Age is just a number
Photo by CHANSE WATSON Sheri Zumstein starts her workout at the Shoshone Medical Center Wellness Center in Smelterville. She tries her best to go to the gym 5-6 times a week.
Wellness Center Manager Jonnie Nosworthy assists Sheri Zumstein with bench presses. Nosworthy and Zumstein will have friendly competitions together during classes to motivate one another. Photo by CHANSE WATSON
It’s no secret that it is difficult to keep motivated and determined to get into shape.
From lack of time to lack of energy, there’s a myriad of reasons that could dissuade someone from even taking that first step toward being more active.
Sheri Zumstein is one of the few though that seems to always find a way to do it.
Zumstein, 57, has lived in the Silver Valley for 25 years and is originally from the Oregon/Washington coast.
She first got into fitness when she did track and weightlifting in high school. Then she really got into it in the early ’80s during college.
During her four years in the military as an orthopedic technician, she had even more motivation to stay active.
Fast-forward to 2020, Zumstein is a physical therapist at several nursing homes in the Silver Valley and still can be seen without fail at the Shoshone Wellness Center in Smelterville at least once a day (when they are open).
“I kind of have to work with other people after injuries and things like that,” she said.
It wasn’t always like this though and, like the rest of the people in the world, there can be harder days to get moving.
Zumstein was diagnosed last year with Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Sjögren’s syndrome.
According to the Sjögren’s syndrome Foundation, RA is a form of systemic inflammatory arthritis in which many joints, especially the small joints of the hands and feet, become swollen and stiff. Sjögren’s is another systemic inflammatory disease, typically causing dry eyes and dry mouth. Inflammation of “exocrine” glands also leads to diminished tear and/or saliva production.
With her newly diagnosed conditions, Zumstein can relate to many of her physical therapy clients that may have the same trouble areas.
“I try to find new exercises … I try to apply that to the people I work with because I’m working with a lot of people that are getting stronger or recovering from surgery or illness.”
At 57 years young, Zumstein understands that her body doesn’t cooperate like it used to. This is why she has several different ways of staying motivated in and outside the gym.
One way is knowing the sense of accomplishment you get after you’ve done it and getting more out of it than just a workout.
“I feel good afterwards, even if it is a bit of a struggle at first,” she said. “I also find that being part of a gym, you have a little bit of a social aspect to it, so there’s camaraderie. You can make friends and they can kind of keep you motivated as well.”
While Zumstein likes the social aspect of going to the gym, she understands that it’s not for everyone. The main part of fitness she stresses that works, whether it be at the gym or not, is doing it with a friend and being OK with competition.
“They can hold you accountable and keep you motivated,” she said. “If you encourage each other to walk at a faster pace, or even just a fast pace instead of a slow pace.”
Another key for her to staying motivated and active is keeping things fresh and being flexible.
When she goes to the gym, each day is dedicated to working a specific muscle group — she also shoots for a cardio part four times a week.
Her goal is to go to the gym 5-6 days a week, but Zumstein doesn’t necessarily have a specific time of the day or a set length of time she will stay there. To her, it’s more about just going, even if it’s only for 10 minutes sometimes.
“When you first try to get into fitness and the gym, you should try a lot of different things and then find what you like because you won’t stick with something you don’t like,” she said. “Always incorporate some kind of cardio, muscle strengthening and even balance (especially as you get older).”
Keeping a diverse routine isn’t always possible for Zumstein, especially due to her arthritis, but she believes that having her workouts as regular as possible helps keep it in check.
“…sometimes I have flairs that make it where I have to modify my workout routine,” she said. “I still try to keep fit and I think that helps a lot.”
On top of all this, she also tries her best to maintain a healthy diet and drink plenty of water. Zumstein has recently started watching her sugar intake and continues to drink 80 ounces of water a day.
At the end of the day, all she hopes for is to stay at a good weight and look a little toned as she gets older. Since she doesn’t gain muscle and have the strength that she used to, every little bit helps keep her on the path of healthy living.