I keep a Daily Exercise Record that has four columns:
- Aerobic/Conditioning
- Stretching
- Strengthening
- Other.
I begin my day stretching for it is something I can always do no matter how well I am doing. Or no matter how poorly I may be doing on any given day. Stretching warms me up for doing aerobic or strengthening exercises. Most important of all, stretching loosens the rigidity in muscles that PD causes. This makes movement much easier.
The Other column on my Daily Exercise Record is useful for entering physical activity such as planting in your garden or running the vacuum.
The National Parkinson Foundation web site produced FITNESS COUNTS. You may download it or order the publication through the NPF site. It has the Daily Exercise Record. I highly recommend this publication.
Parkinson's Disease and the Art of Moving by John Argue is a book I highly recommend. It is a step-by-step exercise program and includes a month-by-month lesson plan. The author states you should only move on to the next lesson when you feel comfortable doing so. He also states that you should speak with your doctor before starting any exercise program.
Instead of loading you down with a lot of sources, I have provided two that have worked very well for me. Other daily exercise records are quite similar to the one for which I provided the link.
There is another reason, however; that I am giving you just two sources for now. (I am certainly willing to provide more.) When I was first diagnosed with PD I did not want to read about it or hear about it. Quite frankly, I did not want to even say the words.
Then, as it usually does, time heals. But then I found myself reading everything I could get my hands on about PD. Talk about going from one extreme to the other! I realized that extreme one day as I spent a lot of time on the couch reading about exercise and how good it was for me. "What is wrong with this picture?" I thought.
A little advice from me—get moving and exercise. If you cannot get off your couch or bed, please stretch. It really does help. I have an excellent role model in my cat, Parker. He is stretching all the time and purring with contentment.
If you liked this article you may be interested in our Parkinson's Exercise category.
