Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts

Wake Up Brain, Wake Up

Posted on 8/06/2024 08:51:00 PM by  with No comments

Sometimes it feels like a part of my brain is asleep. It isn't talking or listening to me. The meds didn't kick in properly or sometimes at all.  

I want to move an arm or leg or my hand to get leverage to pull myself up. Nothing, not even in my finger. 

I break a sweat wrestling with this invisible assailant called PD. Struggling in my mind to make movement. Then, after almost 2 hours, the meds kick in. I move my fingers, wrists. My neurons are medicated and with a sense of innocence, as if nothing is wrong, I stand up and cherish the 'on time'.

Off times are when my meds not working. On time refers to when my medications are on, or working. 

After a good night of sleep I may wake up fully charged, little or no stiffness for an hour or two. Regardless, I take the meds as scheduled.


PD Quick Tip - Heavy, sleepy eyelids

Posted on 4/04/2024 03:05:00 PM by  with No comments

Suddenly my eyelids feel so heavy, and at the worst times. It's happened when I am just talking with someone-my eyes are closing, eyelids so heavy, I struggle to keep my eyes open. The person I was talking to thinks I'm bored and am really rude.  Was I hypnotized? It's probably the autonomic nervous system taking a break.

Blinking is usually a natural reflex. Parkinson's Disease can cause a person to stare and the autonomic nervous system forgets it's time to blink.   

I started doing an eye exercise to strengthen my eyes and remind my brain to blink. I'm not sure if my ophthalmologist would endorse this technique, but here it is. 

The exercise is 8 steps. I basically look in each direction, hold it for a second and blink. Look in the next direction and repeat.

  • Look up and left, blink
  • Look up, blink
  • Look up and right, blink
  • Look right, blink
  • Look down and right, blink
  • Look down, blink
  • Look down and left, blink
  • Look left, blink

I repeat this for a minute. Afterwards my eyes feel open and awake.

Parkinson's Unity Walk 2024

Posted on 3/27/2024 09:41:00 AM by  with No comments

Parkinson's Unity Walk

Saturday April 27th 2024 • 8:30am - 1pm, Central Park, New York, NY

The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) is thrilled to bring you the 2024 Parkinson’s Unity Walk on Saturday, April 27th, in New York City’s Central Park. Enjoy programming at the Bandshell, explore informational booths featuring industry representatives, national and local groups, and participate in a 1.2-mile walk. Families and friends of all ages and abilities are welcome for all portions of the event!

Let’s come together and walk to end Parkinson’s!

This year, the Parkinson's Unity Walk will be celebrating 30 years of joining as a community and walking together to end Parkinson's disease!

Location:
Central Park, NYC - Naumburg Bandshell
Entrance at East 72nd Street. & Fifth Avenue

Unity Walk Route Map


Call On The Fighter (song)

Posted on 5/18/2023 10:04:00 AM by  with No comments

"Call on the Fighter" began as a simple idea...create and offer original music to encourage and inspire "fighters" along their Parkinson's journey.

Colleen Bridges, owner, and director of Bridges for Parkinson's found the perfect fit in one of her own fighters, Rich Gootee. Rich, an award-winning singer/songwriter, knows all too well the constant and daily struggles as he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2018. Colleen's experience, research, and regular boxing classes have helped Rich and many others discover the fight within themselves to overcome the otherwise debilitating effects of Parkinson's disease. Together, Colleen, Rich, and their team have grown the music idea into an effort to help even more fighters find restoration and hope by raising funds so that nobody will ever have to be turned away from their local program.

Thriving With Parkinson's Disease Through Hope, Optimism, and Perseverance

Posted on 6/12/2022 12:40:00 PM by  with No comments

When John Alexander was diagnosed with a degenerative disease, he decided to take control of his health and mindset by finding ways to motivate himself and others with Parkinson's. 

John became a distance cyclist and triathlete after discovering that staying active is one of the best ways to combat the effects of the disease. John maintains his upbeat attitude by seeking inspiration from the Parkinson's community.

He stays involved in helping transform other peoples' lives as a dedicated ambassador for numerous organizations and a sought-after inspirational speaker.

Available from Amazon.
I am paid a commission on sales made using via my Amazon Associate link.




Afraid to tell people I have PD

Posted on 7/06/2021 07:42:00 AM by  with No comments

 I'm hesitant to share that I have PD with people.  Most or all of my relatives know, a few neighbors and a few friends.  

The worst reaction is when friends drop me from their lives like I'm dead or contagious.  Others range from tears, hugs, articles (so many articles), to dumb shit like, "oh okay" as if I said I just stubbed my toe.  Best response was someone I hardly know, "So sorry, if you need a hand with anything, do not hesitate to call. I mean it."

I slowed down telling friends, can't handle the dumb or disappointing responses. My advice is try not to personalize dumb reactions if you share your diagnosis. It is hard but so is this illness. I want to hang out, even if I have to sit down, don't speak much and struggle with things. 

i miss the change of venue, walks, sunshine. I miss seeing friends, feeling wanted / included, a feeling of value for my smart ideas. 

Before I told people, even before my diagnosis maybe, I thought it was just stress or something like that. I made a GoFundMe page with the fantasy a billionaire would hear my pleas and help.  I still could us a few hundred thousand, send those wealthy friends to my gofundme. 

Okay I am not waiting for a box of gold bars to show up, and while 3 or 4 hundred thousand would cut down stress, it wouldn't cure me. I need to get motivated and shake off the self pity for compassion and understanding. Start walking again, find a slow beginner yoga group, eating better, etc.



Keep moving, move big!

Posted on 4/29/2021 08:06:00 PM by  with No comments

A few years ago I went to a LSVT "Move Big" physical therapist that focuses on the movements like arm swing and gait while walking. LSVT BIG trains people with Parkinson disease (PD) to move more "normally" using big movements and steps.

People living with PD or other neurological conditions often move differently, with gestures and actions that become smaller and slower. They may have trouble with getting around, getting dressed and with other activities of daily living. LSVT BIG effectively trains improved movements for any activity, whether “small motor” tasks like buttoning a shirt or “large motor” tasks like getting up from sofa or chair or maintaining balance while walking. The treatment improves walking, self-care and other tasks by helping people “recalibrate” how they perceive their movements with what others actually see. It also teaches them how and when to apply extra effort to produce bigger motions – more like the movements of everyone around them.

The only reason I stopped going was because the place hired a new person to help with the movement exercises and he caused me to fall and bruise my hip. Otherwise it was pretty cool.

Preparing for a 5K race

Posted on 3/09/2021 05:50:00 PM by  with No comments

I’m preparing for a 5K walk to raise money!  Yesterday on my walk I discovered it’s exactly 5K or 3.1 miles from the apartment to the East River and back.  Today I took a different route only walked about 2.3 miles probably because there were more food options. What takes so long to prepare pan fried dumplings anyway? 

I’m going to plan a route with faster service so I can pick up the pace a bit. The event is in a few weeks and I’m supposed to be able to complete a 5K walk in about an hour.   I know I can do it!

SUPPORT my 5K Walk, even better JOIN ME on the walk, virtually. 

Please visit my personal page https://foxtrot.michaeljfox.org/spring/yonewyork.



Exercise

Posted on 5/04/2019 11:10:00 AM by  with No comments
You’ll start hearing this a lot. Exercise is the best way to slow PD progression.
Join a gym, do yoga, boxing, dance, etc. PD specific exercise classes work better for me.  Even if you’re not feeling so great, go to the class anyway because just getting out into the social setting is good for your mental health.
I'm more likely to have an excuse to avoid exercise than go do something so the PD specific groups are smaller and more supportive to go even if I'm not feeling so good.  Going to a gym tends to be a negative experience for me, too many "A Type" exercise people saying things like "it hurts but it's a good hurt."

A few Parkinson's specific exercise programs I know about near New York City

Team Fox NOLA: Pedal for Parkinson's

Posted on 5/04/2019 11:08:00 AM by  with No comments

Join Team Fox NOLA as they cycle away those holiday pounds with star instructor, Jeff Schiffman! Get a healthy jumpstart to the New Year before we indulge in king cakes and daiquiris with a 50 minute ride while fundraising for this important cause. Registration fee includes: bike, shoes, towel, and class fee.

100% of all money raised will go directly to research for finding a cure for Parkinson's disease!

Refunds will not be available. If you register and can no longer attend, please let us know so we can open your bike up to another registrant. Please visit teamfoxnola.org to learn more. 



Unity Walk

Posted on 5/04/2019 11:07:00 AM by  with No comments

Parkinson's Unity Walk Join thousands of members of the Parkinson’s community as we walk together in New York’s Central Park to raise funds and awareness for research.

The 25th Walk will be hed o Saturday April 27, 2019.

unitywalk.org



#PUW2019

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)