Your inspiration, Paul, is no doubt well earned. I believe I will heed your
underlying advice here, and look into healthy eating and life practices that
will optimize my chances of avoiding a heart attack. And I'm going to do
this starting now, as if I was right to expect a heart attack if I delay
addressing my attitudes and routine. Thanks for your perspective. The last
thing any of us needs is another major complication! 

Good luck and continued success!
Rick

-----Original Message-----
From: Parkinson's Information Exchange Network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 5:52 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: exercises to strengthen fine motor skills

I have discovered the secret of acquiring exercise impetus. I of course, as
a long time member of this and other PD lists have known about the
theoretical benefits  of improved movement with regular exercising. I tried
(half  baked)) to exercise and couldn't get it done with any regularity. I
considered something like a Theracycle and decided that it was probably faux
exercising because I wouldn't be using my own muscles. Then  in  November
2011, my whole perspective changed. I had a heart attack . Among the  strong
recommendations by my Cardiac Specialist was to enroll in a Cardiac
Rehabilitation program at the hospital, which of course I did. It included
one  hour of exercising 3x per week with various arm and leg machines and a
series of  meetings with a dietician. It has now been about a year and a
half and it has by  force changed my life. I continue to exercise at the
facility with really no  change in my program except now I pay for it myself
rather than Medicare paying, and while I am supervised I am not monitored as
I was for the first three months. Due partially to the exercise but mainly
due to dietary changes, I lost 40 pounds. No more chocolate donuts, no more
meat 5 times/wk (now chicken  and salmon and vegetables and fruit coming out
of my ears). Salt in moderation  and always counting daily carbs, fat (only
certain fats healthy to
eat) sugar,  calories and on and on. But now I was and am exercising because
it's my life  that is at stake not (just) my movement. I say 'just' with
tongue in cheek  because it isn't 'just' when I can't turn over in bed or
get out of a chair or  teeter on one leg trying to put my pants on or super
worst afraid that if I  lose my balance in the shower and fall or slip it
will be a disaster. The irony  is that because this stupid PD is progressive
(I'm in my 14th year), it's hard  to know in all cases whether a treatment
or pill or procedure is working as  effectively as you would like because
the progression varies from  person-to-person, from symptom-to-symptom in
each of us. 
But the point of  my having nothing better to do than kid around on the list
for the moment is  that if you need incentive to exercise for PD, try a
heart attack. It should  work every time.
 
Paul H. Lauer
 
 
In a message dated 3/16/2013 02:00:38 Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

Thanks,  Rick.

About flipping pages: I recently got a Kindle paperwhite--the one  that is
just an e-reader, not a fancy tablet, and is good for reading in  the dark.
It's great---easy-on-the-eyes screen, adjustable type fonts and  sizes, and
no pages to flip! I hadn't realized what an effort that was  until I didn't
have to do it. Of course, that means less exercise for my  paws. Maybe I'll
get a deck of cards and practice shuffling and  dealing.

Hope you got your walk in. I like walking my local supermarket  when it's
not too crowded. A grocery cart is a dandy walking  aid.

Kathleen.

On 14 March 2013 15:15, Rick McGirr  <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Exercise. I try to  remember that if I don't move it, it ain't gonna move.
> If
> I  don't work it, it ain't gonna work. It's either in gear or in the
shop.
> So
> acting on that, it is a cold but sunny day in  Buffalo, and I really
think I
> should put on some layers and go for a  walk. If I get cold, I'll walk 
> the mall.
>
> Kathleen, I  don't know if it would be called physical or 
> occupational,
but
>  I
> sometimes sit at the piano, usually when no one's around, (I'm my  own
worst
> critic) and play scales and exercises, most often using a  metronome. 
> This helps keep the fingers in shape and helps to keep a  separate 
> sense of identity in each finger. I would say also that this  aids in 
> typing, and I guess it would generally benefit my fine  motor.
>
> I do have a hard time flipping pages in books, mags,  and papers.
>
> Oh yeah, the walk.
>
>  Rick
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Parkinson's  Information Exchange Network 
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On  Behalf Of Kathleen Cochran
> Sent: Tuesday, March 12, 2013 9:28  AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: exercises to  strengthen fine motor skills
>
> Does anyone use occupational  therapy to help with fine motor skills? 
Anyone
> find it  effective?
>
> Kathleen
>
> On Monday, March 11, 2013,  Rayilyn Brown wrote:
>
> > even though we get worse no matter  what, the message seems still to 
> > be "use it or lose it".  I  would think using computer would help.  
> > I do several  crosswords  on line daily.
> >
> >
> >  
> > http://www.livestrong.com/article/93795-exercises-strengthen-fine-mo
> > to
>  > r-skills/
> >
> > Ray
> > Rayilyn  Brown
> > Past Director AZNPF
> > Arizona Chapter National  Parkinson Foundation
> >
> >  
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------
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