Getting the news that you have Parkinson’s may be the scariest thing you’ve ever experienced. All the emotions come to the surface.

When I evaluate a new fighter for our boxing program, that is my time to learn more about them. I try to reassure them that this is not a death sentence, but you do have to think about your health in many different ways. You will have to train harder than you ever have before, optimize your nutrition and improve your gut health, manage your stress, and work on your cognition and balance.

So often when a person travels, has an illness or surgery, or experiences a family crisis, they take a little time off, intending to get back to class once things settle. But when their routine breaks and time goes by, apathy can set in. Apathy is a lack of motivation and interest in general. It’s not laziness, but rather a neurological symptom that can happen with PD. The biggest problem is it often keeps a person from attending their exercise classes. Targeted exercise classes are instrumental in slowing down the progression of Parkinson’s, but you must get to class and do the work, or your progression will happen faster.

Triceps exercises are very important but often get overlooked. The triceps group is on the back of your arm and its primary function is extension of the elbow. This means you need strong triceps for getting up from the floor or a chair, pushing items, pushing your body in a push-up, or lifting something over your head, among many other tasks.

This nasal breathing exercise is a great way to regulate and correct shallow breathing caused by stooped posture, a common problem with Parkinson’s. I do it as a warm-up in Rebel Fit Club’s Posture School, a five-week series we offer both in the gym and virtually (see more info below).

All of us need to work on our posture, especially these days when we are flexed over our electronic devices. But for people with Parkinson’s disease, it’s even more important.

The neurological progression of Parkinson’s pulls the body forward constantly. We are going to combat that effect with some great posture-correcting exercises.