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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 > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > > -- > > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto: > > [log in to unmask] <javascript:;> In the body of the > > message put: signoff parkinsn > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto: > [log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto: > [log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn