Preamble:
I’m not a physician; I’m just a stupid PhD. biochemist (see my profile). I don’t answer medical prescription type questions. I have no idea who you are, nor should I know, nor do I want to know.
I am NOT a PWO/PD/ALS person who is on a journey with this type of neurodegenerative affliction, nor am I a care giver of someone afflicted. I do coordinate 2 PD support groups, etc. but I don’t consider that patient care.
As some of you know, I am not “sugar and sweetness”. If you want that type of post, you probably want to stop reading now and buy a candy bar.
None of the ideas expressed in this post are original. Most come from my experience as an elite middle distance runner (800/1600 meters) over many years. Therefore, I am biased towards what worked for me during that period which meant Gerschler’s training methodology, etc. but I also incorporated multiple concepts from multiple disciplines, multiple sources.
I am presenting a general road map. It does not fit everyone. Perhaps very few. Figure out what works for you, but evaluate it if it does or doesn’t. Do so objectively with specifics. No specifics? You are kidding yourself.
No citations. If you want them, do your own homework.
The Importance of 1) sleep, 2) exercise type, and 3) time of day: imperative to understand the correlation to minimize muscular and motor function degradation due to PD
Sleep, sound, deep REM sleep is imperative for stabilizing or minimizing PD’s debilitating impact on one’s overall health.. Contrary to most drug protocols provided by physicians, it is more important than all your drugs, diet or exercise combined. But, an important correlation(s) exists across certain specific variables, especially sleep, time of day, and exercise which should be understood and employed.
Here is what most PD patients need to understand IMO as I have relayed to my 2 support groups.
#1 Be consistent in your time of going to bed, preferably around 10 PM because REM, melatonin release, and human growth hormone release is most prevalent in your sleep cycles (plural) between 10 PM and 2 AM.
#2 Turn off your infamous blue light sources (TV/computer/smart phone, etc.) 1-2 hours before going to sleep (a minimum of 30 minutes for those who are addicted) and sleep in complete, total darkness. Absolutely no light (buy some night eye wear; wear your blue blocker eye wear before bed, etc.). I am not talking about natural sunlight during day; just the reverse for natural sunlight.
#3 Reduce your room temperature to somewhere between 64-68 degrees F depending on your partner’s ability to sleep in a lower temperature (buy yourself a “cooling” pad; electric blanket for them, etc).
#4 Coffee and caffeine? NO way except in the AM well before noon and in moderation. As an elite middle distance runner I was always a “virgin” when it came to coffee/caffeine except on race day about 2-3 hours before my race(s). But, since the half life of caffeine in a 150-200 mg cup is about 6-9 hours, longer if stronger like a Starbucks 20 oz. cup, you can’t afford to drink it after 10 AM and not expect it not to disturb your sleep patterns “chemically”. Stay away from it.
#5 First things first upon awakening: start your exercise routine preferably in the morning shortly after you awake. This time period is the “ideal” period regardless of what you think your biorhythm is or is not.
#6 Type of exercise upon awakening? Stay away from mind numbing marathon workouts to hypothetically jack up your endorphins. Keep things extremely short but intense relative to your fitness level or lack thereof. Relativity is the key here.
What do I mean by extremely short? I obviously do NOT advocate slogging through mile after mile or hour after hour as some think as necessary. I strongly recommend HIT “intervals” where you exercise at your highest level of intensity or speed for 20-30 seconds followed by a 10-15 second rest period. Rinse and repeat for up to 5 minutes maximum. A spin bike with a cadence counter or treadmill with a complete readout will give you ideal feedback. If you prefer, do a short hill or upgrade sprint...or do a John Pepper fast walk with vigorous swinging of your arms, but do it as fast as possible.
KEEP YOUR SPEED UP AS HIGH AS YOU CAN HANDLE. On a spin bike, this means your cadence goal is somewhere between 90-110 consistently on every short repetition. Running? Sprint as fast as you can without injury and swing those arms vigorously. Walking? Speed walk with arm swings.
#6 Keep a journal of your adherence to a routine of sleep and exercise. Write in down in your own handwriting if you can. Review it to maintain consistency. One building block at a time does the trick.