Gang. I’ve been a bit down recently. Post operative blues maybe but I think my belief that I’m too poorly to exercise has contributed. I can maybe mange 10? Good minutes on the bike and feel worse than I did before upon finishing. Then I read through my old posts and found this gem from member Bert Shure. It really picked me up and gave me heart ❤️ . Moral of the story: Rome wasn’t built in a day: little and often might just shift us up the ladder. Thanks for the inspiration Bert.
was diagnosed just over eight years ago. I was too busy working to do any exercise. I never played tennis with my father or brother or danced or walked with my wife.
I hired a trainer to get started. She came three times a week, and I was in the chair for two or three months.
I have worked up to two Rock Steady Boxing (RSB) classes a week, two Zoom classes, and two sessions with my original trainer. I am only allowed to do headstands when someone is available to spot, I can do The Crow in yoga and hold it for a long time. I sat with my back pressed against a wall today at RSB (no chair) for two minutes, and it was easy.
My wife worked out all her life. She danced at the Watergate health club in Washington and did two aerobics classes daily in the studio where Tamilee Webb (Buns of Steel worked. She danced jazz with jumps and landed on her knees with leggings for padding. You know where this story is going.
When I started to exercise, she got one knee scoped, and a few years later, the other knee was replaced. She reminds me regularly not to overdo it. If you do, you won't be able to exercise fora long time. I feel better after working out, and I believe that my Parkinson's symptoms diminished when I switched to six workouts a week plus walking. Cognition as well as tremors. I spoke to a neighbor last week that I don't know well. We said hello and chatted. I couldn't remember her name. I concentrated, and I came up with it! I felt good.
Do you have access to a pool? Can you lift weights? Have you checked for Parkinson's exercise classes for people in wheelchairs? I went to special Parkinson's classes at a great fitness center that was owned and run by a hospital. They did physical therapy for hospital patients and had classes aimed at helping pregnant women, people with Parkinson's, and some other conditions; There were recently diagnosed people who had no visible symptoms, all the way to people who were in wheelchairs and needed a helper to get around. I found the wheelchair people very motivating. By the way, they had a dance class one day a week. We warmed up on chairs. Some people stayed in their chairs. We did ballet at the bar, did square dancing, and danced to different songs. It was fun.
Sadly, this place closed down during the Covid pandemic and hasn't reopened.
Speaking of sad, a guy at my new RSB class was amazing on the speed bag. He was better than most of the coaches and volunteers. His problem was freezing. I didn't know what it was until I saw him stop moving while walking and then slowly tip over. Yikes. Time to work harder. He is staying with a relative in another county. I hope he comes back. He offered to give me speed bag tips. If someone told me nine years ago that I would be interested in tips on hitting the speed bag, I would have thought they were crazy,
Good luck. Let us know how you are doing!
Parkinson's and Exercise
Update on Hinz Protocol
I've been reading about the benefits of Forced Exercise and exercise rate on bicycles and its effect on PD symptoms. 
Exercise for Parkinsons online
Exercise therapy in Warwick, UK
