It all started with a nice, big pizza. I lived in Sacramento at the time and had the high metabolism of youth.

Ah, those were the days …

There was a new place in town called Pizza and Pipes. Not the smoking kind of pipes, but those associated with a BIG pipe organ. Yes, there was a massive pipe organ inside, with a zillion pipes placed around the walls to surround the patrons with sound.

Dining there was a memorable experience that culminated each night in the organist playing, J. S. Bach’s, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.

Oh, my!

He let all the stops out, and our pepperoni vibrated in jubilation!

Fast forward to present day, when I am seeking inspiring ways to change my exercise routine; pizza is a rare – now gluten free – treat, and I have learned about the benefits of creative movement.

That’s right. Creative movement. When you let the music speak through your body; inspiring original motions prompted by the tempo, lilt, and quality of the sounds.

Maestro Grant Llewellyn’s Enchantment of the Elves, mentioned in a previous post, is a gentle pre-coffee wake up for movement and stretch.

Later in the day, however, Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor has long been a favorite for a full body workout.

Standing in the kitchen, it’s so easy to be carried away through bends, stretches, dips, squats, kickbacks, arm circles, and other movements that fit what this genius music is telling me.

When a larger space is available, I can use my gymnastic-inspired tool to keep ribbons suspended and moving through the air as Bach’s melody rises and falls.

Now, that’s an aerobics workout that will challenge you.

Constructing these ribbons was enjoyable for me and could become a fun family activity for you. Follow these steps to create colorful ribbons suitable for exercise.

Exercise Ribbons

Supplies

• Doweling that feels comfortable in the hand – I used one with a 5/8-inch diameter. Doweling is available in craft and hardware stores.

• Sandpaper

• Craft paint

• Eye screws

• 5-foot lengths of 1 1/2-inch ribbon

Method

• Saw doweling into 6-inch lengths

• Sand all surfaces of each length

• Paint all surfaces using craft paint – two or three coats of paint may be needed, lightly sanding between coats

• Screw in an eye screw into the center of one end – one on each piece

• Tie on about 5 feet of colorful ribbon

• Head out to the backyard to jam with your music.

Get your heart rate up; increase your ease of motion and let your spirit soar. A pair of these would make a thoughtful, affordable, and helpful gift.

In health through movement-

Deidre

#RAISEcaregiving (ACL’s official tag for RAISE activities)

#CaregivingInCrisis (CAN’s 2020 observance)

#NFCMonth (Annual observance hashtag)

#FamilyCaregiver (A larger conversation on family caregiving) 

#Caregivers (Broadest conversation around caregiving)

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