Author: Landtiser

Anxiety is a common non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s. Anxiety can be something you’ve struggled with your whole life, due to a traumatic event or changes in brain chemistry due to Parkinson’s. Up to 40 percent of people with PD will experience some form of anxiety.

The good news is there are several great, actionable ways to get out of fight-or-flight mode (sympathetic nervous system) and to a calmer place (parasympathetic nervous system). Bilateral Stimulation is a technique used in different forms to ease anxiety, PTSD, and other stress-related disorders, including social anxiety.

Anxiety is a common non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s. Anxiety is not just a reaction to the diagnosis of Parkinson’s, but instead, a part of the disease itself, caused by changes in brain chemistry. Up to 40 percent of people with PD will experience some form of anxiety.

We are getting ready to start another round of Posture School here at the Rebel Fit Club. I train everyone in that class, as well as the fighters in my regular boxing bootcamps, stretching, and even in our virtual classes, to use the proper amount of head padding to keep their head and neck in neutral alignment while lying on the ground. 

Backward walking is a therapy I used with competitive athletes both for sport and rehab from injuries. It retrains your gait pattern, neurologically resets mechanics, and strengthens posterior muscles like the hard-to-turn-on glutes. Several studies suggest that backward walking can also positively affect cognitive abilities such as memory, reaction time, and problem-solving skills.

With Parkinson’s, muscles become imbalanced and stiff, causing a host of problems with gait and mobility. The front (anterior) of the body, which includes the chest, hip flexors, shoulders, and neck, gets stiff and tight. Meanwhile, the back (posterior) of the body—hamstrings, back, and glutes—becomes weak.

Most of our movement is in front of us, including walking forward. What if we were to walk backward? According to research, walking backward can have surprising benefits for both your body and your brain health.