April is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month. Let’s discuss how to use this powerful tool to help fight back against your Parkinson’s.
Week 1:
Did you know exercise can actually impact the disease progression? But it has to be done correctly.
Current research shows at any stage of the disease exercise releases BDNF, GDNF, and IGF-1. These neurotropic factors PROTECT dopamine producing neurons to keep them alive longer. I don’t know about you, but I would love to keep my dopamine producing cells alive as long as possible.
Week 2:
To impact the disease progression in Parkinson’s exercise needs to be thought of like medicine. Therefore, you need 4 keys to make it work. The first is intensity or getting your heart rate and breathing up. Intensity here is working harder than you would self-select. Research indicates that 75% to 85% of our heart rate max is optimal. So, this is more than cleaning the house or taking the dog for a casual walk around the block. We want to push ourselves and get breathy. There are many ways to achieve this and each of us will need a different plan. If you are currently exercising challenge yourself this week to try a different route or move a little faster. If you have not been exercising, consider working with a physical therapist to find the optimal way to help you get moving. Always consult with your doctor before starting a new exercise plan. Let this be your week to challenge your intensity. Check in next week to learn about the other key components or contact us at [email protected]
Week 3:
To impact the disease progression in Parkinson’s exercise needs to be thought of like medicine. Therefore, you need 4 keys to make it work. The second is complexity. You know the old saying, “If you don’t use it, you lose it”. So use it during exercise and challenge your thinking skills. The key here is new learning and social interaction. Join a class and learn a new way to move. Interact with the group and exercise those thinking skills. Try a new route or bring a friend and chat along the way. The more you flex that frontal lobe the better. Challenge yourself this week to learn something new and try a different way of exercising. Check in next week to learn about the other key components or contact us at [email protected]
Week 4:
To impact the disease progression in Parkinson’s exercise needs to be thought of like medicine. Therefore, you need 4 keys to make it work. The third is timing. The sooner we start the better. However, at any stage we can impact the disease. We just have to keep it going or we lose the benefit, and the disease can progress faster. The forth is what helps us with timing, saliency. We need to believe that exercise is helpful for our PD and it needs to be FUN! When we value exercise and have a good time doing it, we are much more likely to keep it going. This is the most important part of it all. Challenge yourself this week to try something new and see if it puts a smile on your face. Check in next week to learn more or contact us at [email protected]
