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Make Your Move
“ Coming into recovery in 1999 , I had a sponsor who got me to go to the gym . Recovery taught me to deal with life in three ways — mentally , physically and spiritually — to learn to reinvent myself because life is always changing . I do affirmations : I tell myself , I am strong . I am physically fit . In 2002 , I tore my right rotator cuff , and later , I tore the left . I had surgery to repair both and I went back to weightlifting , getting up to benching 225 lbs . Then I tore my left rotator cuff again but never got it repaired . In 2015 , I started having more pain and I couldn ’ t weightlift . I switched to more cardio and tai chi . I ’ ve been managing with injections and physical therapy because I don ’ t want surgery . Life has taught me one thing : you get out of it what you put into it . Physically I am not giving in .”
Kermit Smith
+ Make it a group effort . Join a class , club or gym where there is help available . This could be someone who can show you how to use a machine , confirm technique is correct or provide hands-on instruction . And ask questions — learn how certain exercises work and why it ’ s important to do them .
Pain or injuries : “ Will exercise make my pain or injury worse ?”
Pain can , for some people , be part of Parkinson ’ s disease . Pain can be from the disease itself or from a symptom , like stiffness or muscle cramping ( dystonia ). People with PD ( and older people , with or without PD ) also are more prone to back problems or pain as well as muscle strains or tears , tendon inflammation ( tendonitis ) or ligament strains . These are known as “ musculoskeletal ” issues . They may be more common in PD because of motor symptoms or walking changes that put extra stress or strain on certain areas . Musculoskeletal problems cause different types of pain , such as shoulder stiffness , hip or knee aching , or lower back pain . Pain can make exercise more difficult , and injury requires an exercise break or modification . Consult a physical therapist , who can provide exercises , tools and workarounds as well as ways to prevent pain and injury .
Strategies
+ Motion is lotion . Movement helps lubricate joints , and this is essential for moving more easily and healing injuries . Blood flow , which increases with aerobic exercise , can help heal an injury and ease pain . The key is finding the right type and amount of movement for you and your symptoms .
+ Warm up or cool down . Ice and heat are tools to ease pain and speed recovery . Ice lessens pain and limits inflammation . Heat increases blood flow to support