Go FAR and Be ADEPT With Exercises For Parkinson’s

“You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.” Jerry West

“Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you.” Arnold Palmer

Précis: By now, everyone knows the importance of exercise. However, in my opinion, you cannot hear it enough. Exercise is Medicine, especially for Parkinson’s. This post suggests two paths to enhance your approach to exercise. First, Go FAR is a strategy to help you resist the stronghold-grip of Parkinson’s. Second, ADEPT is a mindset to help you exercise.

“The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have.” Vince Lombardi

Life in the Presence of Parkinson’s is Better With Exercise: I like to ponder, that is, think about something carefully, especially before reaching a conclusion. Pondering likely led the way for me becoming a scientist and all of those years of writing grant/research proposals. So when I turn my thoughts to something like exercise, the result is as given below.

My background is not in exercise/sports physiology or physical therapy. My diagnosis of Parkinson’s has brought me to a new level of thinking regarding exercise and the process behind it. As summer has faded and fall is in full-force, with shades of winter coming along, I am thinking more of exercise routines and programs that can keep me going until the sun and warmth returns.

And while there are a lot of exercise programs to endorse, my favorite is still PWR! Moves – Parkinson Wellness Recovery. PWR! Moves were created by Dr. Becky Farley. PWR!Moves are performed with large amplitude, high effort, and attention to action in multiple postures. Importantly, they specifically target skills shown by research to interfere with mobility in people with Parkinson’s, including antigravity extension, weight shifting, axial mobility, and transitional movements.  And I’m even certified to teach it having participated in several of their incredible workshops. Thus, pondering and exercise and Parkinson’s led to the idea for this post and the two acronyms described below.

“No matter who you are, no matter what you do, you absolutely, positively do have the power to change.” Bill Phillips

Exercise Defined: Exercise is activity requiring physical effort, carried out especially to sustain or improve health and fitness. Exercise can benefit most people, but it is especially crucial to anyone with Parkinson’s.

“Patients should have rest, food, fresh air, and exercise – the quadrangle of health.” William Osler

Go “FAR” in Your Exercise Routines: Go FAR Defined; achieve a great deal. With the acronym FAR, use these types of exercise for your routine:
Flexibility, Aerobic, Resistance.
Flexibility (and stretching) to reduce rigidity and postural instability.
Aerobic activity adds the potential benefit of neuroprotection.
Resistance exercises help build strength and adds support.
There is evidence that PwP who exercised for 2.5 hrs/week showed a smaller decline in mobility and quality-of-life over a 2 yr time-period.
Go FAR in your exercise program to challenge your Parkinson’s.

“There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.” Bruce Lee

Cover photo credit: https://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/south-carolina/charleston-area/folly-beach