New Member

[jmn1]

My husband has PD and has moderate symptoms. I would be interested in person exercise training to gain strength. I would also like some recommendations for a dissability lawyer.

[Sherry1960]

Rock Steady Boxing is an excellent way to gain strength. It is much more than non contact boxing. We lift weights, do squats, push-ups, planks, sit-ups,etc.

[Cherub-]

hi, my husband was diagnosed a year ago with mild symptoms, fortunately he likes exercise which we have been told on numerous occasions is one of the best things to do in Parkinson’s, he joined a Parkinson table tennis and boxing group.. he goes to the gym 3 times a week, tai chi twice a week and a weekly long cycle ride. I was concerned he was doing too much but the specialist said to keep it up. I’m hoping it keeps it at bay until we get that magic cure.. I hope all goes well for you both.

[RienPoort]

Exercise, exercise, exercise! Find a gym run by people with an interest in neurological conditions (amongst others). We're lucky here in the Cotswolds (Peak Fitness & Lifestyle) if you're in the vicinity (or anybody else for that matter). They have specialist equipment and expertise.

[JohnPepper]

Hi Sherry. I have had Pd since 1990. In 1992 I started to do fast walking, for up to one hour, every second day. At the beginning, I walked very slowly and struggled to achieve ten minutes but now, I walk, every second day for one hour and I am now 88 years old and nobody would every know I have PD.

[Daisies22 in reply to JohnPepper]

Apologies, I do not want to be disrespectful but as a PwP and a scientist I am finding it hard to believe that if you had PD you wouldn't have got worse for 30+ years. Is your PD confirmed and on what basis? Thank you.

[Juliegrace in reply to Daisies22]

There is a lot of skepticism as to whether or not JP actually has PD. several doctors did not diagnose him, but I think maybe one did? He is quite vague about the details. NO ONE has been able to replicate his results using his methods although many people report having benefited from his program by simply exercising more.

[JohnPepper in reply to Daisies22]

I quite understand your questioning. I was diagnosed with Pd by at least 3 different neurologists.

Fast walking has been scientifically proved at the Mayo Clinic that fast walking does reverse Pd symptoms.

healthunlocked.com/cure-par...

Keep in touch.

[sgantiques52 in reply to Daisies22]

One thing that might interest you regarding this issue is that at least in the first 10 to 20 years with PD many people put off exercise and show problems to a very large degree. Then they become focused or even enthusiastic about exercise programs and they become involved with groups and show improvements that are very positive. Persistence, goal setting, fun etc. seem to have a very positive effect, which would make sense if the striatum is involved. Notice that he said that others would not notice he had PD, not that he didn't have times where symptoms were evident to himself.

[Daisies22 in reply to sgantiques52]

Thanks for writing. I can see your point and I agree with your interpretation. It is just the fact that, to my knowledge, no-one has ever been able to replicate his results means at least that he should not make the extraordinary statements he makes.

[kevowpd in reply to Daisies22]

He outlines in his own book that he was examined by a neurologist that said in no uncertain terms that he did not have (and never had) PD.

He also says "On reflection, I realize that it does not really matter whether I do or don’t have Pd. It is purely academic. If all my symptoms are similar to those of other people with Pd, does it matter what name is given to the cause thereof?"

To which the obvious answer is yes it matters, and it actually matters quite a lot, since you don't treat a cough caused by lung cancer in the same fashion that you do a cough caused by the common cold.

[sgantiques52 in reply to Daisies22]

Ah, I see, there is other information that you are aware of. But let me assure that I have seen and known people who have increased activity and lowered severity of symptoms after being involved in exercise especially when the involvement includes group activity and support. Especially Jimmy Choi and his remarkable story. He personally told me that he still had symptoms after his fight against PD (for instance when walking through door ways) but when in action I doubt you would know he had PD. Another man we had work with the boxing group made such improvement that his wife said that he was smiling for the first time in a year. So exercise is a plus but it would be interesting to be able to follow up on this study regarding broccoli and sulforaphane and find out what can be done to take advantage of the combination of the fatigue lowering and the motivation improvement that can really make it difficult for people to overcome the challenge of getting started when they have been inactive for some time while negotiating the struggle with PD.

[Hikoi in reply to sgantiques52]

Yes, there is alot of other information, all of which John Pepper has given himself on this forum. For instance he has the action tremor (and disease description) of essential tremor but not the resting tremor of PD. He is however a convincing speaker and people who want to believe in a miracle cure follow him. He was removed from his position as president of the South African PD society because they did not believe his claims.

[gaga1958]

There are a number of on-line exercise programs as well. Here's 1 that I joined, Rogue Physical Therapy & Wellness, Inc, . They keep workouts on file to be accessed anytime or do the live zoom ones. They all have sample classes you could try to get best fit.

--------------------------------

roguept.com/

Claire McLean PT, DPT, NCS,

Board Certified Neurologic Clinical Specialist

Founder, Physical Therapist

Rogue Physical Therapy & Wellness, Inc.

Office: 714-276-3992

18030 Magnolia St

Fountain Valley CA 92708

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's another. I've gone to their annual retreat which was awesome.

pwr4life.org/moves/

[phone]

They are in AZ and more pricey but the owner, Dr. Becky Farley, is the author of PWR and also BIG and LOUD.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another good one is

theparkinsonsfitnessproject...

PHONE: [phone]

Nate Coomer (PT) owner, great guy

in Seattle, WA

[sgantiques52]

Working with a group has a real positive effect. Depending on the degree of the incapacitation now anything that includes HIIT has great benefits but start with manageable exercises at first. Be sure to set goals to increase the activity and smile sometimes. Improvement does not just come from the exercise but from the rejoining the world of activity. The odds of improvement from vigorous exercise are very much favorable but you must leave time for stretching after exercise to insure muscle safety. Loosening up before exercise is also important. After all, what is the first thing a dog or cat does when it gets up? It stretches.

[Hikoi in reply to sgantiques52]

Following your comment above, I would be interested to hear how many people with PD diagnosed 20 or even 10 years on show no signs that others would notice . I have been diagnosed 15 years and I cant hide it and nor can anyone else I know. J Pepper believes fast walking is the only way to reverse symptoms, though he is not so strident these days

In 2018 JP wrote

When I was 58 in 1992, at the time of diagnosis, I had been going to the gym for intense work-out for an hour every day, six days of the week. It did not stop my Parkinson's from progressing, but it had been 29 years already since my first Pd symptom had shown its ugly head in 1963.For the next two years I went to the gym for 90 minutes every day but my Pd got even worse, and at a faster rate. After two years of walking badly, sleeping badly, getting more and more worrying symptoms, I decided that as the exercise was obviously not helping me, I would give it up. So, I stopped going to the gym. My late wife had been doing fast walking for two and a half years and had lost 14 kilograms in weight and had come off her blood pressure pills and also her anti-depressant pills. She begged me to try the fast walking program. I told her that the 3 hours a week she walked could not do better than the nine hours I had been spending in the gym, but she did did not give up nagging me to try it. What had I got to lose? I started the fast walking three months after stopping going to the gym. 

JP says he noticed pd symptoms when he had trouble throwing a ball. Certainly a novel indicator of PD.

[sgantiques52 in reply to Hikoi]

I have to be very careful in this reply because I don't know everything. But I have been able to lend a hand with PD patients and I can tell you of two who seem to have results not seen everywhere. One is Jennifer Parkinson (that's right ironic huh?) who after having PD for 7 years fell down some stairs with her child and decided she didn't want to live like that any more. She started working with a boxing program and worked to a position where she now runs a program herself and believe me her running, workouts, training others and more has made her into not just a better place but a place where she inspires others. Another is Jimmy Choi who you can look up on line. He also fell down some stairs with his child and became a Ninja Warrior. These two are heroes of mine but exercise can make a huge difference although some rules apply. And there is another form of hope. This work by Dr Wright with treating with Broccoli seeds or sprouts to help with fatigue, motivation, pain and other non-motor symptoms seems to go hand in hand with being able to add to exercise and motor symptoms although PD is still hard work.