Author: Landtiser

Last week one of my fighters with Parkinson’s thanked me for all of the squats and cardio workouts Rebel Fit Club has provided for years, but especially this last year during the pandemic. We’ve really pushed everyone hard in our daily online boxing bootcamps. I’m a firm believer that a strong back and glutes are a cornerstone to moving better with less pain, and we put a big emphasis on hip hinging and strengthening the glutes and core during our workouts.

This hard work paid off recently when locally (in Portland, Oregon) we got a sudden ice and snowstorm with high winds that left most families without power and water, downed trees, and a lot of snow to remove. One of our families had to shovel snow for 14 hours. Thankfully, because they were strong and had a great fitness to take on this task, they were able to do so with no injuries.

I wanted to share some tips from myself (a “Minnesota girl”) on how to safely shovel snow without hurting your back. This is also handy for dirt while gardening in the spring!

Continue reading “Save Your Back! 10 Tips to Safely Shovel Snow If You Have Parkinson’s”

Have you been told to pull your shoulders back to correct your posture? Many of my clients with Parkinson’s disease are told, “To correct your posture, stand straight and pull your shoulders back,” or “Stand at attention like a soldier.”

Being mindful of your posture and standing straight are important, but you could be creating other orthopedic problems by doing this.

The image shown below is one of my clients demonstrating how he was told to stand straight by pulling his shoulders back. As you can see, he’s leaning way back and compressing his low back. While he was doing this, I asked him if he was comfortable. He said, “It’s hard to maintain.” Then I asked him to walk forward in that posture and he couldn’t!

While doing this he didn’t sense his body was leaning backward. Often Parkinson’s skews your proprioception (awareness of your body in space). He had been pulling back his shoulders several times a day thinking he was standing straight. When I showed him this photo, he was surprised at how far back he was leaning and how far forward his head was.

Continue reading “Are You Pulling Your Shoulders Back to Correct Your Posture? Think Again… 6 Steps To Better Posture!”

Many people have asked me to write something in regard to the Covid Vaccine and Parkinson’s disease. I personally believe that everyone should be vaccinated, but there are a few things that are important for you to know about the Covid vaccine and your after-care.

Continue reading “Things to Consider About the Covid Vaccine and Parkinson’s Disease”

Parkinson disease affects your voice and communication in many ways. The most common issues people with Parkinson’s experience are a soft voice, mumbling, slurring and/or rapid speech.

Parkinson’s can also affect your communication in other ways. For instance, the volume you hear yourself speak may seem like yelling, but the person listening to you will say that your volume sounds normal to them.

Sometimes when you are trying to speak louder with more intent, you may lose your train of thought or the next word you were going to say.

Others tell me that while they are trying to talk loud and project, they feel like their vocal cords are becoming weak or their voice feels hoarse.

It can be frustrating trying to talk, and many times you may prefer not to. However, I would encourage you not to stay silent. Doing so can lead to social isolation. Your support partner may even start talking for you to try and help, but that actually makes the cycle worse.

If you’re experiencing any of the difficulties I mentioned above, I want you to try this exercise. It is just one of many quick, fun drills you can do to start becoming more confident speaking!

Continue reading “Do This to Work Your Voice and Memory If You Have Parkinson’s”

People try to stand up straight when they are stooped forward. The fact is, Parkinson’s Disease makes the pectoral muscles of the chest really tight. It’s almost impossible to straighten up because the tissue is working against you. You’ll need to break up the tight connective tissue manually, and you can do this yourself!

This self-myofascial release technique for the chest and ribs will help create better posture. It will also relive shoulder pain resulting from forward rounded posture that Parkinson’s disease causes.

This muscle group dramatically affects the function of the shoulder and balance between the front and back muscles. Parkinson’s causes the pectoral muscles to get overly tight and pull the shoulder forward, displacing the humerus (arm bone) and causing movement of the shoulder to become problematic and painful, and can cause stooped posture. 

This technique is easy and only requires a soft ball and a larger inflatable ball. Self-myofascial release for the chest is a great way to help loosen those tight muscles and help you stand straighter.

Continue reading “Do This To Release Your Tight Chest and Improve Your Posture If You Have Parkinson’s Disease”