SAFPPA Editor Health Care Fund News

Letter from Fire and Police Health Fund Representative Henry Trevino

TO ALL RETIREES AND FUTURE MEMBERS OF THE FIRE AND POLICE HEALTH FUND.

                                                                          JULY 1, 2023

       I have enjoyed doing exercise all my life. The most enjoyable has always been running. All the other exercises are enjoyable, but not like my running. I started concentrating on running when I was about 25 years of age.   To me, running was the most essential part of my exercise. I did other types of exercise; however, running was my passion.   

       I got to the point of running 10 to 15 miles a day. Running helped me get through the awful days when my wife passed away. I became addicted to running; I could not pass the day without doing a good run.

       I was reading an article in AARP Bulletin that started with: THINK ON YOUR FEET. The article continued, “to help improve your brain’s health, lace up your sneakers and hit the road.”

       Walking will help you grow new brain cells. It will also help to facilitate the growth of new neurons. Walking increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the brain. The brain uses about three times as much oxygen for healthy neuron function as muscles do. 

       A Stanford University study found “creative output increased 60 percent when participants walked, even on a treadmill facing a blank wall. A study found that participants who walked more than 4000 steps daily had healthier brain tissue in the area responsible for memory, learning, and cognitive function than those who did not.

       The brain begins to shrink in late adulthood, leading to impaired memory and an increased risk of dementia. The research reveals that aerobic exercise increases the size of the hippocampus, which is part of the human brain.

       Furthermore, repeated exposure to stressful situations impairs memory, attention, and cognitive flexibility. Walking in nature has been shown to be particularly effective at reducing stress levels.

       One of the worst things you can do to your body is to sit on your home sofa and watch T.V. for hours. Your body demands movement; every part of your body has a job to do. Physical activity is extremely necessary for the human body to function to keep the body alive.  

       I advise you to stay active from the moment you get up in the morning. Drink water and eat small amounts of food throughout the day. If you do not have anything physical to do, write a book. Let your family know some of what you have done since you were a small child.   An autobiography would be an interesting thing to leave after your passing.  

       There are several senior centers where you can have something to do all day long. Anybody 60 years of age is welcome to come to one of the senior centers. There is no charge to become a member of one of the centers.

       Some of the items that are available at the centers are; computer lessons, weights, treadmills, pool tables, ping pong tables, stationary bicycles, all types of physical dancing, an oval lane inside the building that you can walk around, volleyball, a nurse to check your blood pressure and check your sugar level.

       After your workout, they provide a lunch meal; also, if you live within 5 miles from a center, a bus will bring you to the center. 

       You do not have to have heavy workouts. Exercise at your pace. You will have the opportunity to meet many people and enjoy conversations. Try it once and see if you like it. There is no charge for the whole service. You can call this number and ask where these centers are located. (210) 207-7172.   

Henry Trevino

    RESENTMENT IS A PRISON.  PEACE OF MIND WILL ONLY COME WITH FORGIVENESS RATHER THAN BEING THE JUDGE.

Moral of the story:  Resentment is the epitomy of hatred, bitterness, anger and the feeling of smothering and oppression.  There is no medication on earth that will cure the resentment one has for another person.  The cure is within the person holding the grudge.  Forgiving is the only cure that will relieve a person from the oppression held within.  Forgiving is the only medication that does not cost you a cent.  One must stop being the judge to be able to live a life of freedom from hate.