Every January people joke about New Year’s resolutions. Why? Because most people make a resolution in January, and by February their resolution is already a distant memory. I see it every year.

Why does this happen? Because they didn’t have a plan in place! People jump into their fitness-related resolution with only a vague idea of what “getting in shape” should look like. After trying for a short amount of time and not seeing change, other factors are blamed (like their schedule or something else).

Our Rebel Fit Club Fighters are smart. These individuals with Parkinson’s disease have already been working out virtually for the past 10 months, so they’ve done the groundwork.

I’m excited to teach you what I’ve taught them! Let’s go the extra mile together; this will be fun and rewarding.

Are you feeling like your balance is getting worse since the COVID quarantine started? You’re not the only one. Last month we were finally able to hold in- gym classes in Oregon for a few weeks, and the people who had not participated in our virtual classes the previous months had marked decline in their balance.

You should never neglect your balance training. Even professional athletes work on their balance every day. It is vital for your functional ability. A fall can have devastating consequences.

There are so many systems in our body that affect balance. In our live-virtual classes we address most of them. These include your eyes, ears, feet, nervous system, and power through your hips and core (to name a few).

Watch this video to learn how to address the strength and power of your hips to get up from a chair:

What do I mean by “The Terrible TOOs”? Well, it’s that time of year when people start hunkering down. The days are shorter and the weather isn’t favorable for outdoor activities. You’re probably busy with the upcoming holidays, and with Covid-19 numbers spiking again, there’s the added fear of going outside of the home.

This is the time of year when you should be planning your winter workout attack. How can you schedule your day so that you can get a great workout in? With Parkinson’s, you must work out or your disease will progress a lot quicker.

The Parkinson’s “Terrible Toos” happen when you let the disease dictate your thoughts, your level of energy, your mood. The tendency is to get depressed.

So many of my fighters have a terrible time stepping wide when walking sideways. Often, they step on their own feet when trying to step together again. Not only do they feel off balance, but their feet step wider than their upper legs, leaving their knees in a knocked-kneed position. This can cause pain, injury, and long-lasting knee problems.

Stretching out the inner thigh muscles and strengthening the gluteal muscle will help. Parkinson’s narrow stance causes the adductors or inner thigh muscles become very tight, making it then extremely hard to step wide.

The “helper muscle” is the glute maximus. This large, powerful muscle of the hip counteracts the inward pulling of the 5 adductor muscles.

Check out this video to see how to do this quick easy leg stretch so you can walk better: