Prevent Bingo Dauber Arm Pain
A little known affliction that many bingo players suffer from is “dauber arm”; recently, scientifically named “alea balbutio armo-poena,” by the University of Sciences on Bingo Physics.
When someone says to you “You’re just getting older and can expect to have a few sore muscles,” you can tell them your malady is real and has a name, ‘Alea balbutio armo-poena’ (I bet you can’t say that 3 times fast).
Using one arm repeatedly to go up and down all the rows of your cards and putting pressure on an extended arm with each number daubed can play havoc with the muscles in your arm as well as your wrist, elbow, shoulder and back, especially, if you have done nothing to prepare your arm for such a workout. I have also heard many bingo players complain about pain in the armpit.
If you play bingo often, or only once in a blue moon, and do nothing to prepare the muscles in the arm you use for daubing, it is only a matter of time before you will suffer the soreness of bingo arm.
I personally play a lot of paper and give my arm one heck of a workout. So having experienced this problem a few times, I did some research and put together a few simple and proven exercises that if done on a regular basis will strengthen BOTH arms.
Soon you will be able to daub like the wind. Your bingo buddies will wonder what you are taking to give you such speed, dexterity and endurance. If this Bingo Babe can save just one other bingo player the pain and aggravation of a problem that so many bingo players endure in silence, than I have done my job.
There is no need to go out and buy special equipment. Everything you need can usually be found around the house.
I like to start off using two 5-6 oz water bottles or cans of soup. Any basic Campbell’s soup size can will work.
I just happened to have 2 cans of Campbell’s Tomato Soup and still use them as part of my daily routine. Zephyrhills brand water bottles are easy to hold because of the indentation in the middle, and you have the benefit of drinking the water when you are done.
After a few months you can increase to ½ gallon milk or juice jugs, and add a cup of water or sand to the jug each week to add weight as you build strength.
Of course you can always go to Wal-mart and buy a set of weights, but the money you spend could be used to buy extra bingo cards.
This Bingo Babe wonders why someone would go out and buy weights when all you have to do is find something easy to hold around the house, and pick it up.
If you are not exercising because you really need to know how much something weighs, then you are making excuses and deserve to suffer from bingo arm.
Let’s Get Started
The first thing you MUST do is stretch. It is important to stretch before each time you exercise and make it a habit to stretch just before you go to bingo. By warming up your muscles, you are much less likely to get sore.
Stand straight, with feet shoulder width apart. Lift your left arm out to the side and stretch it up slowly and reach over your head to the right. Hold for the count of 5 and then stretch your arm (slowly) back out to the side and down.
Now switch to your right arm and lift it up over your head and stretch slowly to the left. Hold for the count of 5 and back out and down.
Alternating from left to right, do a set of 20 (10 left and 10 right). Move slowly and deliberately. The idea is to stretch and warm up the muscles, not work up a sweat.
The next stretch is simple. Extend your arms straight out to the sides, fingertips pointing straight out. Carefully stretch like you are trying to touch the wall on both sides of you. Then slowly, and keeping your arms extended straight out, bend only your wrist, turn your fingers up to point at the ceiling and palms to the walls for the count of 5 and then point back to the walls for the count of 5.
After Warm Up
Now that you have warmed up, here are 4 very simple dauber arm exercises.
Even very small changes in muscle strength can make a real difference in function, especially in people who have already lost a lot of muscle. I have learned that when you play a lot of bingo, you develop mighty muscles in your butt, which enables you to sit for long periods of time. The rest of your body is often neglected. So start your routine off slowly. Try to do 10 to 15 repetitions for each exercise. Think of this as a goal. If you can’t do that many at first, do as many as you can. You will be able to build up to this goal over time.
Breathe regularly. Breathe in slowly through your nose and breathe out slowly through your mouth.
Challenge yourself a little, but listen to your body. If you feel any pain during or after these exercises, you are doing too much. None of these exercises should cause you pain. Remember to do all the exercises slowly. The only place we need speed is in the bingo hall when we raise our bingo dauber arm high in the air and yell BINGO!
Hand Grip
1. Hold a tennis ball or other small rubber or foam ball in one hand
2. Slowly squeeze the ball as hard as you can and hold it for 3-5 seconds
3. Relax the squeeze slowly
4. Repeat 10-15 times
5. Repeat 10-15 times with other hand
6. Repeat 10-15 times more with each hand
Wrist Curl
1. Rest your forearm on the arm of a sturdy chair with your hand over the edge
2. Hold weight with palm facing upward
3. Slowly bend your wrist up and down
4. Repeat 10-15 times
5. Repeat with other hand 10-15 times
6. Repeat 10-15 more times with each hand
Over Head Yelling ‘Bingo’ Arm Raise
1. You can do this exercise while standing or sitting in a sturdy, armless chair
2. Keep your feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart
3. Hold weights at your sides at shoulder height with palms facing forward. Breathe in slowly
4. Slowly breathe out as you raise both arms up over your head keeping your elbows slightly bent
5. Hold the position for 1 second
6. Breathe in as you slowly lower your arms
7. Repeat 10-15 times
8. Rest; then repeat 10-15 more times
Side Arm Raise
1. You can do this exercise while standing or sitting in a sturdy, armless chair
2. Keep your feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart
3. Hold hand weights straight down at your sides with palms facing inward. Breathe in slowly
4. Slowly breathe out as you raise both arms to the side, shoulder height
5. Hold the position for 1 second
6. Breathe in as you slowly lower your arms
7. Repeat 10-15 times
Your entire routine shouldn’t take you more than 20 minutes and you will feel the difference almost right away. It is amazing how much doing just a little stretching will help.
The deep breathing you do along with your exercises will get more oxygen to your brain, helping you focus on locating the numbers you need to daub. Slowly you will build added strength in your arms, which will give you lightning dauber speed. This is always a good thing when you are playing a gazillion cards trying to win that big jackpot!
BARACK OBAMA:
