by ROBERT LACOSTA
Part II
Well into his eighties, retired University of Albany professor Allen Ballard of Clifton Park began to approach his severe stenosis in his right leg and the pain of his knees and shoulders in the manner he had lived his previous eight decades.
“You have to adapt and change and that is what my book is about,” he explains.
Keep On Moving, subtitled An Old Fellow’s Journey Into The World Of Rollators, Mobile Scooters, Recumbent Trikes, Adult Trikes And Electric Bikes, was the result of this man’s drive to face disability head-on. It’s a colorful, informative treasure for those who have been hampered physically.
He believes that pitching the book to the physical therapy and senior citizen markets is a natural. A preeminent webinar for recumbent bikes featured him and there is a prospect that a major cable television show will have him as its guest.
The book is a result of walking his talk, or should we say putting the pedal to the medal.
“After a last-ditch effort with a hand-controlled car didn’t work out, the book began to percolate in my mind to just keep mobile,” he says.
The gadgeteer researched the emerging technology of mobility devices and came up with a fascinating story of what he terms “the collateral benefits of mobility.”
Moving about, exercise and getting outside can wheel many challenged people into a healthy way of keeping up with life by riding around the neighborhood, going to a local store or stopping to see friends along the way. In his area, he is hoping that the town will expand the bike trail that will extend the educator’s days of learning by giving him a route to his library.
“Exercise has its own healing,” he says. “It takes your mind off the pain and moves against depression – especially when you get the news from the doctor who says that you’ll have to live with a disability or pain for the rest of your life.”
He pairs his physical movement with the exercise of the spiritual.
“I pray and go to bed with gospel music and in all situations I take it to The Lord,” he says.
Robert J. LaCosta has been writing about seniors for thirty years. His daily inspirational vignettes and books are available on robertlacosta.com. To suggest a senior for “Retiring Retirement,” write [email protected]
