Simple Parkinson's Exercises You Can Perform

If you are suffering from Parkinson’s disease, here are simple Parkinson’s exercises you can perform. It is important to maintain your muscle tone and function as much as possible as the disease progresses. Taking your prescribed medicines and following your doctor’s advice is the most important step you can take, but a regular exercise program can also help reduce your pain and discomfort by preventing muscles from stiffening.

Here are basic exercises you can do to keep those muscles moving. Whenever your foot takes a step, raise and stretch the toes upward. Your legs should also be spread 10 inches away from each other when you either turn or walk. When you turn, keep your feet wide apart and take small steps. Every day, practice how to turn for a quarter of an hour to keep your balance and prevent yourself from falling.

To help with the potential for falling that can be common for Parkinson’s patients, a good place to practice balance is in small rooms with tight corners. Walk around the sides of this room several times a day for five to ten minutes. It is important to maintain as much balance as possible so that when you’re alone you can rely on yourself not to fall. If you feel you cannot move your feet, immediately raise your toes so to relieve the muscle spasm you are experiencing. You will then be able to move your legs again.

While you are walking, make sure you are also swinging your arms so that your weight will not fully concentrate on just your legs. This will minimize tiredness and will relax both your shoulders and arms. People with Parkinson’s always find it hard rising from a chair so to make this easier for you, practice getting up instantly from your seat to counteract gravity’s pulling force. Try to sit down again slowly with your body bent frontward. Do this activity twelve times or more daily.

When you find your body bending on one side only, carry something heavy with your hand on the opposite side such as a bag filled with your things. This will stop you from bending to one side only and will help balance your body. If you find any task hard to perform such as combing your hair, practice this activity to help keep your body used to that movement.

Parkinson’s leads patients to have bad posture, so to counteract this here is one Parkinson’s exercise you may want to try. Face a wall that is 8 inches away from you as you stand. Stretch and raise your arms with the goal of trying to reach the top of the wall and then leaning on it. After this, turn your back against the same wall, bend your knees and lift your legs as high as you can. It will feel like you are marching in place. After this, get a sturdy chair or a table, hold on to it tightly, squat with your knees bent and then straighten back up.

When you look for fitness centers in North Carolina where you can enroll, make sure they have personal trainers who are trained in handling specific exercise needs like Parkinson’s or diabetic exercise or stroke physical therapy.