Currently we have Posture School in session, which is a small-group, five-week training for people with Parkinson’s to learn exercises they can do every day to treat their stooped posture. Good posture does not just mean sitting or standing up straight! Rather, it’s about your ability to move around in different positions without slouching or slumping because your body is strong enough to maintain that.

The key to good posture is not just stretching, but strengthening your muscles so that you can stand upright against forces like gravity! The other key factor is learning how to properly sequence your shoulder blades (scapulas) to move correctly and efficiently.

People with Parkinson’s often develop stooped posture because of the neurological forward pulling and muscle tightening of the chest and shoulders. As a result, the back muscles become weak, and the shoulder blades become fixed and displaced. This whole process causes pain, breathing and swallowing difficulty, and balance issues.

This Rib Ring Lift exercise is one of the warm-up movements I use in Posture School, a five-week course I teach at the Rebel Fit Club. You can do it throughout the day. The arm movements mimic how the ribs are supposed to move when you take in a breath. Through this movement your ribs are working with the rest of your body, including your brain, to establish better biomechanics when breathing.

Yes, this picture is really me doing the crane pose at the beach. I teach this in our “Aloha Friday” boxing class—now you know I really do practice the Karate Kid!

So, are you having a tough time standing on one leg? Does it seem every time you are tested on one-legged stance, it never gets better even though you practice daily?

Did it ever occur to you that the problem might be your calves? Yes! Calf tightness can contribute greatly to whether you can balance on one leg. In fact, tight calves pitch your body forward on your toes. This alone can increase your risk for falls. 

Hello, Mighty Warriors! No, I did not spell “but” incorrectly. I am talking today about the “buts” we use to explain why we are not doing what we need to slow down our Parkinson’s, cognitive decline, depression, and anxiety, and super-charge our independence, confidence and quality of life.

We’ve all seen the research on Parkinson’s-specific workouts to slow the progression of PD and its many symptoms. Even though we make it fun, this is serious business for us at the Rebel Fit Club. It’s not just about fitness—if it were, walking or working out alone would be enough. I’m talking about your brain and how it and the rest of your body—including your gut, heart, and lungs—affect your independence and quality of life.

You know how you feel stiff and slow-moving sometimes? Do you find yourself taking small, shuffling steps in the morning, or maybe throughout the day? Even if you only periodically take small steps, you’re probably stiff in your hip joints. You must move your legs with full range to loosen that gummed-up joint.