As a product development specialist, Thomas Allen (Tom) Disselkamp manages senior technical staff in various applications for the 3M Company. Giving back to his community, Thomas Disselkamp also raises funds for the American Diabetes Association.Recommending regular exercise, the association has created an incremental beginning fitness program for walkers that takes advantage of that activity’s ease, safety, and health benefits.Inactive persons can start with 10-minute sessions, increasing three to five minutes at a time as they adjust to exertion. You should eventually be walking 30 minutes a day for five days, measuring your progress with a watch or pedometer.Warm up by walking in place or moving at a slow rate for three to five minutes. Take five to ten minutes to stretch after warm-up or walking. Maintain good posture (chin up, looking forward) and wear walking shoes to reduce the chance of injury and increase comfort. Drinking plenty of water before you go out is always a good idea.Once this is routine, add on these elements for even greater fitness: speed up for short intervals to boost your heart rate, and lengthen your walks to build endurance, mixing in some hill travel. You can also change things up with a fast, short walk on some days and a long, brisk walk on others. Finally, add some variety by bringing a friend or listening to music.
Thomas Allen (Tom) Disselkamp, product development specialist for the 3M Company, has won several in-house awards for advanced systems. Over three decades, Thomas Disselkamp has nurtured several professional interests, such as the use of lasers in medical procedures.After the industrialization of laser light, doctors and researchers found numerous applications for this versatile new tool. They discovered that in certain types of surgery, the laser’s finely focused beam can cut tissue precisely and cleanly.One prime advantage is the laser’s consistency. A hand-held scalpel simply can not match the laser’s even cut all along the incision. Another benefit is its ability to seal off blood vessels. Finally, a laser-wielding surgeon can make very small cuts in areas surrounded by healthy tissue.Medical lasers are still in development and are not yet suited to every kind of operation. Nevertheless, some doctors envision a future in which the laser has completely replaced the scalpel. Today’s applications of the laser include external procedures on the skin, ears, eyes, nose, and mouth. However, innovations are coming that will employ them for internal surgery, with visibility being the only limiting factor.
In his role as a product development specialist, Thomas Allen Disselkamp designs, develops, and reviews optical and electronic products for multinational corporation 3M Company. Thomas Disselkamp is also a dedicated volunteer and active fundraiser for a number of local nonprofit organizations. In May 2018, Tom Disselkamp cycled in the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Tour de Cure in Minneapolis, raising over $300 in donations.The ADA holds dozens of Tour de Cure events in cities across the country. The tour is the organization’s largest fundraiser and raises tens of millions of dollars annually. Individuals and corporations are encouraged to form teams and solicit contributions for their participation in a cycling, running, or walking tour. After reaching a fundraising minimum, teams can register on the ADA’s fundraising platform to share their story and raise more donations. During the Tour de Cure, participants are supported by event staff, provided meals, and given commemorative t-shirts. All proceeds go toward advancing treatment research and community programs that support people living with diabetes.
