I am a huge animal lover and have had a multitude of pets in my home throughout my life. Growing up I always dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. However, after I earned an animal science degree, my attention was turned to helping people become healthier, and I dedicated my career to helping humans live their lives to their fullest potential. My love of animals still lives on, and when I saw this study, it brought my two worlds together.

Petting a dog, or any other animal, positively stimulates your brain. The brain chemical it releases would be of interest to my families with Parkinson’s disease.

Continue reading “It Is Good to Pet A Pup If You Have Parkinson’s”

Parkinson’s disease causes sleep disruption, including trouble getting to sleep and falling back asleep after awakening in the night. Healthy sleep is very important for both physical and mental health. Poor sleep can affect productivity and overall quality of life.

Here are some tips to help you fall (back) asleep:

Continue reading “It’s Night-Time and You Are Wide Awake… Again! Tips to Help You Fall Back to Sleep”

Parkinson’s disease and any other chronic condition can cause mental stress, anxiety and depression. And not just for you, but for your loved ones too. I have heard about the positive effects of journaling and how listing your daily gratitude can give you a psychological lift and help with low days, but there is a lot of research out there to back this claim.

Mental health professionals have long been searching for how can they help clients get the greatest possible benefit from treatment in the shortest amount of time. Recent evidence suggests that the simplest approach is to complement counseling with activities that are not too taxing for their clients, but that yield high results. One such activity is the practice of writing in a GRATITUDE journal. Several studies over the past decade have found that people who consciously count their blessings tend to be happier and less depressed.

Continue reading “How Being Grateful Can Positively Change Your Brain”

Meet Super Hero Jan Beyer

I recently gave a talk about Parkinson’s exercise programming and how our classes are designed with great, up-to-date research that drives every class. I also spoke about how we hire the best and most Parkinson’s-experienced coaches who use hands-on instruction with our fighters. Because our coaches are the best, I thought it would be great to introduce you to these super heroes! I want you to know why I selected them and the special gift that each of them bring to our amazing team.

If you read Jan’s bio you can clearly see why she is so good coaching our Rock Steady Boxing: SW Washington Classes. Jan has a Master’s degree in Health Education and 2 Bachelor degrees; one in Physical Education and the other in Exercise Science. She is an American Council on Exercise (ACE) certified personal trainer and movement disorder specialist with over 35 years of experience. Her training includes; Oregon Health and Sciences: EE (Exercise and Education) for PD research instructor, Team PD: balance and agility training, Parkinson’s Wellness and Recovery (PWR) Certified instructor and has worked at PWR retreats for the headquarters in Arizona.

Continue reading “I Teach Parkinson’s Exercise… What’s Your Super Power?”