Author: Landtiser

Parkinson’s Disease can cause feet to cramp, be in pain, tingle, tremor, curl up, and even experience arch collapse. This is due to neuromuscular disconnect and tight tissue.  You shouldn’t ignore your feet. They’re such an important part of your body! The health of your feet affects your balance and quality of life. That’s why you need to treat your feet daily if you have Parkinson’s Disease.

Here is a quick exercise to easily treat your feet if you have Parkinson’s Disease. You only need a strap and a towel. There’s no need to reach your feet with this exercise… the strap will help you!

Watch this video to see how:

1. Seated tall in a chair, grab a strap, dog leash, long belt, t-shirt or a thick bath towel and “lasso” one foot.

2. Holding on to both ends with your foot in the strap, pull your toes back. Feel the stretch on the bottom of your foot and calf muscles.

3. Pull back several times and hold for 30 seconds (this should not be painful).
4. Reposition the strap and keep stretching different parts of your foot. Repeat on your other foot.
5. Next, take a dish towel and place it flat on the floor. The floor must be smooth (like hardwood or linoleum).

6. Gather the towel under your feet with your toes. If your feet cramp, take the strap and stretch them out again. Do this several times on each foot.

Do this exercise daily, either in the evening or morning. Your feet will feel so good and it will help with your balance too.

• 💜 Coach Kimberly

Every January people joke about New Year’s resolutions. Why? Because most people make a resolution in January, and by February their resolution is already a distant memory. I see it every year.

Why does this happen? Because they didn’t have a plan in place! People jump into their fitness-related resolution with only a vague idea of what “getting in shape” should look like. After trying for a short amount of time and not seeing change, other factors are blamed (like their schedule or something else).

Our Rebel Fit Club Fighters are smart. These individuals with Parkinson’s disease have already been working out virtually for the past 10 months, so they’ve done the groundwork.

I’m excited to teach you what I’ve taught them! Let’s go the extra mile together; this will be fun and rewarding.

Continue reading “If You Have Parkinson’s and Want to Improve Your Posture, Plan It and “Chunk It Out””

Are you feeling like your balance is getting worse since the COVID quarantine started? You’re not the only one. Last month we were finally able to hold in- gym classes in Oregon for a few weeks, and the people who had not participated in our virtual classes the previous months had marked decline in their balance.

You should never neglect your balance training. Even professional athletes work on their balance every day. It is vital for your functional ability. A fall can have devastating consequences.

There are so many systems in our body that affect balance. In our live-virtual classes we address most of them. These include your eyes, ears, feet, nervous system, and power through your hips and core (to name a few).

Watch this video to learn how to address the strength and power of your hips to get up from a chair:

Continue reading “Are You Doing Everything You Can to Improve Your Balance? We’ll Show You How!”

What do I mean by “The Terrible TOOs”? Well, it’s that time of year when people start hunkering down. The days are shorter and the weather isn’t favorable for outdoor activities. You’re probably busy with the upcoming holidays, and with Covid-19 numbers spiking again, there’s the added fear of going outside of the home.

This is the time of year when you should be planning your winter workout attack. How can you schedule your day so that you can get a great workout in? With Parkinson’s, you must work out or your disease will progress a lot quicker.

The Parkinson’s “Terrible Toos” happen when you let the disease dictate your thoughts, your level of energy, your mood. The tendency is to get depressed.

Continue reading “Are “The Terrible TOOs” Keeping You From Slowing Down Your Parkinson’s Disease?”