All Life is Learning - October 2026

Highlights from an OLLI Course and Events

Last month, OLLI was fortunate to have two dynamic events with Irshad Manji (Founder of the Moral Courage Project) and Sky Bergman (Award-winning filmmaker of the Jollytologist®). A special thank you to the Office of Government Relations and External Partnerships for extending the invitation for us to meet and have a great discussion with Irshad. And a special thank you to the Kalamazoo Community Foundation for providing support for the film and discussion with Sky Bergman.

Irshad Manji - Moral Courage Attendees

Sky Bergman - The Jollytologist®

OLLI Course: Dale Chihuly Contemporary Glass: How He Does it and How it Fits in the Big Picture.

Thanks to several OLLI photographers (Martha Beverly and Sharon Wherry) for sharing some of the photos they captured during instructor Dr. Phil VanderWeg’s class. And thanks to Dan McAllister (Operations Director) from Glass Art Kalamazoo for the final images of the actual completed glass art included at the bottom.

Collaboration Between

WMU, Aquinas, & UoM OLLIs

In collaboration with Michigan Judges, and three of the Michigan OLLIs, we are inviting you to come and learn about our State and Federal judicial systems. This is a two-part series, with the first part happening October 21, 2026, beginning at noon.

To register for the course, you will have to register through UofM’s registration system. Unfortunately, there is no other way to register. Here is the link to register for the class OLLI Collaboration Program

If there are questions specific to registering Educating for Civic Confidence, please contact UofM OLLI at (734) 998-9351.

We hope to have you join the collaborating OLLIs and several judges from across the state for this interesting class.

Written by Tyler Norman, Ph.D.,
ACSM Exercise Physiologist, NCFI Corporate Fitness Specialist, and Manager of Corporate Outreach at West Hills Athletic Club, WMU

Exercise for Stroke Prevention and Recovery

This one hit close to home. My father had his first stroke at the age of 43, which left him with no physical impairments, but with cognitive impairments, particularly short-term memory loss. He made a considerable recovery but was never quite the same.  When he died 10 years later (cardiac arrest), my professional purpose was made clear, to help people like him avoid the same fate. In hindsight, he was a smoking enthusiast, approximately 30 lbs. overweight, probably had high blood pressure, probably had high cholesterol, and had a family history of heart disease.  It’s the coronary risk factor jackpot. The only major coronary risk factor he didn’t suffer from was diabetes. Having just 2 coronary risk factors would warrant a physician’s clearance for exercise, so it’s not a surprise that he didn’t live to a ripe old age.  The takeaway here is that coronary risk factors put us at risk for coronary events, including a stroke.  

The most common type of stroke is called an Ischemic event, which is when a blood clot blocks an artery that delivers oxygenated blood to the brain, resulting in the death of the unoxygenated brain cells. The severity of the brain cell death will determine the severity of the lingering effects and recovery from the event.  Physical impairments such as hemiparesis (weakness on one side of the body) cognitive impairments including memory loss, balance equilibrium issues, speech and vision issues, and on and on.  All this is to reiterate the importance of minimizing coronary risk factors to prevent a stoke, or minimizing coronary risk factors to minimize the risk of additional events often referred to as a TIA or transient ischemic attack. Exercise is the one thing we can do to have the greatest effect on reducing or eliminating coronary risk factors and is the one most impactful thing we can do to recover from a stroke. Here's the basic overview.

• Exercise after a stroke should include mobility exercises for balance, proprioceptive awareness, re-enforce the mind-body connection, and prevent complications such as pneumonia.
• Aerobic exercise will be imperative to incorporate for improving blood circulation, improving endurance, and even cognitive function has been shown to improve form sustained intervals with elevated heartrate.  
• Resistance training or strength training is imperative to reverse muscle atrophy, restore physical independence, and has been shown to have a positive effect on cognition.  
• Balance, equilibrium, and gait exercises will be important to restore physical independence and reduce the risk of a fall.  

As always, check with your physician before starting an exercise program and 

Exercise After Stroke: What the Latest Guidelines Recommend

Happy October!