Diet Weight Loss - Parkinson's Disease and Exercise

Parkinson's Disease and Exercise

Parkinson's disease is a disorder that affects nerve cells in the part of the brain that controls movement. Almost one million Americans now live with Parkinson's disease and every year about 50,000 more receive the diagnosis. The average age for diagnosis is about 50 years.

Individuals with Parkinson's disease often experience trembling, muscle rigidity, difficulty walking and problems with coordination and balance. The symptoms usually begin with a hand tremor and progress to slowness or even cessation of voluntary movement which is an extension of the interuption of neurological impulses. A shuffling gait and difficulty speaking are also common with Parkinson's disease.

There is no cure for Parkinson's disease and the medications and treatments rarely correct all the deficits. In fact, they often cause significant side effects which can make the disease even more difficult to tolerate. Because Parkinson's disease affects your bodies ability to move, exercise helps to keep muscles strong and improves flexibility and mobility. Exercise also helps relieve the common symptom of depression among Parkinson's sufferers. Exercise won't stop the disease but it can help slow the progression and lessen the severity of symptoms.

Here are some fitness guidelines if you or a loved one has Parkinson's disease:

1) If you choose an individual or group exercise trainer your best choice is a Physical Therapist. Personal Trainers and Group Exercise Instructors are trained primarily to exercise the healthy and have little training in disease specific exercise. Exceptions are those trained and certified by The American College of Sports Medicine.

2) Start with a few minutes a day and try to work up to 15-20 minutes. Most individuals with Parkinson's can exercise alone while some may need assistance. After that, rather than increase the duration, try to increase how hard you are working. An easy and very effective way to do this is by interval training. Interval training simply means go hard for a short time then back off and recover at an easier pace (keep repeating until your full time is up). A ratio of one minute hard and two minutes recovery is a good starting place.

3) Always warm up, cool down and work at your own pace. The severity and range of Parkinson's symptoms can vary in type and intensity from day to day. Simply recognizing this fact, and doing only what you are capable of each day, will lessen any frustration.

4)Exercise at your medication's peak response time and at a time you are rested will minimze symptoms and allow for your best exercise effort.

5) Good stretching exercises include head turns and tilts and chin tucks to relieve neck tightness; opening and closing the hands and finger/thumb circles for hand control; bringing the knees to the chest for hamstring flexibility; ankle circles and calf stretches for lower leg flexiblity; arm stretches for upper body flexibility; performing facial expressions such as eyebrow lifts, circling the tongue inside the mouth, sticking the tongue in and out, whistling, saying and enunciating words out loud, and making big smiles to decrease facial rigidity and increase orofacial control.

6)Perform your exercise with great concentration and intent to move. Make the body-mind connection. Classes such as Yoga and Tai Chi are helpful because of the emphasis on conscious control of movement.

7)Work on walking skills to get your heart rate up and improve your gait. If you have balance problems there are special harnesses you can wear when using a treadmill or you could try an aquaexercise class where movements are slowed by the water resistance and balance is easier. There are also poles you can buy (called "pole walking") which help with balance. Practice taking larger steps (to discourage shuffling),and walking forwards, sideways, and backwards. Walk near a wall if you need a little extra help.

8)Perform some resistance training to increase the strength and coordination of your muscles. If your symptoms are mild you might try a moderate weight training program 2-3 times a week. If your symptoms are more severe try some sit-down stand-up squats for leg strength, shoulder retraction (squeezing the shoulder blades together) for kyphosis (rounding of the upper back), squeezing a tennis ball for forearm amd grip strentgh, tightening and holding your abdominals for abdominal strength and simple resistance exercises with light hand weights.

9)Always include balance training as part of your exercise routine. You can stand near a wall or chair and stand on one leg at a time using your hand for help if needed. Try leaning forward a bit with both feet on the ground wihout falling. Also practice shifting your weight from one foot to another.

Parkinson's diseaese is the second most common neuorodegenerative disease in America second only to Alzheimer's. A good exercise program can help those with Parkinson's build stronger muscles, maintain flexibility, maintain balance, keep joints supple, decrease depressive symptoms and improve cardiorespiratory fitness. It can slow the progression of the disease and lessen the severity of symptoms.

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