Author: Landtiser

Hopefully you’ve watched parts one and two of my bed stretches series. If you missed them, the links are at the bottom of this article!

Getting your body warmed up and primed for movement makes it easier to get around the rest of the day. Even more importantly, it could prevent an accidental fall when you stand up or start to walk.

We get really stiffened up throughout the night, and many people with Parkinson’s have a bit of time before their first dose of medication takes effect. Of course, it’s easier to move during your medication’s “on” period, but you can use this waiting time to do some easy stretches.

Let’s work on this together. I’m only giving you a couple of exercises at a time. After you get used to doing them slowly, you’ll be more likely to remember how to do them. Let’s chunk it out!

We left off with the upper body, shoulders, upper back, and opening the chest. Now we will move down to the lower back and hips.

Continue reading “Do These Morning Bed Stretches for People with Parkinson’s Part 3”

Parkinson’s disease can stiffen the muscles in your chest and shoulders, which leads to weaker back muscles and a stooped posture. Routinely encouraging your shoulders, shoulder blades, and spine to move is crucial to counteracting stooped posture and relieving the pain associated with it. Maintaining an upright posture will also promote normal breathing and improve your heart and gut function.

Bringing your elbows up while relaxing your shoulders is difficult for most people with Parkinson’s. This advanced “Upright Row Stick Stretch” is great for stretching your shoulders and upper back and regaining valuable range of motion.

Continue reading “Do You Have Parkinson’s Shoulder Stiffness? Try the Advanced Stick Row!”

Parkinson’s disease can stiffen the muscles in your chest and shoulders, causing you to stoop forward. With a stooped posture, your shoulder blades can’t sit or glide normally on the ribs. This can result in pain in your upper back and shoulders.

Routinely encouraging your shoulders, shoulder blades, and spine to move is crucial to counteracting stooped posture and relieving the pain associated with it. Maintaining an upright posture will also promote normal breathing and improve your heart and gut function.

Bringing your elbows up while relaxing your shoulders is difficult for most people with Parkinson’s. Your shoulder blades (scapula) and arm bones (humerus) must work together in a simultaneous, synchronized pattern.

This basic beginner “Upright Row Stick Stretch” is great for stretching your shoulders and upper back and regaining valuable range of motion.

Continue reading “Do You Have Parkinson’s Shoulder Stiffness? Do the Stick Row!”

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 overhead and swinging your arms out to the side is a complex movement, requiring the coordination of multiple parts of your skeleton. Your shoulder blades (scapula) and arm bones (humerus) must work together in a simultaneous, synchronized pattern.

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.

The “Pendulum Stick Stretch” exercise is great for stretching your shoulders and upper back and regaining valuable range of motion.

Continue reading “Must-do Pendulum Stick Stretch for Parkinson’s Stooped Posture”

Here we are: the full routine in this series to get everyone up and moving! No more sitting for hours on end. Being sedentary will make your Parkinson’s progress more quickly.

Many of our new fighters tell me they sat too much last year and watched TV, their backs hurt, and they were too tired to exercise. It’s a vicious cycle: the more you sit, the stiffer you get, and then you don’t feel like exercising.

Here is a great six-step routine to get you out of your chair and moving. You can still sit and watch a show, but you must take fitness breaks! This routine works your whole body and brain. It addresses freezing, creates more power in your hips, promotes flexibility, and uses your voice.

Continue reading “Six Must-do Steps to Combat Parkinson’s Decline”