Dr. Geoff Emry
September 14, 2023
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Square dancing through the ages
During winter months as a kid, I remember going to square dances with my family at the Mica Flats Grange. I loved getting to stay up late, dancing with family and friends, and the best part was taking a break for “supper” at 10 pm which meant a vast array of homemade cookies and cakes and pies to eat! The live music was provided by the old-timers — Louie Anderson on fiddle, Marguerite Carder playing piano or Don Sausser playing the organ and Henry Larson was the caller. It would get so warm in that old Grange Hall with all those bodies moving around that they’d have to open up all the windows and doors to let in the cold air. I loved it so much that once, in my enthusiasm for dancing, I stepped on my sister's toes so often that by the end of the night she had bloody feet.
I feel better when I’m dancin’
It’s hard to describe the class without using words like “booty”.
Golf-specific fitness
I tend to agree with Mark Twain who famously quipped that "golf is a good walk spoiled." Nevertheless, in the spirit of being open to new things, I met up this past fall with Cam Abey and her dog Navy at CamFit CDA to find out more about golf-specific training.
Fit and Fall Proof
The state of Idaho began offering Fit and Fall Proof classes in 2004 because research showed that multicomponent exercise with resistance, strength and proprioceptive training reduces fall-related injuries by up to 40%.
Nordic Skiing, aka Cross-Country
Although I grew up Alpine skiing (aka downhill) and even raced on the Schweitzer ski team in my youth, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve really come to embrace the serenity and aerobic challenge of Nordic skiing.
Swimming and why we need another competition pool
I love swimming! It offers a fantastic full body workout with little to no impact on bones and joints. Because of this, absolutely anybody can partake in water-based exercise. So there’s no excuse such as having a bum knee or needing a hip replacement to keep you from enjoying exercise in a pool.
The Gift of Singletrack Mountain Biking
I’ve always loved bikes and biking. I still remember my first road bike, a black and red Bianchi that I bought in 1989 - what a classic! My first two years of medical school I refused to buy a car so I biked everywhere in New Hampshire, even in winter.
EXERCISE EXPLORER, MD: Indoor climbing
In keeping with my premise that exercise is better with a buddy, I recently joined Aaron Drapeau after work at Coeur Climbing Company in Post Falls. Aaron is a nurse practitioner and one of our newer providers at Ironwood Family Practice, so it was a great chance for me to get to know him better and try out our area's newest climbing gym.
CrossFit: Focus on fitness, health and longevity
I was feeling nervous as I walked from my house to CrossFit CDA on Fourth Street. Kind of like going to church after not having attended for a long time. It's been about 10 years since I was a regular member of the CrossFit congregation and what I remember are intense workouts and lots of super fit people. I am definitely not in the shape I was back then! But from the moment I stepped through the door, Coach Chandra greeted me warmly and as I was stretching out, other acolytes came up and introduced themselves to me. Before we started, Coach Chandra gathered all 30 of us in a big circle and welcomed me into the flock as she was outlining what we’d be doing for the next hour.
Super-slow, high-intensity strength training in Riverstone
To kick things off with this column I recently visited Exercise Institute in Riverstone. As I stepped in the door it hit me how Exercise Institute is different from other exercise facilities. The entry area has more the feel of a doctor's waiting room than a gym with people sitting in comfortable chairs waiting to be called back. In fact, if you break out in hives at the mere thought of going to a sweaty gym with walls of mirrors, then this is the place for you. Looking around, the demographic also fits more with a doctor's waiting room as they definitely seem to cater to the over-40 crowd.
Introducing the Exercise Explorer MD
“Yes, but what type of exercise should I try?” is a question I am asked on almost a daily basis by my patients. In my work as a physician at Ironwood Family Practice for the past 16 years, I am daily extolling the virtues of exercise.