How many times per week do you exercise? What do you do, bike, walk, run, swim, weights etc? What level of intensity?
My neurologist showed me an article about the theracycle and doing 60-80rpms for 45 minutes three times per week. Doctors said it had the same benefit as PD meds showing brain scans.
I started working out on my indoor bike for 20 to 30 minutes ever other day since January 9th 2021. So about six weeks now. I’m not falling backwards anymore, balance almost fully restored, can brush my teeth again with manual toothbrush, energy level up, gait is much better no longer dragging my left foot. Tremors still present in both hands left worse than right. Some days I wake up and feel normal again for a while.
I wonder if you may have experienced the same? Please let me know. I pray over time the symptoms keep reducing.
I am also on Rasagiline and Amantadine but without the exercise they didn’t seem to do much. Maybe it’s the combo of drugs and exercise or is it exercise alone who knows.
Good for you!!! Keep on biking! I go to Rock Steady Boxing 3 times/month. It's non-contact boxing and much more! We are all PwP's, we have fun and you won't believe how hard we workout! The normal person cannot keep up with us. It's amazing to see the changes in most people. Positive changes in personality as well as physical. I've been with them for 15 yrs. The headquarters is in Indianapolis, but there are affiliates all over the world. Check out the website, read the Testimonals & watch some of the videos. rocksteadyboxing.org
Is there a group for just Parkinson's or do you just join the group. I'm a little nervous and embarrassed at my ability do to right sided weaknesses and poor balance on the right side. I am not on any meds, just supplements and 1500mg b1 / 1000mg alternating. What are your symptoms?
ALL members have PD. So you don't need to feel embarrassed at all. They give you an assessment and determine which level class you should be in. There are 4 levels. Level 3 & 4 are usually the members that are in wheelchairs and a walker. The coaches are trained thoroughly so they know about Parkinson's and how to box and do different exercises. It's not all boxing but the boxing is non-contact. It helps eye/hand coordination and strength. We do aerobics, weights, bicycling, basketball, rowing machines, and you'll enjoy this, we do hula hoop. They also do things for fine motor skills, like putting washers on screws, puzzles, etc. We work really hard but have a lot of fun too. It's kind of like a therapy group too because everybody knows how you feel so you can talk to them about it easily. I would highly recommend it at least try it. Have any questions ask me I've been going there 2007, I'm now 63. 🥊🥊
Hi :)So I'm 38, diagnosed at 34. I'm def on meds. I push myself quite hard still as I have 2 young lads ones nearly 3 and the other is nearly 4, I don't have a resting tremor all that much however if there is any stress on my body eg. Not sitting comfortably or In strain from working out ill shake. I get quite run down at night and loose my balance however its only at night.
I ride my bike before work in the morning before meds, but I find thefirst 20 minutes a wake up for the body and my brain generally kicks into gear and I can function on the bike as someone without Parkinsons, then I get off and things are a little bit different after a half hour.
The gym is generally at the end of the day, sometimes in the middle of an on period or off, however once again im always faced with the start of an off period because my body has demanded so much dopamine to lift weights, so I generally have to increase intensity during the gym time. I have had to leave twice before because my body just fought me so much and just wouldn't kick over into just producing even a smidgen of dopamine.
I've trialled heaps of different things but intensified exercising including fast walking or for me bike riding best, oh yeah consistency is key.
1- 1 1/2 hours a day - combo of walking, rowing machine and yoga and dance. I'm getting back into it after 2 years of dyskinesia. Was doing 2-3 hours a day before that. So thankful I can exercise again !
Amazing. Just amazing. I just love hearing that. I just can't hear it enough. It reduces my anxiety so much to know it is possible. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. so so uplifting and inspiring.
I exercise 6 days a week. Minimum of 1/2 hour of treadmill or bike. Plus 1/2 hour of aerobics. Sometimes I up it to 1 1/2 hours of cardio. Plus daily stretching. My goal is to do 2 hours of intense cardio a day. I need to incorporate hand eye coordination and balance in to my exercise as I am becoming increasingly more of a klutz. I started cardio in December with just 1/2 hour of cardio a day 6 days a week so in about 10 weeks I have doubled my cardio time. It has reduced my symptoms but my symptoms are very minor. I am 45.
Pickle ball is great. Played b4 the pandemic, close to a year ago. The group I play with continued to play indoors so their skill level has greatly improved. My daughter and 2 boys live with us. My husband had the virus last year. I'm a little hesitant to go back inside and play. I do 1/2 hr/1 hr exercise a day. Weights 3days .no meds just supplements and added b1 about a month ago. Diagnosed 2017 with Parkinsonism. Seems like I'm at a standstill. Resting tremors and right side weakness main concern. Appreciate any suggestions thanks in advance. I'm 71.
I exercise every day for at least an hour. I have exercise classes three times a week - two are PD specific, the other is a general class for seniors. The PD ones are much tougher. I do PD Warrior exercises (their 10 week Challenge was really what got me started), I subscribe to Daily Dose, I've just discovered Zumba Gold on You Tube (great fun). I have a cross trainer and try to do intervals on that every other day. I also have exercises from my Physiotherapist for groin pain. I hate doing those, but I'm hoping they make it possible to go for long pain free walks again. I was diagnosed three years ago - but I know I had it for quite a while before the diagnosis. I take Azilect in the morning and 100/25 Madopar three times a day. My tremor has just about disappeared - only comes back if I'm stressed or very tired. I don't have off times, but I do have an occasional off day. I'm 77 - used to run marathons, so obviously a bit obsessive/ compulsive!! I'm also fortunate enough to have a MD neurologist who firmly believes in exercise.
Everyday! Either Rock steady boxing or pickleball for cardio Monday through Saturday with weight training added on Tues. and Thurs., bike riding on Sunday. Was diagnosed 3 years ago and my neurologist said, "my patients who exercise most do the best!" I was already an exerciser, so this was no problem for me! Also take mucuna pruiens and green tea capsules and 1 MG Azilect daily.
I theracycle for an hour every other day. O alternate days I do chair yoga, tai chi and/or qui qong for an hour. I also so between 5500 to 8000 steps daily. My balance is definitely better.
I've been exercising nearly every day for 45 years. For the first 25 or so, I jogged for half an hour every day, and spent 10 minutes with weights, five out if seven days a week. Sometimes, in good weather, I would bike for an hour instead, or swim. Then i blew two disks. Surgery stopped what had been unbearable pain. (I didn't sit down for eight weeks.) Fearful that jogging would blow more disks, I switched to walking, 4 miles an hour, seven days a week.
Then I started having leg problems. This eventually got me to a neurologist who diagnosed Parkinson's (eight years ago). As the leg problems continued, chiro, PCP, and neurologist had different guesses. Arthritis, more disk problems, Parkinson's were the leading contenders? My PD doc said it could be all three!
I got a Theracycle and switched most of my daily exercise to that, I set it at maximum and found that even if I let it do all the work, it helped.
Now, I walk for half an hour, only 1.5 miles, and bike (15 MPH) for half an hour on regular stationary bike. Then I do 15 minutes of stretches and light weights, a program I got from Spaulding Rehab Hospital. I almost never use the Theracycle any more (although I am very glad I got it), and have been thinking about selling it. (Moving it is the problem.)
It's impossible to say what my condition would be if I hadn't done all this exercise, but I know it makes me feel better when i do it, and the ONLY thing all the health professionals I have seen agree on is that exercise is good for you.
Fantastic news! And I believe if you did exercise every day and bit more intense- symptoms would disappear even more. Mix up the routines.. bike one day,, speed walk another.. I'm getting a rowing machine soon to add to the variety...
The brain needs to be stimulated with the fitness as much as the body does. Walk different routes...explore new trails. Also weight lifting , stretching... Qigong.. meditation etc. to name a few...
EXERCISE as much as possible- I believe This has helped me MORE than the meds! In fact sometimes I feel i should get off the C/L as I don't think it's doing that much other than make me sleepy... This is for me of course, and others have different conditions/symptoms- so I am only giving MY perspective.
I am trying to get a lid on the left hand tremor though.. but I notice exercise does help relieve it.. I recommend looking into John Pepper as his info has def helped me. He's on this site as well as YouTube.
I was Diagnosed Feb 2020 at 53- BUT I had shaky hand for 4 years prior. GP kept saying because I could stop the shaking, it wasn't pd..then after 4 years I couldn't stop the shakes so I took myself to a neurologist..
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