Author: Landtiser

This breathing exercise is a great way to regulate and address shallow breathing caused by anxiety, a common symptom with Parkinson’s. I used it first when I worked in hospital pulmonary rehabilitation, then added it in my Parkinson’s wellness retreats, and now it’s a warm-up in Rebel Fit Club’s Posture School.

If you are not breathing correctly and fully, a host of problems can arise, such as pneumonia, brain fog, and increased inflammation. This is why after you have surgery, a therapist will come into your room and help you breathe deeply.

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When Parkinson’s makes you feel stiff and causes your posture to stoop forward, a cascade of problems occurs, leading to pain and mobility issues. Routinely encouraging your shoulders, shoulder blades, and spine to move is crucial to counteracting the stooped posture and associated pain that are common in Parkinson’s disease.

Reaching your arms overhead is a complex movement, requiring the coordination of multiple parts of your skeleton. Your shoulder blade (scapula) and arm bone (humerus) have to work together in a simultaneous, synchronized pattern.

Your shoulder blades should “glide and float” on your rib cage. If you have a stooped posture, your shoulder blades can’t sit or glide normally on the ribs, causing pain in your upper back and shoulders.

This simple, basic stick exercise is great for stretching your shoulders and upper back.

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Rounded shoulders and stooped posture are common symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. This can lead to neck, shoulder, and back pain. Routinely counteracting this forward pull and rounding spine is crucial.

Lying on a foam roller is a great way to relax while your spine and shoulder blades are supported. Gravity encourages your shoulder blades to glide in a more neutral position.

What if you can’t even get on the roller to start the exercise? Many people with mobility issues find these beneficial exercises nearly impossible, or at least very frustrating. The roller keeps rolling away!

Continue reading “Try This Easy Way To Get On a Foam Roller if You Have Parkinson’s”

I just started the next round of Rebel Fit Club’s Posture School, a five-week course to help people learn about their bodies and how to strengthen and stretch their backs properly. This course helps students counteract the neurological forward-pulling and muscle tightening that happens with Parkinson’s and just aging in general. Stooped posture causes pain, breathing and swallowing difficulty, inadequate blood flow to the brain, and balance issues.

The Goal Post Glide is one of the warm-up exercises I use in the Posture School five-week course at the Rebel Fit Club. You can do it to start or end your day in great alignment. Using props, such as a bath towel or rolled yoga mat, will help you get into the correct position without straining your shoulders or lower back. This exercise should feel so good! If you have pain in your shoulders or back, prop yourself up more or perform it seated.

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We have Posture School going on right now at the Rebel Fit Club, and one of the exercises the group is working on is “Puppy in the Snow.” This is one of my favorite exercises because it does so much with so little movement.

This exercise strengthens the deep core and multifidus muscles (the muscles that run up your spine like shoelaces), all while working on shoulder stability and brain function through sequencing.

Continue reading “Do the “Puppy in the Snow” Exercise for Parkinson’s Stooped Posture”