Inside the body, there is movement, Movement you feel. Seeing consequences, Due to lack of dopamine. Maybe a tremor, Maybe slowness, Maybe the body freezing, Maybe shuffling feet. Exercise is the secret, Living with Parkinson’s. Make big movements, Reach far, stand tall. Never understanding Swinging arms, giant steps. Until now. A wave of sensation Traveled through my body. Today, I felt and understood. I perceived a new awareness. Internally, I sensed, The body curling in upon itself. The body folding over , Squeezing the organs, the muscles Holding on with all its might. Internally, the body urges you to be still. Trying to take hold of your movements. Trying to make you freeze. Trying to stifle you. The internal draw of Parkinson’s is strong We can be stronger. We can move. We can walk. We swing our arms high. We take long giant steps. Walk tall. Swing your arms. Stand up straight. Walk with a bounce and lift. Resist the desire to slow down. Counteract, the drive to be still. In the stillness, there is no movement. Without movement, you become a statue. Just keep moving. Combat the internal tug. Make a pledge to keep moving. Defy the desire to be still. Yes, the fight is difficult and long. This is the battle we must soldier on. Our struggle, our journey Must not be wasted Must not be in vain.
Exercise
Rigidity
I feel inspired, and am taking advantage of this feeling by writing. Recently, I discovered the differences between stiffness, rigidity, and dystonia; they are all complicated. These three symptoms bring severe pain and movement becomes difficult. This knowledge is not something I searched for. It came to me, during the night. Trust me, it really isn’t something I wanted to learn. My doctor made adjustments to my medicine and things are looking up. Thus, inspiration! YEA!
Some mornings I wake up and find my body to be stiff and rigid. This really hurts, which leads me to exercise. I found an excellent video that focuses on moving through rigidity in Parkinson’s. The instructor is Lauren Lewis and she makes it fun. She combines numerous exercises, which reduce stiffness and rigidity. Lauren is motivating and has fun with the music. After doing a few sequences, my arms do not feel stiff and my legs are moving. My body feels free and loose again, and I completed the entire video. This video will help people who experience stiffness and rigidity.
Power for Parkinson’s is a non-profit organization whose mission is as follows:
Our mission is to provide free fitness, dance, and singing classes for people with Parkinson’s Disease and their care partners in the Austin, Texas area and around the world. We aim to engage people with Parkinson’s in regular exercise to slow or even reverse the effects of PD, improve their overall sense of well-being, provide opportunities for socialization, and help prevent depression and isolation that often accompanies the disease.
The exercise videos on this website are FANTASTIC! They target specific symptoms like rigidity and balance. Take some time to check out this website. I know you will enjoy these videos.
Swimming
Today, I decided to go for a swim at the YMCA. It’s a new part of my exercise plan. I was at the gym by 8 am. Swimming felt good, everything about it felt wonderful. My arms and legs gliding through the crystal blue water. I was aware of how my body moved through the water. How high to keep my legs up, which way to breathe. It was quiet. A peaceful quiet. At that moment in time, I was free. Free to think, free to feel. Free from Parkinson’s, free from any troubles or worries. Just me and the water. Gliding through the watery space.
When I was swimming I thought about the Olympic athletes. Each swimmer moving their arms and legs, pumping, pulling, moving at their top speed. Each person striving for Gold. I pretended I was an Olympic swimmer, hoping to win the gold. I don’t know if I swam faster, but it felt amazing. I imagined that I was driving my body, racing toward the finish line. Of course, I won the Gold!
When I went home, I did have to take a short nap. I find a 20-30 minute repose is all I need to restore my energy. Swimming wore me out, but it was gratifying. I woke up refreshed and was ready for the rest of the day.
That night I experienced a deep sleep, unlike any other night. I slept about 7 hours and had a very deep night’s sleep. HALLELUJAH! I only woke up once and slept for several more hours. This experience causes me to believe that I need to work out intensely and with intention every day. This will give me the sleep I need at night. It’s a bit of a bummer because there are days, I do not want to work out, or I am simply tired. I am discovering that exercise is the key to everything.
Internal Movements
Inside the body, there is movement, Movement you feel. Seeing consequences, Due to lack of dopamine. Maybe a tremor, Maybe slowness, Maybe the body freezing, Maybe shuffling feet. Exercise is the secret, Living with Parkinson’s. Make big movements, Reach far, stand tall. Never understanding Swinging arms, giant steps. Until now. A wave of sensation Traveled through my body. Today, I felt and understood. I perceived a new awareness. Internally, I sensed, The body curling in upon itself. The body folding over , Squeezing the organs, the muscles Holding on with all its might. Internally, the body urges you to be still. Trying to take hold of your movements. Trying to make you freeze. Trying to stifle you. The internal draw of Parkinson’s is strong We can be stronger. We can move. We can walk. We swing our arms high. We take long giant steps. Walk tall. Swing your arms. Stand up straight. Walk with a bounce and lift. Resist the desire to slow down. Counteract, the drive to be still. In the stillness, there is no movement. Without movement, you become a statue. Just keep moving. Combat the internal tug. Make a pledge to keep moving. Defy the desire to be still. Yes, the fight is difficult and long. This is the battle we must soldier on. Our struggle, our journey Must not be wasted Must not be in vain.
New Exercise Videos
I recently heard Dr. Jay Albert from the Cleveland clinic discuss his study on cycling and how it affects someone with Parkinson’s. According to Dr. Jay Albert, someone who exercises with intensity will improve motor function, cognitive thinking, and walking. Because of this new information, I am beginning to challenge myself physically.
I have found two new exercise videos by Leslie Sansone. She is rebranding, updating her workouts, and adding new instructors. I enjoy the new format. The exercises are simple, but they will elevate your heart rate. Leslie Sansone’s new series, Walk, Run, Lift, and Steel City Workouts can be found on YouTube, Leslie Sansone’s Walk at Home channel. Enjoy!
The Right Stuff
One of my family members fell off a cliff by the ocean a couple of weeks ago. His injuries are numerous including skull, back, and neck fractures. We were all worried that maybe he would not be able to walk or resume a normal life. He fooled us and walked out of the hospital two days after being in the ICU. The nurse said that in 33 years she had not seen anyone walk out of the hospital with that many injuries. He decided that he was going to be alright and would heal fast. He says he is fine. He is optimistic and full of hope. He has the “right stuff” for healing. He has a great and positive attitude.
I was thinking about attitude during this time. When you first hear that you have Parkinson’s Disease, your heart sinks. Your emotions range from sadness to depression to denial. Once you get through that, you have a decision to make: how are you going to handle this in your daily life? Parkinson’s is a life long disease, so you must look ahead and decide how you will handle managing your disease.
According to the Parkinson’s Disease in America 2018 study, significant numbers of people diagnosed with PD lose hope and find their emotional well being derailed. Over 50% of those surveyed report being quite a bit, or very, sad or nervous. Nearly 70% report a significant loss of hope. They fear mental health issues and a general dip in emotional well being. Although it is normal to experience a loss of hope or bouts of fear about what the future holds, keeping a positive attitude, and maintaining an upbeat outlook can make life more enjoyable. This approach is actually beneficial for everyone, whether or not they have Parkinson’s, or care about someone else who does.
Staying Positive When You Have Parkinson’s · October 23, 2018
Here are some things you can do to remain positive:
- Listen to music
- Call a friend
- Focus on what you can do
- Create a gratitude journal
- Be compassionate towards others
- Help someone in need
- Exercise
My very favorite thing to be positive is exercise. This makes me feel so much better. I practice some type of aerobics or yoga six days a week. I have gained strength and balance. Exercise will reduce your Parkinson’s symptoms and slow down the progression of the disease. I am also a volunteer for a Parkinson’s non-profit organization. Meeting others who have Parkinson’s enriches my life and helps me get through the tougher times. It helps to know that I can call someone who understands.
The young man that fell is doing fairly well. He returned back home and is resuming his normal life. He may not be doing everything he used to, but he is up and moving. The message for today is to think positively and think happy thoughts. You will be surprised at how much it helps.
Yoga: Reunite with Your Breath
I LOVE YOGA! I take classes at a local studio. Ok, not exactly. The classes are live streaming during COVID. I love yoga because it makes me pay attention to my breath. Yoga just feels good and helps you relax. I don’t know about you, but I don’t always pay attention to the most important thing in my body: Breathing. Sometimes the body reminds me that I need to pay more attention. I have asthma, so at times, I literally cannot control my breathing. I appreciate the breath. I am grateful for the breath.
Yoga with Adrienne offers a great segment for breathing called Reunite with Your Breath. She tells you to raise your arms as you inhale. We all can do that, right? She continues and asks you to stop raising your arms when the inhale stops. I thought for sure I was inhaling the entire time my arms were raising. Nope. My arms stopped a little over half way. Shocking! The conclusion is that I inhale and exhale in a shallow manner. Well, so now I am working on taking deeper and longer breaths. Reuniting with the breath is something to come back to when your breath is shallow. All of us get in that place. It’s important to breathe and be aware of the breath. Take some time today and focus on the breath.
Exercise: It feels so good
One of the things you learn early on is that exercise and movement slow the progression of Parkinson’s. Exercise is so important to anyone who has Parkinson’s. I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t want to slow down Parkinson’s. Exercise is key and showing up to exercise is step number 1. I started working out shortly after being diagnosed. I started small with strength training and the treadmill. As I got stronger, I included Zumba, and cardio kickboxing. I learned that I love to exercise. I loved the physical challenge. I loved having the ability to work out and felt grateful for that ability. I loved the fatigue from a job well done. I loved the way my body looked and felt, especially after routinely exercising. Exercise made me feel so wonderful!
I got side tracked from exercise last year due to a long illness. I bounced back and am exercising again. I currently walk about 1.5 miles. My personal goals include acquiring a variety of exercises, such as walking, elliptical, strength training and yoga. My goal is to work out 1-2 hours daily. A friend of mine works out 10 hours weekly. That is now my personal goal; workout 10 hours a week.
I will be sharing exercises and tips through this blog. I watch and use a lot of videos and have found many wonderful exercises to share. Today’s tip is to raise your arms straight up above your head. Move your shoulder blades back, just a little. Stretch! Then, stretch side to side.
Tell me how good that feels! Do that any time you like.
Inside Parkinson's 