You Need To Train Off-, Pre- And Regular Season for Your Parkinson’s Exercise Routine

When you have Parkinson’s disease, you should always be thinking about how you are going to exercise. If you think of life as an athletic event (which it is!), you will have to train like an athlete.

First, you should come up with your goal. Is it to travel? Spend more time gardening? Go on hiking adventures? Or maybe you just want to be able to walk or dance with your sweetheart again?

Once you have your goal, then you’ll have to train for that!

Watch this video to learn how: 

As I am writing this, it’s fall. Here in the Northwest, it’s wetter and darker, and people are indoors more because of the weather changing and shorter days. This makes it even harder to get a workout in.

Here Is How I Recommend You Break It All Down:

Off-Season: This is when you’ll focus on your general health and aerobic conditioning. Use different exercise equipment, increase your weight training, and pick a different sport. For instance, if you are a golfer you may want to take up a sport that has you rotating in both directions, like boxing!

Work on your weak areas, like a right hip, left shoulder, or sore back. Establish a solid routine of the rehabilitation exercises you may have let slip during the summer.

Pre-Season: Focus on preparing for your goal. Focus on power. Do more squats and strengthen those hips and back. Work on big lateral moves or high stepping. Your training should look like a toned-down version of your goal and should translate to that activity.

Regular or In Season : Work on the skills for your “sport” or goal of choice. Enjoy yourself doing the activity you have been training for! Take notes on what skills you still need to work on. Always train with big amplitude and work on improving your balance.

With Parkinson’s disease it is a must that you work out every day in some way! You cannot take multiple days in a row off.  It will slow you down and you can’t afford that. 

Keep your eye on your goal!

💜 Coach Kimberly