Many Pd patients think they can no longer walk properly and therefore cannot walk for one hour. Wrong! You can be shown immediately how to walk normally by concentrating on the movement. Pd affects the subconscious brain and that controls most of your repetitive movements like walking. If you learn to use your conscious brain to control your movements you will find that you can innediately walk normally and bring food to your mouth without spilling it, and much, much more!
Are you aware that Fast Walking can start... - Cure Parkinson's
Are you aware that Fast Walking can start for as little as one minute and very slowly built up to a maximum of one Hour?
Written by
JohnPepper
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61 Replies
•
John
Many thx for the updates.
I’m now in my 7th year of PD. And my motto is, “I’ve got PD, but PD does not have me!”
I have lost some ground during the Covid sequester. Not from the disease itself, but from my decision to write a career-summing book and developing a complementary video-based online course. Both are completed and scheduled for release this spring. Now the extensive sitting diversion has come to an end.
I believe you had to take some time off for a medical issue, but reported coming back to your routine with success.
Any recommendations would be appreciated.
Best wishes for your continued success.
Bob
Hi Bob. If you contact me I will send you lots of information and videos at no cost.
I get the distinct sense we’re about to be blitzed by another JP self promo campaign,,. 😳
Either you are not a Pd patient or you have other motives for beinh on this platform. I try to help patients, you are trying to destroy anything that gives solutions not based on medication. Just a thought!
Hi John, I too am 7 yrs from dx and functioning fairly well. No tremor but s l o w... I'm walking 2+ miles/day, weight lifting 2x/week, core routine etc... I sometimes push my walking speed with a metronome on my phone... is that comparable to your fast walking?
No! But you must choose how you want to exercise. Fast walking has proved to me, over and over again, that when I am regularly walking at maximum effort I keep very well. When I have had other health problems that have stopped me from walking regularly, for the past two or more years; my symptoms have got worse and walking has become more difficult. I am 87 now and I am only now able to walk 2 kilometres in 20 minutes. I am slowly pushing it up to a maximum of one hour, but every time something else happens then I am back to square one again. I can't give up the walking and will have to wait until my body gives me up!
Focus, people! I dunno. The doctors recommend exercise but don't say why. Because it improves blood flow to the brain? People recommend meditation. Why? Because it improves blood flow to the brain? John recommends fast walking. Why? Because it improves blood flow to the brain?
Meditation is about directing your focus to your breathing. Not letting your attention drift. When I'm on the treadmill and I lose focus I literally drift to the side and am in danger of falling off. Or if I'm not keeping my pace up I start to feel the rear rollers under my feet, sending the message that I need to speed up. Or risk falling off.
I found a study from 2020 that showed 30 seconds of extreme exercise followed by four minutes of rest done four times produced the most GDNF compared with milder forms of exercise. I wish I'd saved it because now I can't find it.
I don't know whether any of this helps my condition. I take rytary and memantine and use a treadmill and watch the weather channel and hope for signs of Spring. When the rytary wears off I get double vision and have trouble reading a book or computer screen. But that's my only sign. I don't get other motor signs. If I have cognitive function problems I can't "see" them. I'm still looking into near infrared treatment.
Hi Kay
What have you tried doing? If nothing then what do you think makes the most sense?
The big choice is between the Medication route and the Exercise route.
Because there is no medication available that does anything to slow down the progression of Pd, you should think very carefull of getting involved in that route. But if you have left it too late fpr exercise then you don't have much choice.
With the exercise, think carefully about it and make a choice and tun with it.
Good luck!
It's not either-or IMP. I can take meds and exercise.
Of course you can. I have never told anybody to stop taking medication I say that as you start getting better, due to the exercise then you can start reducing your medication.
"I have never told anybody to stop taking medication"
Oh really, John? Then how would you characterize this comment you just made:
healthunlocked.com/cure-par...
JohnPepper 8 hours ago
"I am not in favour of taking medication but as long as you dont mind continuing to slowly get worse then go ahead. "
Note: it may disappear because I reported it as inappropriate behavior
And where did I say stop takinf medication?
You said so in the quoted comment. There are many ways to tell a person to do something or not do something. One of those ways is to warn them of dire consequences for failing to comply. So my answer is yes, you did tell this person not to take her meds, and you did so in the strongest possible terms.
Rubbish!
• in reply toJohnPepper
JohnPepper do you take any medication?
• in reply to
I remember you talking about benefits of MAO B i hibitors.
JohnPepper• in reply to
Yes. To the best of my knowlege, MAO-b inhobotors are THE ONLY MEDICATION that has any effect on th eprogression of PD!
JohnPepper• in reply to
Not since 2002!
John, what do you recommend during the winter? Haven't you said that a treadmill isn't the same as walking outdoors?
If you cannot go outdoors then use the treadmill at your highest level and raise the level to 5%. Then cincentrate on your walking.
Thank you!
Reading my response could be a little confusing. I am talking about two different levels, the first was the rate at which you walk and the second was the level of the platform tou mare walking on. (Normal =0 and 5 = 5 degrees uphill
Can I call you when convenient
Yes!
Great thanks. What is the best time and number to call
Hey, maybe you can help me with something. I've been doing the walking as best as I can but I'm struggling with tightness that seems to be leading me towards that classic Parkinson's shuffling gait . It prevents my walking from being fast walking. In fact, it makes walking very difficult at any rate. It feels like walking is becoming more of a voluntary movement process rather than a smooth, involuntary movement. I honestly feel like I'm walking in scuba flippers! I have long legs but it's hard to take long strides because of the tightness. My right foot scrapes the ground a lot too. I was diagnosed 8 years ago and at this time I am 52 years old . Meds don't seem to effect the walking, really. Up until about a year and a half ago , walking was ok. Physical therapy showed me a bunch of stretches, which I do, and I stop every so often and stretch more. It seems like it takes about a mile to warm up , but by the time I get that far I start getting tired and sore! I do 2 miles, 3 days a week. I used to do 3 miles every other day but it's getting too hard. Takes me about an hour for 2 miles . Any advice? Thanks friend!!!
Hi. You need to understand that your walking is still being controlled by your subconsciuos brain. You have to start using your conscious brain to control your walking.When you find yourself shuffling, just stop and do the following test - Stand stil in an upright posture with your feet together and then place your bodyweight onto your left foot and then see how high you can lift your right foot? Then see how far you can stick the right foot out in front of you? I know that you can do both of those movements to your satisfaction. Do the same while standing on your right foot.
Why is it then that you shuffle? The answer is that you are trying to will your legs to move. That does not work for us any longer. I have to consciously place my weight on one foot at a time and consciously lift the other foot off the ground and consciously stick it out in front of me and consciously land on the heel of that foot, and then do the same with the other leg. BINGO! You are now walking consciously.
Try it because it really does work. I have not come across anybody who was not able to walk properly, after being shown how!
Thanks JP, I have been doing that but my rt leg doesn't easily go very far. It's quite stiff, hence the shuffling. I will continue to work on it.
Hi Bass, You probably have the gluteal amnesia a.k.a Dead Butt Syndrom. In another word your gluteal muscles are inhibited and that make your hip flexor shortened. Gluteus maximus muscles and hip flexor(ilioposoas) are antagonist muscles.I work on exercises to activate gluteal muscles (Gluteus maximus) and relax hip flexors and posoas muscles.
Don’t over exaggerate movements. Very low range of motion. Taking a bit of time but very helpful.
Idk. It's tight all the way from about the lower lumbar, through the gluteus and Sacroiliac, down to the hamstrings. I can't touch my toes with my knee straight, not even close.
Should work on them very gently. Believe me cutting down animal protein can make us much more flexible. I would try for a couple of weeks and compare the flexibility.
Your advice never steered me wrong, friend. I'll try it.
👍👍
• in reply toKia17
Why? Not debating, I genuinely want to know. Sources? Cutting down in animal protein or removing completely? My theory is it’s the form of animal protein and what on it and how it’s cooked that matters greatly. That’s like saying “cut down oil intake” when some oils increase inflammation and others are anti-inflammatory. If you have resources to sight, I would really appreciate it. Animal protein includes sockeye salmon on one end and factory farm pesticide and hormone pumped meat saturated in inflammatory seed oils on the other end of the spectrum. My opinion , It’s much more nuanced than just animal protein should be reduced.
I was a vegetarian for 13 years. I wish I still was. But I need omega 3, choline, and B vitamins all of which are in animal sources.
Kia17• in reply to
Totally my own and other people experiences. The reason that Yogis are flexible is that they are mostly vegetarian.
Try doing this: Place all your weight on the good leg, lift the bad leg by bending your knee and then stick out as far as you can in front of you.Was that stiff or was it easy?
Stiff. I can't get a long or even medium-long stride. It feels like resistance when I move my leg forward, from the tension.
Did you try it as I said, stnding still on one leg and conscioulsy sticking it out in front of you?
Yes, JP, I did exactly as you said. It's tight
Hi. Obviously there is something that I have not personnally experienced. I don't know what else to suggest. If you are consciously doing those movements they are different to willing them to move.
• in reply tobassofspades
Bass, not joking, have you tried walking backwards? To get his movement to start again I would ask my Dad to walk backwards a couple steps. Sounds weird but I think the change from a less familiar movement then back to the familiar, helped get him going. We joked he was a wind up toy car. 😊
bassofspades• in reply to
Yes but I thought that was more for freezing than stiffness. Just got home from my walk today and after the first half a mile, I felt ok. Did 2 miles. Didn't push it too hard. It wasn't too terrible I guess.
Thanks!
• in reply tobassofspades
The muscle tension is a precursor to freezing in my limited experience which is why I suggested it. My father was not freezing. His muscles would become rigid. Assuming this won’t work is assuming that the muscle rigidity is due only to the muscles and not the brains communication with the muscles. Anyways, just my experience with my Dad. Physical therapy can only do so much for an ailment that manifests in the brain. The problem is not the planes wings but the pilot.
But, I’m claiming to know nothing other than my personal experience.
bassofspades• in reply to
For me, and I can't speak for anybody else, walking backwards does not make walking forwards smoother. I tried it. But I appreciate the suggestion based on your experience.
• in reply tobassofspades
❤️. Wishing you wellness and wishing I had been of help. ❤️
JohnPepper• in reply to
When walking backwards we are using our conscious brain, which is not affected by Pd. Whereas in normal walking we use our subconscious brain., which has been damaged by Pd. We can walk consciouslty withut any sign of shuffling or freezing. Learning how to consciously walk is simple to do but not so simple to explain verbally. If you contact me I will send you videos and other interesting articles on walking, free of charge.
This is very interesting and something I would like to try. I have a treadmill but find 2 mins is the best I can do before my gait starts to deteriorate. I would be grateful for any help you can send my way. Thank you.
Do you marm-up before walking ion the treadmill? If not then do some exercises nbefore getting on. When you walk, are you walking with no uphill setting? At what speed are you walking? Do you walk every second day?
Why are you not walking on the road?
How far do you walk in those two minutes?
Thanks for getting back, I live in New York
Can I expect a call from you?
Yea will call you today
I find the telephone converstaions to be very difficult, because of my hearing. I cannot hear very well at the age of 87. PLease wite your questions and I will answer them.
It’s hard to imagine the mental angriest of not being able to walk with the (left arm swinging with the right foot)/(right arm moving left foot). But, I once mastered it's easy to repeat.
Are you battling to consciously control your walking?
Have you seen my videos and lots of valuable information on dealing with Pd?
John
I won that battle. I don't go to the gym. I try to walk at least a mile a day weather permitting.
If you wanty to get the best out of Fastv Walking then don't walk every day, walk every other day to give your muscles and joints the time to recover.
If you arew not walking at a pace where you are still able to say mjuch more than 2 words, then you can walk faster. If yo don't want to walk any faster then you are not gfoing to ctreate the condition in the brain when it produces GDNF, which repairs the damaged brain cell, which means you will be getting better.
So many people tell me they will do it their way and they don't reverse their Pd!
Even if you can onl;y walk for 2 or 3 minutes to begine with, then that is fine, Stick to that time for 2 weeks and then try to go further and stick to that time for two weeks and so on. In that way you will succeed!
Don't be impatient!
John
John
You have an interesting story. I read one of your replies to a post that you have a website and a book that are available for more information. I am having difficult to find your previous reply. Can you let me know where to find the information?
Thanks
Gil
Email me at john.pepper.rpd@gmail.com
Or else phone me at country code
John, are you alright? I have not spotted you on the list for some time.
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