> >Everyone agrees that exercise is important. So, where are all the
> >exercise classes?
Just wanted you all to know that we have 28 free exercise therapy groups in the
greater Houston area.
I write and edit the Houston Area Parkinson Society's newsletter and just
finished my feature article for next months issue which just happens to be about
exercising. I've copied it FYI and hope it will encourage more of us to
exercise.
nina
Rx EXERCISE
If you know the benefit of exercise and you exercise regularly, you'll probably
nod your head and enjoy reading this article. If you read the title and thought
to yourself, "Exercise is boring, I don't enjoy it and don't want to be
bothered," you probably haven't even read this far. But, if you know you should
exercise and just can't get motivated, continue reading and perhaps you will be
convinced that regular exercise of moderate intensity-even if it's mowing the
lawn, housecleaning, or climbing the stairs, is the best thing you can do to
help yourself live a longer, fuller life.
Numerous studies have shown that exercise helps relieve a gamut of problems
ranging from constipation to depression. Exercise keeps your muscles from
deteriorating, reduces tension and tightness, increases your energy level, helps
you sleep better, slows the rate of bone loss, increases your HDL ("good")
cholesterol, decreases the risk of heart disease and may reduce the incidence of
colon cancer and adult-onset diabetes.
People who exercise have less hearing loss when exposed to loud noises and are
less likely to experience the memory loss and other declines in mental function
that can come with aging. Exercise not only lowers your blood pressure, but
exerts such an enormously powerful effect that if you have high blood pressure
and you exercise, you'll have a greater life expectancy than if you have normal
blood pressure and you don't exercise.
If you have Parkinson's disease, exercise is as essential to your well-being as
taking your medication. The main objective for most people with Parkinson's is
to have an exercise program that will maintain range of motion and stimulate the
circulation of blood and other bodily functions. There are almost as many
different methods of exercising as there are exercises. Be realistic about your
strength and stamina so that you set an achievable goal, one that gives your
body just the right amount of effort. As you become stronger, you'll find
yourself able to be more active. With Parkinson's you lose the ability to just
move automatically. Make a conscious effort to focus your attention to the task
at hand. It's normal to feel pleasantly tired after exercising and perhaps a
little stiff and achy the next day, but it's not normal to feel chest pain or
get short of breath. Always check with your doctor before beginning any
exercise program and be sure to warm up first and stretch afterwards.
You have been losing muscle and gaining fat every day since you were in your
twenties. When you don't build muscle, you lose muscle. Strength-training
exercises, using free weights, weight machines, elastic bands or the resistance
of your own body weight is the only way to stop your muscles from wasting away.
Strength training also increases bone density in postmenopausal women and
prevents bone fractures in women with osteoporosis. This is important because
the poor balance, poor gait and low strength associated with Parkinson's can
lead to falls.
Aerobic exercise has little or no resistance and significantly increases your
heart rate, but doesn't prevent the loss of muscle mass.
Walking briskly is an aerobic exercise that may be one of the best
prescriptions for maintaining good health that you can follow. Step by step,
walking can help you experience a greater balance and awareness by opening the
door to communication between your body and your mind. It doesn't matter how
far you go. You need only compete with yourself.
Walking on a treadmill may not be as interesting as walking outdoors or the
mall, but a four-week treadmill vs. physical therapy study showed that the
participants' scores improved more with treadmill training than physical
therapy. The length of their stride and gait speed were most improved.
Swimming is another great aerobic exercise. The buoyancy of the water reduces
stress on your joints and although the water relaxes your muscles it also
provides resistance, which improves muscle strength. Not only do you have a low
impact activity that increases your strength, endurance, flexibility, balance
and mobility, but it's also an excellent opportunity to socialize. Your
workouts should be inviting, achievable, challenging, and rewarding.
Pilates, a series of controlled, non-impact movements is an excellent way to
achieve a better range of motion, flexibility and strength. Emphasis is placed
on concentration and being aware of your body. Your own body resistance is used
as a tool to tone, lengthen and straighten muscles housed in the deepest part of
the body as opposed to superficial muscles. The focus is on stretching and
making certain full and thorough inhalation and exhalation is a part of every
exercise.
Tai Chi is a no-impact form of exercise that consists of more than 100 flowing,
dance-like movements of "postures" or "forms" that resemble ballet in slow
motion, performed while you concentrate single-mindedly on your movements and
your breathing. The forms are designed to work all of your limbs and muscles
and it is especially good for bones and joints that can't withstand the jarring
from high-impact activities. Tai Chi is also helpful in decreasing tremor
because it reduces stress and the muscles relax.
Yoga exercises have recently been modified into programs suitable for senior
citizens. The emphasis is on deep and controlled breathing. Yoga can
positively affect your posture by selectively stretching and strengthening the
muscles that control it.
These are only a few of the many ways to get your daily dose of exercise. Turn
the page to see when and where you can take advantage of the free therapy groups
that offer exercise therapy, tai chi, and swimming. Visit HAPS library and
check out Parkinson's Disease & the Art of Moving by John Argue or any of the
many other books and video tapes that contain specialized exercise programs.
A recent study of 16 people with mild to moderate disease found that,
regardless of the presence of gait or respiratory problems, their capacity to
exercise was comparable to the healthy control group. Normally, the level of
physical activity for people with Parkinson's decreases more rapidly over time
than normal individuals of the same age. If your Parkinson's disease is not in
the advanced stage, start exercising now before muscle tightness and rigidity
ultimately cause postural changes or make it impossible to move.
Life isn't going to get easier as symptoms get worse over time and new symptoms
appear. Inactivity can result in atrophy. If exercise can improve your quality
of life by allowing you to function better for a longer period of time, doesn't
it make sense to do it? The choice is up to you.
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