I get pictures and emails all the time from my fighters with Parkinson’s thanking us for training them to do the things they love so they can keep their independence. We teach exercises based on real-life scenarios, like spending a day at the beach, walking on different textures of sand, picking up a shell, and stepping over a log.
This is Mindy, enjoying the fact that she can still do the things she loves, even though she has Parkinson’s. When she hikes or goes to the beach, she’s ready because she’s been training hard with us!
Functional exercises are simply movements and exercises that mimic everyday actions. Most big movements require our bodies to move multiple joints, stabilized by the back, hips, and CORE.
For example, a squat is a functional exercise because it trains the muscles used when you rise up and down from a chair or pick up low objects.
We teach you how to get up and down from a chair and the floor so you can maintain your independence. We teach you how to reach for something above your head or how to step on different surfaces because this is like real life.
Functional training is great for increasing confidence in movement, avoiding injury, and improving gait and balance.
When people with Parkinson’s tell me they just walk or “go to the gym,” I tell them: “Getting outside for some fresh air is great – keep it up! But what are you doing for your Parkinson’s?” Training alone in a gym when you have PD rarely works in your favor.
People tend to use the selectorized weight machines in general population gyms. You know the ones where you sit and do biceps curls or leg extensions? These machines don’t train your body the way it naturally moves. In fact, exercising this way further teaches your nervous system to move dysfunctionally. Sitting and lifting dumbbells without engaging your core is the same thing; we don’t move in real life like this.
Watch this video to see what I am describing:
You can train so much smarter when you work with a coach who is trained in proper biomechanics and functional movement. Having a second pair of eyes on you will always pay off with the way you move. It’s worth your time and money to get a professional coach that can help you prevent injuries and faulty movement patterns caused by training alone.
Train Smart, Train Functionally, Move Better!
💜 Coach Kimberly