Recommended Exercises

Running water does not freeze. so moving muscles do not freeze.

Medication can achieve that goal.  However, in order to get the full benefit of your meds, daily exercises are critical.  Some common exercises recommended by the Center for Neurologic Study are listed below.  But don't rely only on these to keep your limbs from freezing.

• Bring toes up with every step.  A person with PD should not make a move without lifting the toes.
• Spread legs (10 ") when walking or turning. It provides a wider base and helps prevent falls.
• When turning, use small steps, with feet widely separated.
• Practice walking into tight corners, to overcome fear of close places.
• Practice quick body moves backward, forward, right and left.
• When legs feel frozen, lift toes to eliminate muscle spasms.
•  Swing arms freely when walking.  It will loosen arms and shoulders.
• If getting out of a chair is hard, do it with speed. Sitting down should be slow.
• If your body lists to one side, carry a bag with books in the other hand.
• Any difficult task, i.e. buttoning a shirt, getting out of bed; practice those tasks they will become easier.  

On a personal note:

This certainly depends on where you are in the progression of PD in your body.  Diagnosed in October, 2004 with early PD, these are the things that have worked for me.

Mental Exercise:

• Never a reader before the diagnosis, I now read two of my favorite magazines (Backpacker and AMC Outdoors) cover to cover.
• I have a book on PD to pick-up at the library tomottow
• Hand write multi-page letters to family and friends back in Pennsylvania.
• Keep a trail journal...write in it after every hike.
• Maintain a blog...this blog
• Maintain the house checkbook (calculate the daily balance and balance the monthly statement
• Pay the bills (keep a mini log when bills must be paid)
• Our new 20' X 20' garden plot: Lay out a grid with string, design series of raised beds, maintain a planting schedule (see below)
• Research and plan annual multi-day backpack trip with family (see below)
• Develop and maintain a "Life (Bucket) List" (see below)

Physical Exercise:

•  Attend a yoga class one day each week
• Hike with the High Country Hiker group one day each week
• Capture dozens of images on day hikes with High Country Hiker group
• Maintain a family garden plot (see above)
• Experience annual multi-day backpack trip with family (see above)
• Capture dozens of images on weekends of grandsons sporting events
• Implement current years bucket list items (see above)