How to Treat Parkinson’s Stooped Posture With a Ball

As we finish up another round of Posture School, I am reminding my students that they have to do their extension exercises daily to continue to get the benefits and not slide back into their stooped posture.

With Parkinson’s, your chest muscles tighten, creating a flexed-forward posture. This creates a host of problems, including back pain. You can use a 45-centimeter yoga ball to facilitate some great extension in your muscles, improving pain and your posture.

Watch my video below to learn how to treat stooped Parkinson’s posture with a ball:

For this upper back extension exercise, all you need is a slightly under-inflated yoga ball. This exercise will help stretch out the chest and back muscles, relieve muscular tension in your upper back, and improve extension of the thoracic vertebrae to improve your posture.

• Start by sitting on the ground with your knees bent and both feet flat on the ground with the yoga ball behind your back.

• Lie down on your back with the ball in the middle of your back. Keep your hips and feet on the ground.
• With one hand, cradle your head gently to support your neck and keep it in neutral throughout the exercise.
• Place your other hand just under your collar bones.

• Inhale to prepare and, as you exhale, extend your back gently over the ball, keeping your head and neck in a neutral and supported position. Gently guide your collar bones upward.

• Relax your spine over the ball to get extension in the vertebral joints of the upper back. Be sure to slowly extend in a controlled manner with a big exhale.
• Stay in this position for several seconds and breathe!
• Come back to the starting position and repeat several times. Remember to exhale while extending over the ball.

You can do this exercise every day to counteract Parkinson’s forward stooping.

💜 Coach Kimberly

P.S. Our Virtual Posture School is now in session!

Do you want to be a part of our Posture School, but live too far away to come to the Rebel Fit Club? Not a problem—we have Virtual Posture School!

There are many benefits to taking Posture School virtually:

• Classes are taught in an easy, step-by-step, building block process.
• You get a new workout five days a week for five weeks—that equals 25 workouts!
• You get to do it in your own home, so no need to miss out because you live too far away.
• You can ask a loved one to join you in the workouts.
• Workouts are recorded, so you pick the time of day that’s most convenient for you.
• You can also go back to previous workouts if one feels especially helpful.

** This course is for people who can get up and down from the ground easily and independently. If you are at high risk for falls, ask about our seated version of Posture School.

The introductory price for Virtual Posture School is just $49! Click here to purchase.