Author: Landtiser

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!

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.

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.

We are entering a new year, a new chapter on our journey. How do you want to start it—strong and positive, or defeated and scared?

If you’ve been having a tough week, a tough month, or even a tough year, you aren’t alone. It’s normal to have days when life feels overwhelming. During those hard days, being brave and positive is the hardest, but that’s when we need it the most.

Going into the new year, I want to equip you with a few positive affirmations to help you feel a little stronger, a bit more brave, and ready to take on the rest of your day—no matter what comes your way.

I was asked to make a video of an actual workout in a chair. Since we know prolonged sitting is detrimental to our health and the progression of Parkinson’s, I made a short video of one complete exercise that not only gets your blood pumping, but also:

• Stretches your inner thigh and groin muscles to help you walk.
• Is a starter to getting up out of a chair.
• Stretches out your back muscles.
• Is the first move in getting to the ground safely.
• Uses your vocal cords in voice projection.
• Works on your arm extension in the last stage.
• Works on sequencing and brain involvement.