If you missed our Rowing Exercises for Parkinson’s webcast, watch the video below to learn about four exercises that are great for improving your stroke and your Parkinson’s symptoms too!
Todd is a former collegiate rower and competitive masters rower currently training full-time to qualify for the US Paralympic Team that will race in Tokyo. He’s won medals at a variety of races including US Nationals and the Head of the Charles and represented the US at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Linz, Austria, finishing in 6th place.
Todd has been coaching rowing for over ten years, coaching at all levels from juniors, adults to NCAA Division I rowers. He currently is coaching adults at the Station L Rowing Club here in Portland.
Todd was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s in 2018 at age 43.
After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in her early 30s, Jennifer Parkinson embraced kickboxing as a way to tame her symptoms. Now, she’s helping others fight PD through her nonprofit organization, Neuroboxing.
Jennifer Parkinson was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s in 2005 at the age of 32 and told she’d be confined to a wheelchair and unable to care for her children within a few years. Unwilling to take this news lying down, Parkinson had read about the benefits of non-contact boxing for PD and decided to step into the ring.
Less than 10 years later, she was a certified Rock Steady Boxing coach gearing up to open Title Boxing Club’s PD Fighters Program in Newbury Park, California, with business partners Josh Ripley and Lisa Oliver. The program quickly grew from 15 members in 2014 to nearly 100 in 2016.
Pleased with the success of Title Boxing Club, Parkinson and Ripley decided to branch off to start a new nonprofit, Neuroboxing, so they could serve a broader clientele that would not only include those with Parkinson’s, but also people living with multiple sclerosis or recovering from a stroke or traumatic brain injury. Today, Neuroboxing has eight locations throughout California with plans to expand to additional states.
Fitness techniques backed by research
One of the reasons behind Neuroboxing’s success is that its fitness program is guided by Parkinson’s research and the types of exercises that have been shown to potentially mitigate some of the common symptoms. “High intensity is a core component of every class we teach,” Parkinson said.
Variety is another. “Our classes are always a little different. We incorporate stretching, balance work, cognitive work and activities that challenge fine motor skills, so we’re working on things like grasp, handwriting and voice projection. They’re not the same exact format every time, which has been great for our members. They love and need that variety,” she said.
It helps that Neuroboxing’s fitness trainers have unique teaching styles. “Some do a circuit-style bootcamp workout, others do high-intensity interval training, and others focus on range of motion and big, exaggerated movements. Some get down on the floor and do core work,” Parkinson said.
“We also have a Neurospin cycling class two days a week that is a half-hour, Tabata-style class with lots of intervals where they’ll cycle really fast, then slow down for a few seconds before they speed back up again. In the beginning, the biggest issue was getting our members on and off the bikes. Now they are getting on and off the bikes on their own, and they have better balance. Our oldest client takes our Neurospin class, and he’s 93!”
Ensure no member is left behind
In order to serve a broad range of clients, Neuroboxing offers modified workouts that incorporate props such as chairs and walking poles for members who are in the more advanced stages of PD.
Parkinson and Ripley also make sure that there are at multiple trainers available to provide individual attention as necessary.
“Modifications, multiple instructors and individual attention are so important,” Parkinson emphasized. “You don’t want to be one trainer with 25 clients and wind up spending most of your time with one or two people and not giving the rest of the class the attention that they need.
“We have a great gym with this huge classroom space, then right next door is the boxing gym that has all the hanging bags. We start out with everybody together, then we break down into two separate groups, which allows us to have more time to work with the smaller groups,” she continued.
“One of the trainers will stay with one group and do functional training, like floor exercises or weights. Then the other group will do boxing circuit, then we’ll switch. Even though our class sizes do get big, we’re able to have those smaller breakout groups where we can give more individual attention.”
Have a passion for helping others
Parkinson has experience working in both nonprofit and for-profit PD fitness organizations, and in her opinion, a nonprofit model better suits Neuroboxing’s mission to help as many people as possible regardless if they can afford the monthly membership fees. “We don’t turn anybody away,” she said.
“It helps that this is a passion of mine. This isn’t something that I’m making money off. For me, the more support we can get from grants, the less members have to pay. Ultimately, our goal is to become fully funded, where we can offer Neuroboxing to everybody and not have to worry about anyone paying to work out with us,” Parkinson said.
“My advice for someone who wants to get involved in the Parkinson’s fitness community is that money should not be your primary goal. Your primary goal and driving motivation should be to help people with Parkinson’s. The next step is to volunteer and get some experience working with people with PD so that you understand the challenges they’re facing. Then, get the proper training in order to work with people in this population.”
Paddle sports refer to a group of watersports that require a paddle to steer a vessel through water.
If you’ve never tried a paddle sport before, get ready for the time of your life!
Whether you’re taking a Caribbean cruise or going on a fishing trip with friends or family, there’s something inherently adventurous about getting off dry land and onto a boat, right?
But with paddle sports, you’re not just on a boat, you feel like you are the boat because you’re using your own strength to power the vessel.
That strength mainly comes from rotating the torso. This repetitive, rotatory movement of the torso is helpful to people with Parkinson’s who struggle with rigidity.
Torso rotations get a bit more challenging later on, so paddle sports are a great way to combat the symptoms of PD, while keeping the body nice and flexible.
Examples of paddle sports include:
Canoeing
This is mostly an open boat sport, done in a long narrow boat using a single bladed paddle. With canoes, the paddler either kneels or sits on a raised seat inside the deck with their knees bent. You can take a canoe to calm lakes, mild moving rivers or even whitewater if you’re feeling adventurous.
Kayaking
Kayaks allow paddlers to sit close to the bottom of the boat with outstretched legs. Kayaking paddles are long, double-bladed paddles used to alternatively row on both sides of the kayak without the need to switch sides. People generally use kayaks on calm or only slightly moving water, like lakes, or gently flowing rivers, but you can also take them out on the ocean and in whitewater.
Standup Paddle Boarding
Yep, this is pretty much exactly how it sounds. Paddle boarding is when you stand up on what looks like an oversized surfboard. You use a long single bladed paddle to propel yourself across the water. Want to test your balance skills even further? Try standup paddle board yoga, which is doing yoga on a paddleboard.
The most fun you’ll have getting a full-body workout
You don’t have to be a high-endurance athlete to do paddle sports, so there is no need to feel intimidated. People of all ages and fitness levels can safely and easily enjoy this activity.
Paddle sports involve big, flowing, multi-segmental movements of the whole body, meaning you’re in for a solid full-body workout.
One advantage to paddle sports is that you work muscles in ways you can’t achieve with an ordinary trip to the gym. Sure, you can get an intense workout from doing a ton of reps on various weight machines.
But if you’re looking to shake things up a bit, try paddle sporting instead. Chances are you’ll achieve the same increased muscle strength in your back, arms, shoulders and chest, while getting a great cardiovascular workout.
Yet paddle sports are so much fun, you forget that you’re actually exercising until you wake up sore and sunburned the next morning. (Don’t forget your sunscreen!) Oh, there’s also the fact that you’re gliding through water with the beauty and grace of a majestic sea creature.
Just remember that medium- to high-intensity exercise is best when it comes to slowing down the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Like any other fitness activity, paddle sports are more effective when you push yourself to try something more challenging.
At the same time, always listen to your body when it tells you to slow down, rest or drink water. Safety comes first.
Safety tips to remember when paddle sporting
- 1. When you climb aboard your vessel, have someone hold it steady or grab the sides of the boat for balance or walk along the center to keep it from rocking side to side.
- 2. Don’t forget the essentials: food, water, compass, first aid kit, sun protection, etc. Keep them in a water-proof bag tied to your vessel.
- 3. Be aware of the currents in the water. Don’t try to do paddle sports in bad weather.
- 4. Don’t let big waves hit the side of your vessel. Try to keep it at a right angle to the waves to avoid getting tipped over.
- 5. Stay away from low-hanging trees or branches near the shore.
- 6. Last, but never least, always wear your lifejacket!
Parkinson’s increases the risk for melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer. Learn how to protect yourself.
Finally! The long, sunny days of summer are here. It’s prime time for outdoor activities: biking and walking, strolling local festivals, and cooling off at the beach or pool.
But the common denominator among all these activities is sun exposure—something people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), who have an increased risk for developing melanoma—need to guard against.
The link between PD and this potentially lethal type of skin cancer is well known. Most recently, a study published in 2017 in Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that people with PD had almost four times the risk of developing melanoma compared with those without.
The association went both ways, with the data showing people with a history of melanoma had four times the risk of developing PD.
Scientists don’t yet understand the connections between the two diseases—some speculate common genetic, environmental or immune system issues could underlie both conditions.
Fortunately, questions on how to safeguard your skin from ultraviolet (UV) light exposure—one of the primary risk factors for melanoma—are easier to answer.
Sunscreen is your best friend
Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen (one that protects against both UVA and UVB light) daily, even if you’re not spending significant time outdoors.
It’s not just the high-intensity exposure of reflected UV light from city streets, sand or water that can up your risk for melanoma and other skin cancers—damaging UV light can reach you on overcast days and through windows.
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends choosing a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen of 30 SPF or higher.
Apply 15 minutes before getting into the sun and use enough product (about 1 ounce, an amount that would fill a shot glass) to generously coat all skin not covered by clothing.
Don’t forget your lips, ears, hands and feet. Reapply every two hours and right after getting out of the water or heavy sweating.
Cover it up
The Skin Cancer Foundation reports that your clothing is the single most important thing protecting you from the sun. Sun-protective clothing, made with tightly woven fibers, shuts out harmful rays.
Look for clothes with a UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) label. A shirt with a UPF of 50 allows only one fiftieth of the sun’s UV rays to penetrate, for example. The Skin Cancer Foundation advises choosing clothes with a UPF of 30 or higher.
Today’s options for sun-protective gear include everything from beachwear to hats to casual wear and dresses. There also are many sports-specific options, from high UPF fishing and hiking shirts and pants to arm sleeves and jerseys for cyclists.
Grab some shade
Take umbrellas or pop-up sun canopies to the beach and carry a parasol or shelter under a tree at outdoor events.
You will still need to wear sunscreen and/or sun-protective clothing, but placing a barrier between you and the sun’s rays will reduce UV exposure and melanoma risk.
Make sure to take shelter between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when the sun’s UV light is at its most intense.
Protect those peepers
Eyes need protection from the sun, too. Look for pairs that block both UVA and UVB light and styles that wrap around or cover the delicate skin around the eyes.
Get personalized guidance on your melanoma risk
Factors other than PD, including family history, number of moles, and skin type, can affect risk for melanoma. Talk your doctor to understand your individual risk and how often you—or a dermatologist—should do a thorough skin check.
By Emily Delzell
After a particularly tough year, retired Seattle firefighter Mick Fish was looking for a way to mitigate his Parkinson’s symptoms while coping with grief.
Mick Fish usually does his workout classes at the Seattle-based Parkinson’s Fitness Project in person. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he now takes physical therapist Nate Coomer’s A.M.P. (Amplitude + Mental Agility + Power) neurofitness classes online.
“I can’t say enough about Nate Coomer. He is a marvelous resource. He’s knowledgeable, compassionate and works like a dog. We all appreciate him very much,” Fish said. “With the pandemic going on, he produces the twice-a-week class on Zoom, which you can do at home. It’s still beneficial, but it doesn’t replace exercising with a group. Anytime you can feel part of a group and make a commitment to show up, that’s a very good thing.”
Fish, 66, had just retired from the Seattle Fire Department when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2015. “When I went to see the neurologist, the question was actually, ‘How was your sense of smell?’ I said, ‘That’s interesting. I don’t have a sense of smell anymore.’ I had always attributed it to being a firefighter and maybe the toxic fumes or smoke. Turns out it’s an early harbinger of PD,” Fish said.
He suspected it might be Parkinson’s when he noticed his right thumb tremoring while he was driving. “It got more and more intense to the point where I couldn’t control it,” Fish said. “Then I noticed that my legs were tremoring too. My wife noticed I had a stone face, and one thing Parkinson’s does is take away your facial affect.”
Fish was a physical therapist before he was a firefighter, so he had some experience working with people with Parkinson’s. “I thought, ‘My word! How is this going to manifest itself for me?’ There was no panic or anything, just a matter-of-fact kind of curiosity. I was looking to a neurologist to give me a clue on what would be the best things to do,” Fish said.
“Then, on top of that, my wife passed away four months after I was diagnosed. It was a bad year. I found myself alone not knowing how quickly this would progress, whether I’d still be able to drive in three months or walk in three years. With the amount of grief that I was feeling at the time, I had to burn off that emotion and energy.”
Exercise can be a balancing act
Fish’s neurologist referred him to a physical therapist, Coomer, who helped influence him to embrace fitness as a way to help mitigate his symptoms. “Nate is a great motivator. He is upbeat and constantly coming up with new combinations. Every time I go, he’s thought about something new or changed something to challenge us, so you don’t feel like you’re in a rut,” he said.
Fish said he reaps the benefits of Parkinson’s-specific fitness classes because they not only challenge him physically, but cognitively as well.
“We often start with people in a circle,” he described. “Nate will give a command like step left or right, in or out toward the center of circle, or up or down where you raise your arms up or squat down to the floor. He starts slowly, then it goes faster and faster. We always repeat his commands because Parkinson’s takes away your voice eventually, so we are using our voices as much and as loudly as possible.
“A thorough workout every day seems to help slow the progression of the disease and keep me as functional as my current level can be,” Fish continued. “When I don’t do the workouts, I notice things deteriorating. Yet, there is a balancing act. I want to increase my stamina, but if I work out too much, I am exhausted the next day. One of the symptoms of PD is extreme fatigue. You want to maintain your fitness level without wiping yourself out.”
Countless studies have found that exercise is effective when it comes to mitigating Parkinson’s symptoms, but what about diet? Research on this topic offers fascinating, but mixed, results.
We know that a healthy lifestyle is fundamental to mitigating Parkinson’s symptoms, and there has been extensive research done over the years that demonstrates the benefits of exercise on Parkinson’s disease (PD). But how might other lifestyle aspects, such as diet, play a role in PD, and is there any research exploring those avenues? The short answer is … yes!
There has been myriad research conducted over the years investigating the connection between Parkinson’s and diet. Some studies explored whether nutritional supplements like fish oil could help mitigate symptoms or slow down disease progression, while others investigated if a certain diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, could potentially reduce one’s risk of developing early signs of Parkinson’s disease.
Here is a roundup of current developments in Parkinson’s diet research.
Mediterranean diet related to lower probability of prodromal Parkinson’s
We know that a Mediterranean diet is frequently recommended for people with Parkinson’s disease, but has there been any research to indicate whether it could slow disease progression or even reduce one’s risk of developing the disease?
A study published in the October 2018 issue of Movement Disorders suggests that adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with lower prodromal PD in older adults. Prodromal PD refers to the stage in which individuals are not officially diagnosed with Parkinson’s but exhibit signs and symptoms that indicate a higher-than-average risk of developing motor symptoms and a PD diagnosis in the future.
A large group of older adults in Greece took a detailed food frequency questionnaire that was used to evaluate their Mediterranean diet intake score, with higher scores indicating a higher adherence to that specific diet. Researchers found that individuals with a higher Mediterranean diet intake score were less likely to develop prodromal PD.
The data was driven by mostly non-motor markers of PD: depression, constipation and daytime drowsiness, and authors of the study noted that further research was needed to determine the potential relation to Mediterranean diet and delayed onset or lower incidence of PD. Click here to read more.
Keto diet may affect motor and nonmotor symptoms in Parkinson’s
Scientists have long been speculating whether diet can influence motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s, but they haven’t always agreed on the ideal fat to carbohydrate ratio.
A group of researchers designed a pilot study to compare the safety and efficacy of a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet vs. a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, “ketogenic” diet in a group of Parkinson’s patients in New Zealand. There were 47 people with PD who participated, of which 44 commenced the diets and 38 completed the study. The results of the study were published in the August 2018 edition of Movement Disorders.
Study participants were divided into two groups – one on a traditional low-fat, high-carb diet and the other on a high-fat, low-carb keto diet. The researchers found that both diet groups significantly improved in motor and nonmotor symptoms; however, the ketogenic group showed greater improvements in nonmotor symptoms. To read more, click here.
Fish oil, uridine show potential for offsetting gastrointestinal issues in PD
One of the non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease is gastrointestinal (GI) issues, such as constipation. It is understood that some of these non-motor symptoms precede the classic motor symptoms like bradykinesia by many years and that their occurrence in otherwise healthy people may be an indicator of increased PD risk.
That’s why, in recent years, scientists have shifted their attention to investigating the GI tract and the enteric nervous system (ENS) – a mesh-like system of neurons that governs the function of the gastrointestinal tract – in relation to the development of Parkinson’s disease. In a study published online in March 2017 in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience, researchers speculated whether introduction of a diet rich in uridine and fish oil might offset some of the GI issues connected to Parkinson’s.
To test their theory, they administered the neurotoxin rotenone in mice in order to induce a Parkinson’s-like neurological disease. As suspected, the mice began to exhibit PD-like motor symptoms, dopamine loss and constipation. The mice who were given a diet rich in fish oil and uridine a week before their exposure to rotenone had reduced motor and GI dysfunctions compared to the mice who didn’t.
While more research on this topic is needed, the researchers noted, it’s feasible that a diet rich in fish oil and uridine may possibly offset some of the motor symptoms and gastrointestinal issues in PD patients. For more information on this study, click here.
Get to know which fruits and veggies are in season right now, where to find seasonal produce in your area, and how to incorporate them into mouthwatering recipes.
Scientific research—not to mention common sense—taught us that eating a nutrient-dense, plant-based diet helps us feel better from the inside-out. It’s how we nourish our brains, optimize digestion and keep the other complicated systems of the human body running like a well-oiled machine.
To get the best nutritional bang for your buck, reach for the fruit and veggies that are in season right now.
Seasonal produce is fresher, tastier and packed with more nutrients. It’s also more cost-efficient since the rules of supply and demand dictate that the more abundant the produce, the lower the prices. Plus, acquiring seasonal produce from nearby farms boosts the local economy, which means you’re not only helping yourself – you’re helping your community.
Where can I find seasonal produce in my area?
Seasonalfoodguide.org is one of the most comprehensive national databases of seasonal produce available in the U.S. You can search by state or month to learn where and when local produce is in peak season in your area. You can also search by produce item to find out where and when your favorite fruits and veggies are at their ripest.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a program called Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-ED) that offers nutrition education to fight obesity and improve health outcomes. SNAP-ED also has a helpful seasonal nutrition guide that explains which produce is in season across the U.S.
Living in the era of convenience isn’t always a bad thing now that we have subscription services like Full Circle, Farmbox Direct and Imperfect Produce that allow you to shop online for local, seasonal – not to mention affordable – produce and have it shipped directly to your door.
Which fruits and veggies are in season right now?
Summer is an excellent time of year to experiment with new recipes because markets and gardens are overflowing with vibrant veggies and plump, juicy fruits in their prime. Here are just a few summer seasonal staples that await you in the months of June, July and August.
• Arugula
• Beets
• Berries
• Cherries
• Lima beans
• Nectarines
• Okra
• Peaches
• Radishes
• Sugar snap peas
• Summer squash
• Tomatoes
• Watermelon
• Yukon gold potatoes
• Zucchini
How about some easy summer recipes I can try at home?
Say no more! It’s berry season for a reason. Try making your own healthy versions of ice cream or sorbet at home. Or blend up your favorite fruits and veggies with ice into a smoothie to get your daily nutritional requirements. Check out our smoothie guide for some fresh ideas.
Here are a few more recipes that incorporate summer seasonal produce:
• Asparagus and Tomato Farro Salad
• Healthy Zucchini Muffins
• Garlic Roasted Radishes
Daily meditation can have numerous benefits for our physical and mental health.
A daily, consistent practice can help you reap the benefits or meditation. But when life gets hectic, it can be hard to keep up with a daily practice. You may also need extra support to get started. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of resources to help you start your meditation journey.
Free Resources
UCLA Health
The UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center has a variety of free, guided meditations online. The organization also hosts a weekly podcast to keep you motivated.
The Chopra Center
The prominent alternative medicine guru has teamed up with Oprah Winfrey to offer a free, 21-day online meditation experience.
Tara Brach
If you’re familiar with the widely used meditation app Calm (see below) than you’ve likely heard the calm, soothing voice of guest contributor Tara Brach. She has her own website with a variety of resources and guided meditations at tarabrach.com.
Fragrant Heart
Fragrant Heart has a variety of meditation resources available on its website including guided audio meditations. When you sign up for the organization’s newsletter, you’ll also receive a free, five-day course.
Meditation for Beginners
The St. Paul’s Girl Scout Troop found this informative blog article on the Theater Seat Store website, which has information for people who want to begin a meditation practice. The article includes tips for motivation and affirmations, which Hailey and the other scouts wanted to share with us! Thank you St. Paul’s Girl Scout Troop!
Paid Resources
Calm
Touted as the #1 meditation app, Calm has a variety of guided meditations, meditation master classes, soothing tunes and stories to help you sleep. The app that includes guest spots from LeBron James and Matthew McConaughey has a free 7-day trial period after which you’ll be billed $69 annually.
Headspace
If you’re not convinced to give meditation a try, headspace may be a fit for you. In addition to guided meditations and other resources, headspace is committed to advancing the field of mindfulness meditation through clinically-validated research on their product. The first two weeks are free after which you’ll be billed $69.99 annually.
Keep up with your exercise goals at home with the online resources listed below.
Online Exercise Classes
Selected Classes By Type
Variety of Activities
Dance
Tai Chi
- Academy of Modern Martial Arts: Now is a great time to try Tai Chi! AMMA’s YouTube channel has free Tai Chi for PD videos to learn at home.
Boxing
Yoga
