One of the advantages of A Matter of Balance is that it keeps its participants independent. After suffering a stroke in her 50s, Canton Township resident Venus Derickson says that she slept a lot of the time and had no energy. When she finished her post-stroke physical therapy, a friend recommended A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns about Falls (MOB) provided by the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan (NKFM). In 2019, Venus joined her first MOB workshop and has consistently taken the classes, either in-person or on Zoom, up through today.

“When it’s on Zoom, different presenters take turns and it’s wonderful,” says Venus, comparing the two formats. “In-person keeps us more engaged with the exercises and you get snacks and water.” She’s been happy with either format, noting that both allow her to go at her own pace.

Once she started MOB, she stayed with it, even exercising regularly on her own between the formal classes. “It boosted my energy. I’m more coordinated and my balance is better,” explains Venus. “I was able to stay mobile and get my strength back.”

Venus loves how the instructors “showed me step-by-step how to do it in a safe way.” She remarked on a guest healthcare speaker who “showed us how to get up from a fall, which was really helpful.” Now an enthusiastic MOB advocate, she wants others to know that Matter of Balance has allowed her to remain independent. “I like to be independent and I want to stay independent. You’re never too old to get engaged with a group like MOB to stay healthy.”

For more information on A Matter of Balance, go here.