And I am getting worse in my actions, and in my abilities. I fall very easily, except just after I take my carbi dopa, levidopa, and my amantidine. And I fall very easily while walking with my walker. My only form of exercise now is a trike that I ride every morning at 5:30 AM, I ride it for one hour and I usually go about 7.5 miles. After I stop riding the trike, I usually feel more steady on my feet than on days when I don't ride it.
I have always exercised, I used to go to the gym 4 days a week, until I tore the Rotator tendons completely off both of my shoulders, and broke one shoulder, while falling. I have also fallen on my face a number of times (that is always fun!). So, my ability too exercise my upper body is severely limited right now; does anyone have any ideas on what sort of exercises that I can do now?
Written by
ILoveBirds
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Hi Mira. I don't know if this will help or not. If you are able to do a small experiment then perhaps I can help you.
With somebody holding either arm, try to stand up straight and look ahead. Then place all your weight onto your left leg. That means that you should be able to lift your right leg up off the ground without falling over. Then see how far you can lift your right leg straight out in front of you, with the knee straight. Then put it down on the ground.
Then put all your weight on your right leg and see how far you can lift your left leg up in front of you, with the knee straight.
Now, with both feet on the ground see if you are able to lift both heels off the ground and stand up on your toes.
Lastly. With someone holding your waste from behind, see how far you can swing your arms up on each side, as if you were walking.
If you are able to do all those movements then you are able to walk.
When we walk fast, we produce a chemical in the brain called GDNF, which means Glial Derived Neurotrophic Factor. That repairs the damaged brain cells and you start to get better.
You are now thinking how can you possibly walk fast? The answer to that is, "With practice". If you get someone to hold an arm to stop you falling then start to walk while concentrating hard on each movement.
Parkinson's destroys the Glial cells in the substantia nigra. That affects the part of the brain that controls our automatic movements. When we walk we don't have to think what our legs and arms are doing, the brain does that for us. But that has been affected by Pd so we have to take 'CONSCIOUS CONTROL OF OUR MOVEMENTS'
The test you did with your arms and legs were controlled by your conscious brain. So if you were able to do them successfully you have proved to yourself that you are able to walk while consciously thinking about what you are doing.
I don't have any tips on exercise but have a heartwarming story about a bird. I have been feeding a stray cat for several years. A dove has been coming to eat the leftover cat food for a long time. I enjoy seeing the dove enjoying the cat food and always stay out of sight so as not to scare away the dove.
Hey, Sleeze, We live in the semi desert and put out food for the local birds, sparrows, doves and an assortment of unidentified but beautiful
travelers. The doves have built a nest under the eves of the house and seem quite comfortable sharing space with humans. Unfortunately the hawks have also found good fortune among the fledglings, but I guess that's the way nature planned. We also feed a grizzled old desert cat who can no longer compete for food in the wild. He thinks he's very sneeky and clever, swiping the food we set out.
Where do you live? In the southwestern USA? Do you put out Hummingbird feeders? Have you noticed what kind that you think you have coming to your feeders?
Numerous kinds, but mostly sparrows and doves. We live near San Diego. Our latest visitor was a Yellow Throat, which I had never heard of but am told they are the 2nd most numerous
bird in the US. (Just shy of people As for the hummers, we don't feed them. They seem to prefer getting pollen directly from the flowers.
Yes, now that I have started my early am trike rides up again, It had been so hot down here in Texas that I had suspended my rides far about 5 days. Plus I have fallen 5 time in the past 3 weeks. One of the falls was pretty bad; I fell early one morning after my trike ride, while getting into my shower, and hit the right side of my head on a corner of the wall that was beside my shower. Since I was naked and didn't want to use my alert button, I got up slowly, and opted out of my shower,and decided to use my personal washcloths to finish my "shower". Later in the morning, as my head began to hurt (on the opposite side of my head) I used the alert button and told the operator what had happened, they sent an ambulance out to my apartment, and took me downtown to the medical center where I was placed in the emergency room, and waited for about 2 or more hours before a doctor saw me, who ordered a head and neck scan, which was done about 2.5 hours later, then I had to wait again for another 2 hours before the doc told me that he couldn't see any fractures, and that he was discharging me. I waited for 6.5 hours just to be told that there was nothing wrong and that I could go home! And I have fallen 3 more times since then! I fell last night and fell on my right hand, which was folded in a weird position under my body with my index finger pointing to the left side and down, while my middle finger was turned to the right side and up! That really did hurt, and I had to put a small ice bag on it to stop the pain! When I woke up this AM the pain was completely gone, thank goodness. But it has made typing this reply to you very difficult! But I did get to ride my trike, only for 3 miles though, I decided that with the growth of tall thunderheads ahead of me, that I should cut my ride short this morning. It is raining fairly heavily right now.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
One of the worst days ever.....
Feeling defensive and a need to explain where I am coming from. Has anyone else felt this way? With family, friends, or on this site?
New to site
New to Site and New to PD.......
I am new here
