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.

Watch my latest video so you can see these ideas in motion before you try them yourself: Have Parkinson’s and Struggle To Jump or Skip? Try This

Jumping is even more challenging because it requires the body to create a lot of force very quickly. Before your feet ever leave the ground, your brain is already preparing your body by shifting your weight and activating muscles in a specific sequence. Parkinson’s can affect these automatic preparations as well as the ability to make movements as big and powerful as intended. This is one reason a person might be able to push strongly with their feet while sitting but have trouble rising high onto their toes or getting their feet off the ground during a jump.

Flexibility and muscle weakness can certainly contribute, but they are often a small part of the picture. A person may have enough ankle flexibility and calf strength yet still struggle because of how the nervous system starts, scales, and coordinates the movement. That distinction is important: sometimes the goal isn’t simply to stretch more or strengthen the calves. Professional training may also focus on practicing larger, quicker movements, improving balance and weight shifting, and using cues or targets that help the brain and body organize the movement more effectively.

That’s why what we practice isn’t just about stretching tight calves or building more strength—it’s about retraining the brain to start the movement, scale the force, and keep you balanced while you do it. Our classes and programs give you that kind of practice, so standing on your toes, shifting your weight, and even jumping or skipping can start to feel possible again.

Are you looking for Parkinson’s-specific exercises that will help you feel and move better? We offer a variety of specialty online courses to address your Parkinson’s symptoms:

• Rebel Fit Club Posture School
• “From Cramping Feet to Happy Feet!” Course
• PD Exercises to Improve Hand Dexterity & Mobility

Need to improve your balance? Join our Balance Builders Academy! It’s an intensive, five-week course that you can do in person or virtually. Classes are held once a week, and you’ll also get recorded videos that you can do at home. For more information, email Kimberly.

💜 Coach Kimberly