Stop-PD Boxing
Exercise is one of the two things (the other is Azilect) which show promise in slowing down the progression of PD. According to the Parkinson's Foundation Website:
"Exercise is an important part of healthy living for everyone. For people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), exercise is more than healthy — it is a vital component to maintaining balance, mobility and activities of daily living. Exercise and physical activity can improve many PD symptoms. These benefits are supported by research."
Regardless of the fact that the research is inconclusive, I exercise regularly and take Azilect. My disease appears to be progressing at a snails pace, so I am sticking with both.
Back to Stop-PD Boxing.
If you can, imagine 3 minutes of boxing and plyometrics followed by a 30 second break repeated for 45 minutes (plus a 15 minute warm up) and you get a good idea of what Stop-PD boxing is. If you think that 1 minute of jumping jacks is challenging, try sandwiching them between two 1-minute intervals of punching combination on the heavy bag! The class is in Gleasons Gym, which makes it feel like the real deal.
According to the Stop-PD website:
"The training sessions consist of a balance of cardio, strength training, stretching, bag work, calisthenics and core training. Sessions will typically begin with extensive stretching and flexibility exercises, followed by 10 to 12 three minute “rounds” of rigorous exercises including fast-paced running, punching heavy bags, working speed bags, skipping rope, one-on-one punching exercises with a trainer, weight training and abdominal exercises. Some participants, dependent of their level of conditioning and special disabilities, will be allowed to exercise on stationary bicycles and treadmills during parts of the workout sessions."
Anxiety and Stiffness/Rigidity and PD
My worst symptoms right now are Rigidity and Anxiety. With rigidity, the muscles of my lower back and glutes lock up. Exercise helps as does stretching and meditation, but at times, it still gets to me.
"Rigidity—when your muscles are stiff and resist moving—is one of the primary symptoms of Parkinson's disease, affecting at least 90 percent of people with the disease at some point. It occurs when your muscles stiffen involuntarily."
With anxiety, I begin to play out worst case scenarios in my mind, my heart rate elevates and at times, I am paralyzed with fear. At first, I could tell myself that it was merely a symptom and it would go away, but now, I have real stress from work and it is difficult to tell what is real from what is being caused by PD.
According to the Michael J. Fox Foundation:
"When facing a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, it is understandable to feel anxious or depressed. But mood disorders such as anxiety and depression are real clinical symptoms of Parkinson's, just as rigidity and tremor. In fact, at least half of all Parkinson's patients may suffer from clinical depression at some point during the course of their disease, according to some estimates."
Alternative Treatment
At the moment I am trying some alternative treatment, which works for about 2 to 4 hours and is best used in the evening before bedtime. It is just symptom relief, but I am sticking with it for now.
Montego Bay
The family and I just returned from Montego Bay. Several days at the pool and beach was great medicine. At one point, three days went by without any thoughts of PD! The sign of a great vacation, of course, always is when you ask, "what day is it?"
Well this post was certainly a hodge podge of different topics and links! To sum it up, anxiety and rigidity bad exercise and Montego Bay good!
Until next time...
