Can you blow up a balloon? 🎈

Many people with Parkinson’s are surprised to discover they can no longer blow up a balloon to help with a grandchild’s birthday party. Something that once seemed so simple can slowly diminish without us even realizing it.

But why?

Balance depends on several body systems working together smoothly. As you walk, you naturally move your head and use your vision and hearing to stay aware of your surroundings and position in space. This sense of body awareness is known as proprioception.

A key step in improving your posture is to address the position of your rib cage before focusing on your head and neck. When your ribs collapse forward or become rounded, they often pull your upper body out of alignment. In response, the muscles in your neck are forced to work harder to keep your head upright, which commonly leads to a forward head position.

Midline physical training focuses on movements that cross the body’s centerline, activating communication between the brain’s hemispheres and promoting neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to change and form new neural connections.

A fighter told me that in order to get a high-intensity workout with the obstacle course, she had to ignore the little brain games included because they just slowed her down. She felt like she had to stop and think when she should be consistently keeping her heart rate in a training zone. It’s easy to see how that could be confusing.