia/arthritis pain. It most likely will not be 100% as affective as deep tissue massage but will hopefully come close. There are a few good books out there on this subject along with instructions and trigger points but I havenÂt weeded through them all yet. After years of studying Pilates, ball, yoga, and traditional weight training, this is new to me. However, after having three deep tissue massages lately and discovering how amazing the results were for me I can not wait to learn a way I can help myself. IÂm not kidding after three deep tissue massages I felt like someone had pulled me out of a little box and I could perform exercises at a much higher level, my concentration and energy was also greatly improved. Reading about deep tissue massage can be very interesting it also supposedly releases stored toxins.

@LisaKoback We are building the La meilleure vie plan by David Wiggins also and we are looking for a basement plan with steel beams and I-joist instead of the wooden laminated beams that Wiggins provided for us. Would you be willing to share steel beam size and I-joist dimensions? Or your basement page of print only? Thanks so much. jamesmelson34@gmail.com James

Hi 3cats... just to offer friendly feedback on a point you made (I'm not arguing/lecturing and don't care what you do :) You seem to feel that because you are ok to wear leather that there would then be no reason to reject fur. There is a big difference which is why most people who wouldn't be caught dead in a fur will still wear leather. Yes, while it would be ideal to be leather free too, leather is a byproduct of the meat industry. No animal is suffering in order to provide you with a pretty coat, unless you are wearing exotics. That is unfortunately not true for most animals with pretty skin. If you care about animals or the message you are sending, perhaps you will want to consider a coat made of something that is also being raised for food.. then you can be as warm as you'd like but not sacrifice your values (if you didn't say you were sensitive to the issue, I wouldn't have bothered pointing this out). On the pricing issue.... my mother has a nice old mink that no one in the family has been willing to wear for at least 20 years. My sister brought it by a furrier last week and was offered $750 for it. They will obviously be selling it for more. So, I guess the prices do vary quite a bit. Cyn427, Thanks for that info. I didn't know it was possible to get down humanely if it wasn't eider down. I'll have to look into that because I try to make humane choices when it's an option. I have an eiderdown comforter and it's the most wonderful thing, albeit not inexpensive. On that note, 3Katz, if you want something warmer and lighter than fur, an eiderdown coat would be superior in every way. It may not fit into your budget though. There is no fur coat that could compare.

I have osteopenia and am not on any meds or particular supplements yet nor has my dr mentioned starting. I'm also small boned and haven't ever been an athlete so exercise is a hard hurdle for me! Since retirement I have been trying to make it a priority. With interruptions for surgery, the pandemic closings and then a frozen shoulder(!), I am trying to do resistance/weight training 2-3 times weekly. But regular weight bearing exercise.....that's proving very, very hard because I can't seem to self motivate myself into regular routines. Walking outside is definitely an option especially as our hellish summer starts to wind down, but since I prefer to go after dinner when the worst of the sun exposure is over it seems every night my choice of go walk a couple of miles v. lounge around and watch tv is a battle that's over before it starts LOL. Lately I've been telling myself that after the weight training circuit at my gym I owe myself 20 minutes on the elliptical or treadmill. That gives me ~1.5 miles and if I can make myself keep it up, hopefully that will help these old bones. I just signed up with one of the personal trainers at my gym, which is part of a medical complex. They offer 30 minute sessions, so I will go twice weekly and have her 1) show me a routine that will help with my strength goals and 2) help me incorporate several exercise options, including weight training, weight bearing exercise and my Pilates habit to move me further toward a healthy body as I age. It's not about the visible changes really, but about staying strong instead of becoming weak and frail!