When you’re living with Parkinson’s, changes in balance can make movement feel intimidating. You may worry about falling, feel less confident doing activities you once enjoyed, or wonder if you’ve waited too long to start working on your balance. But you don’t have to begin with big or complicated movements. Starting small, at your own level and with appropriate support, can be a meaningful way to practice movement and build confidence. What matters most is taking that first step and giving yourself the opportunity to keep moving forward.
Continue reading “Parkinson’s & Balance: Where Do You Start?”Category: Uncategorized
Have Parkinson’s and Struggle To Jump or Skip? Try This
Standing on your toes or jumping may seem like simple movements, but your brain and body must work together very quickly to make them happen. Your brain has to tell your calf muscles how much force to produce, shift your bodyweight forward, keep you balanced, and coordinate everything at just the right time. For people with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, this communication can become slower or less effective. The muscles may still be strong enough to do the job, but the brain may have difficulty telling them to produce enough force at the right time.
Continue reading “Have Parkinson’s and Struggle To Jump or Skip? Try This”Parkinson’s: When Your Hands Just Won’t Respond
For people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), hand exercise should focus on more than simply building grip strength. Parkinson’s can affect the brain’s ability to initiate, scale, and coordinate movement, leading to stiffness, slowness, reduced dexterity, and difficulty getting the hands and fingers to respond smoothly to an intended task. Exercises that encourage finger independence, agility, coordination, and larger, more deliberate movements can therefore be especially valuable for maintaining everyday hand function.
Continue reading “Parkinson’s: When Your Hands Just Won’t Respond”Why “Stand up Straight” Isn’t Enough With Parkinson’s—and What To Do Instead
If you have Parkinson’s, you may have heard this before:
“Stand up straight!”
Maybe you’ve even said it to yourself.
Continue reading “Why “Stand up Straight” Isn’t Enough With Parkinson’s—and What To Do Instead”Doing the Same Parkinson’s Balance Exercises? Balance Needs To Be Challenged in the Right Order
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.
Continue reading “Doing the Same Parkinson’s Balance Exercises? Balance Needs To Be Challenged in the Right Order”