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.

Do you feel like you may fall over when picking something up off the ground or looking up in the air? With Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions, our eyes, ears, and awareness of our body in space causes us to become unsteady unless we practice the very movements we are afraid of doing. That’s right—avoiding things that may cause you to fall actually makes your balance worse!

Living with Parkinson’s disease presents daily challenges that extend beyond movement. While tremors and stiffness are the most visible symptoms, non-motor symptoms, especially apathy, can be just as impactful—or even more so. Addressing both requires a thoughtful approach that blends focused exercise, active learning, and strong social connection.

Whether you have Parkinson’s or arthritis, if your hands become stiff, every task takes longer and it really affects your quality of life. Many of the exercises recommended for stiff hands involve flexion (as in squeezing)—but with PD, that’s the very position we are trying to counteract. We need to open and extend our fingers and hands.