ABC news how to actually "fightPD"
 

Rock On ... Rock Steady Boxing in Indianapolis
 

dear lizzy -very good!
 

please tell me if you do not mind,

how long have you had PD?
and whatever you can tell us about your individual experience
:hug:

Fighting PD - Rock Steady Boxing
 

Excellent
 

stuff Tena. I am a big believer in a balanced exercise program between cardio workouts and strength training with weights. As a former gym owner www.harbourfitness.com I totally concur with the folks from Rock Steady Boxing www.rocksteadyboxing.org :D and may their program grow and prosper.

If we don't exercise Parkinson's will make the body weaker over time. So why not turn that around and strengthen our bodies while giving the one finger salute to the unwelcome marriage to grumpy Mrs Parkinson. Or in your case....Mr Parkinson.:mad:

And it just goes away? I get so sick of these miracle articles - time to stop reading this crap

Paula,

Are you Paula T from PAN who we also saw at the Cleveland Clinic? I'm just curious because now, if I do know you, I'm trying to picture you boxing. The lady I am picturing is sort of delicate looking, but then we have to wear real clothes at PAN...lol.

Regardless of who you are - enjoy!

Mike, I feel like you many times and the overload of what we are supposed to do just makes me tired and want to shut down - often - especially when it involves exercise. I can shut down in a heartbeat and watch movies for the rest of the day without getting dressed, because of overload. People talk about boxing and when off, i have such bad dystonia I'm locked and can't function.

You seem angry - have a right to be - if you want to spill it here - there are many kind people who will listen. I don't doubt that boxing helps, but the bottom line is there is no cure, there are only a few treatments, and most of what there is to offer has limited results. Paula says her tremor goes away for a few days.....it's a trade off. not a cure. She is getting other things out of it too...like friendship.

But sometimes, the media, makes things sound like the "answer". EVeryone is guilty of it. Scientists talk about things that may cure us in 20 -30 years and call it a breakthrough. Pharmceuticals will produce what makes big money. And alternative methods, such as Rick and others experiment with, are not coming from the establised medical community....but that could be a good thing. lol Nevertheless, when I listed ginseng as a medication it was recommended that I do not take it because we don't know what's in it for sure. It definitely increases energy.....our biggest problem on a good day.

No one knows. We have to find ways of dealing with the suffering that could be ahead. Someone is always here to listen. Not too many Pollyannas here either. Many of us have had it for a long time - been around the block - and don't share illusions. This disease sucks....bottom line.

paula

MikeTTF
 

Having read your situation it is not too difficult to understand and share your opinion. All the best mate

In my own case exercise, and a healthy diet, has kept the dreaded Parkie gremlins at bay after year 12 with the disease. And we can see looking at the parkie group doing their fitness thing they are ovrwhelming getting beneficial results.

Exercise is not a cure, but allows those that do a bit too at least be fitter and stronger during those dreaded off times that make it a struggle to move about. And of course newbies to this site can make informed decisions that may benefit them.

dear paula and dear howard
 

dear paula,
thank you for all the details! I am very glad it helps you, and I know
Howard is devoted to exercise, he our Aussie friend -
Howard do you still lift weights? :D

for some it is a matter of more brain damage to certain areas -
some have extreme balance issues -some are frozen - some are shakers,
some do abit of both...

and Mike,
I am sorry - you feel so poorly, but you must realize, that we all have different parkinsonism's - it is still very hard with all types to be motivated,
and I have met hundreds of people with PD, and we all have to a certain degree, our very own personal PD, so I am sorry this upsets you...

but one persons miracle does not fit all...
YET
we must hope for a cure - or detoxifying or better absorption of the nutrition
because we are not just what we eat, we are what our bodies are able to break down - by enzymes - so that we can absorb our nutrients,
it is very complicated yet we all started off - with being over stressed - number one bell that tolls - of all health issues...

:grouphug:

The Fight Goes On
 

Hey Tina
 

I lift very heavy gluten and wheat free salad sandwiches to my mouth three times a day. the biceps (guns) are developing as we speak.:D Most of my workouts involve cardio. Sadly my Arnold Swarzenegger rock hard body needs a serious dose of cloned tissue to bring it up to speed.:D

Take care of you:hug:

LMAO! -dear howard!
 

dear dear howard,

:hug:
well have you seen Arnold's body lately? :D
it looks as if he could use some too... teehee! ;)

humour for us for today!
- luv tena

You Know You're Getting Older When...

Everything hurts and what doesn't hurt, doesn't work.


You feel like the night after, and you haven't been anywhere.

You get winded playing chess.

Your children begin to look middle aged.

You're still chasing women but can't remember why.

A dripping faucet causes an uncontrollable bladder urge.

You know all the answers, but nobody asks you the questions anymore...

You look forward to a dull evening.

You walk with your head high trying to get used to your bifocals.


You sit in a rocking chair and can't get it going.

Your knees buckle and your belt won't.

You regret all those mistakes resisting temptation.


You're startled the first time you are addressed as an old man/ole lady/

You just can't stand people who are intolerant.

The best part of your day is over when your alarm clock goes off.

You burn the midnight oil until 9 pm.

A fortune teller offers to read your face.

Your pacemaker makes the garage door go up when you watch a pretty girl go by.

The little gray-haired lady/man you help across the street is your wife/husband.

You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.

You quit trying to hold your stomach in, no matter who walks into the room.

You sing along with elevator music.

Quite often -your conversation includes you the word “What?"

You've spent five minutes standing in the kitchen trying to remember what you went in there for ?

Those Depends commercials have been catching your eye...

Good
 

stuff Tena. Humour and a good laugh is just what the doc ordered. :)

you got my attention
 

lizzy/Paula:

I have some questions for you re: diet and how you dealt with adjustments to your meds as you progressed through the fitness/fight program. However I don't seem to be able to send you a private message. Your PD sounds a lot like the kind I have. I am profoundly affected by sugar (glucose actually) and wonder about how you progressed through this program and did you have the benefit of a nutritionist or any other support programs? How many of you stuck with the program and how often do you go work out?

It makes sense that what we don't use we lose. We have a dopamine deficiency after all, not a problem with our body per se. The problem of PD is one of collateral damage...we lose the ability to communicate with our pkg and of course our body just atrophies into nothing. How can I reach you? You could try to send me a PM and see if I can respond. Technology makes me mental!!!! ...Joy

ABC World News & Exercise/Boxing
 

These people are great
 

Rosebud,

I boxed with these people for about 2 months when the gym first opened. As Paula put it "it was too rigorous" for me at the time. I was not on medication then and I was just not up for it. However, you would not believe some of the people that started there and have stuck with it. They have grown so much physically, mentally and emotionally. I think for some it's like taking control of their lives. It's very powerful to feel that you are "fighting" this disease.

I'm so proud of these guys and everything they are doing for Parkies in our area. I can't wait to see how this will continue to grow and reach others.

Kudos to Scott, Vince, Kristy and Don who spend countless hours in the gym so that we can come and exercise for free. And thanks should go to people like Paula for getting the word out - they all work for one common goal - to fight PD!!

Lora

Exercise, Exercise, Exercise
 

The bottom line to all this is simply: Exercise is good in the fight against PD. More vigorous exercise (if possible) is even better. The doctors seem to agree that it's more important than any drug.

My own experience: First symptoms: 1987 at age 31. So it's been approximately 20 years with this unwanted friend. I've always been very athletic, so keeping in shape was easy, especially in the early years. In the past few years I've gotten very aggressive in terms of intensity. In addition to weight lifting and range-of-motion exercises, I run on a treadmill 3-4 times a week. Of course, I have to time it just right: too dyskinetic my balance would get me in big trouble real fast. And too "low" I couldn't step on to the treadmill without assistance. But with all that, I'm proud to say that, at 51 years old and having PD for 2 decades I can (AND DO) run 3 miles each time out; the middle 2 miles I run in 16 minutes!!! That's 2 8-minute miles (duh!!).
And I just recently cut that down to 15:30.

I'm not bragging, just making the point that exercise not only works on you physically, but also mentally. Because I think the only thing that keeps me sane sometimes is reminding myself that I still have that capability, when probably most HEALTHY 51 year olds couldn't keep up with me.

But that's only for those choice chunks of time during the day when I'm that capable. The rest of the day I struggle with "on-offs," "freezing" and dyskinesia like the rest of us old-timers. BUT, BUT I think I'm in MUCH BETTER shape than I would be without all those years of exercise.

A couple of "before and after" photos to show you if someone can telll me how to attach them!

I hope this helps,
Keith

Inspirational
 

stuff Keith for a 20 year veteran of the disease. Although you're only a baby at age 51. Keep working on that mile time mate. That's gotta be some sort of Parkie record----sub 8 minute miles. My car doesn't travel as fast :wink:

Rock on ... Rock Steady Boxing
 

BrownEyedGirl/Lora,
Thanks for your comments. NO WAY was it too rigorous for you!!! You were ... and I am sure are ... an outstanding participant/athlete. Hope to see ya back in the ring. We're there every Saturday (and other times). Rock on!

this is GREAT
 

lizzy/paula

this is terrific - confirmation that exercise may be the best medicine!!

Jean B

PD Boxers on youtube
 

Lizzy/Paula
 

Folks in Tucson are planning to start up a boxing group!!!

Jean B

Apart from exercise for cardio/respiratory and muscle fitness, I would strongly urge people to think of doing very simple things in different and varied ways than usual. You will be surprised at what a difference it makes to your functionality.

For example, instead of using a dishwasher, wash the dishes by hand. This is really important because there are many movements with the fingers, hands, arms that you can peform in novel ways that break with habitual pathways.

If you are righthanded, pick up the dish with your right hand and scrub it with your left hand, then reverse the rotation of the scrubbing action. Then turn the plate over and reverse the whole operation. You will be very inefficient in the beginning, but then you will notice strange things happening to your body.

Wear a bracelet on your non-dominant wrist to remind you to use it first when reaching out to do something. This is important if you have DBS and varied settings, so you may have to alternate dominance.

Train yourself to privilege the non-dominant side in operations. If your left foot drags, then consciously instruct it in words, by talking to yourself silently.

All of this helps, also meditation exercises where you tell your body to relax. Set aside an allocated amount of time each day to deal with this. Instruct yourself in your mother tongue, this seems to be very important. By this I mean in the structure of the language of the mother tongue - in my case it has mattered that I use VSO (verb, subject, object) as in Irish and not SVO as in English. Astonishingly, this really made a difference to me.

These things retrain your brain and get it out of bad habits.

I
 

accessed the website posted by Tena this morning (NZ time) and I could not miss the advertising banner at the top of the page promoting Barbara Walter's Tuesday Night documentary ad "Living Beyond 150"

http://abcnews.go.com/health/longevity

The U.S. is cranking up these longevity clinics and science is on the verge of extending life beyond 150. That sounds a lot more complicated than finding a cure for cancer, Parkinson's, etc. Maybe science can achieve both goals!!!

Good points...
 

You all made, Keith and Muireann especially.
I just got back from the gym and feel great!
There's no doubt in my mind at all that exercise makes us feel more able, pliable, fit and just happier in general.
I'm definitely going to make the effort to workout like I was previously.
I've been unable to go there over the last 2 months (but not because of anything PD related.)
Cheers,
Lee