If you have Parkinson’s, you may have heard this before:

“Stand up straight!”  

Maybe you’ve even said it to yourself.

If you have Parkinson’s, working on your balance regularly is important. But there’s a common mistake I see: doing the same few balance exercises every day and assuming that’s enough.

It May Be Earlier Than You Think

If you’re waiting until your balance feels bad enough to work on it, you may be waiting too long.

A common mistake people make is waiting until balance problems become obvious—near-falls, grabbing onto furniture, feeling noticeably unsteady, or actually falling. But balance doesn’t have to be something you only address after it becomes a problem. It’s something you can work on proactively to help maintain your mobility, confidence, and independence.

If you have Parkinson’s disease, you probably hear a lot about posture, walking, strength, and fall prevention. But we don’t always talk about what’s happening all the way down at the ground with your feet.

For someone living with Parkinson’s disease, a fall does not always mean ending up on the floor. Parkinson’s can affect balance, posture, coordination, and the ability to move safely. Freezing of gait, when the feet suddenly feel as though they are stuck to the floor, can also cause a person to lose their balance. If you stumble, freeze, or lose your balance and have to catch yourself on a chair, table, bed, countertop, wall, or another person, the incident is still considered a fall, even if you never reach the ground.