Just because you’re stuck indoors doesn’t mean you’re confined to the couch. Here are five exercise ideas that will keep the whole family happy and healthy.
When the weather turns cooler, it’s practically a rite of passage to wrap up in your favorite blanket and get cozy on the couch for a TV or movie binge-a-thon. But similar to eating your favorite sweets, playing the latest video games, or checking your social media accounts, some things are better done in moderation, right?
We know that exercise is the best medicine for Parkinson’s disease, but it can be downright difficult to stay motivated to work out during the fall and winter seasons. That’s why we came up with five creative ideas to stay active indoors that will make the whole family want to join the fun.
1. Make the most out of that Netflix binge.
Let’s say you can’t resist binging your favorite movie or TV show. Fair enough! We’re not here to judge. But why not turn it into a fitness activity while you’re catching up on the latest season?
When you hear a certain word or catchphrase on a movie or TV show, do a pushup, sit-up or jumping jack. Assign a word or phrase to a specific exercise move so that whenever you hear the word, you do the move associated with that word.
Here’s an example: When you hear the word, “football” – do a pushup. When you hear the word, “no” – do a sit-up. When you hear the name of one of the characters on the show, e.g., “Joe” – do a jumping jack.
When you hear more than one of those words in a sentence, you’ll find yourself challenged to do a sequence of moves. For instance, “No, Joe. I don’t want to play football!” would be a sit-up, followed by a jumping jack, followed by a pushup.
This can be done in a group by having each person choose an exercise to go with a certain word or catch phrase, and then the group switches to the next person’s rules during commercial breaks or every 15 minutes.
2. Shake your groove thing.
Dancing is one of the best fitness activities for people with Parkinson’s. Besides strengthening your heart and lungs, lowering your cholesterol and blood pressure, burning calories, improving your immune system and boosting your mood, dancing helps counter brain shrinkage and maintain healthy connections between your brain and body.
Feeling shy? Don’t be. This isn’t a “So You Think You Can Dance” audition, so why not turn up your favorite music and dance around the living room like nobody’s watching?
If there are people watching, even better! You can make it a fun group activity by playing “Freeze Dance.” Each person takes a turn manning the music selection. When they hit pause on the stereo, that’s the group’s cue to freeze and stay in the same position until the music restarts. Trust us, hilarity will ensue.
As a bonus, this gives you a chance to retrain your brain on what to do in the event that you do find yourself in an unintentional freeze.
3. Combine exercise with card games.
Who says you have to remain seated when playing cards? Grab a traditional deck of cards and play 52 Pickup. Here’s an example of how to play, but you can adjust the rules according to your group’s fitness capabilities, such as swapping cardio for stretching:
• Hearts (cardiovascular)—jumping jacks, jump rope, running laps around the house, mountain climbers
• Diamonds (core strength)—plank, sit-ups, leg lifts, scissor kicks
• Spades (legs)—squats, burpees, lunges, wall sits
• Clubs (arms)—push-ups, air punches, dips
On the same sheet of paper, write out how many repetitions of each exercise must be performed when a certain card is drawn. For instance, two through nine of a certain suit, such as hearts, would equal two through nine jumping jacks. Jack, queen and king could equal 10, 11, and 12 repetitions of that exercise. Ace could equal one. And pulling a Joker would involve jogging a lap around the house.
Spread out the cards upside down in the middle of the room. Each person takes turns drawing a card and must perform the number of repetitions for the exercise matching the card. You can increase the level of intensity of the game by keeping people on a 60-second timer when doing the exercises.
4. Simon says, “Revisit some playground classics.”
Nowadays, there are game consoles like Wii Fit that combine our love of video games with exercise to keep family members active. But part of our duty as adults is to teach younger generations the games we used to play in simpler “tech-free” times when kids relied on their own imaginations to make the most out of their recess break.
Do you remember “Simon Says?” Standing in front of the group, the person designated as “Simon” gives commands to the other players. However, the players must only obey commands that begin with the words, “Simon Says.” When Simon says, “Simon says, ‘Do 10 jumping jacks,’” then players must do 10 jumping jacks. If Simon doesn’t say “Simon Says” first but members of the group still do the command, they are out of the game. The remaining person gets to be the next Simon.
How about “Traffic Cop/Red Light, Green Light?” One person is chosen to be the traffic cop. All the players stand on the starting line and the traffic cop has their back to the rest of the players. When the traffic cop says, “green light,” players try to run to the finish line. When the traffic cop says, “red light,” they turn around and the players must stop in their tracks. The person who reaches the finish line first gets to be the next traffic cop.
Not only do these old-school playground activities give kids and adults alike the chance to run around and blow off steam, there are some serious brain-boosting exercises going on here. Research has found that games like “Simon Says” and “Traffic Cop” help children develop complex cognitive skills, while improving their memory and processing speed—which makes them ideal for people with Parkinson’s too.
By Kathryn Jones
Online tool helps people with Parkinson’s achieve their fitness goals
Portland, Ore. (Sept. 9, 2019) – The Brian Grant Foundation (BGF) has launched Team Grant, an easy-to-use online tool that allows people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) to set fitness goals, track their exercise activities, earn badges for working out, and connect with others in the PD community.
At team-grant.briangrant.org, Team Grant members can create a profile where they can set fitness goals, track their exercise activity and monitor their progress. Each time a Team Grant member logs an activity on their profile, they are one step closer to earning a fun fitness badge. Users can also integrate their Team Grant fitness activity with a Fitbit wearable device.
Members of Team Grant will receive the latest information about managing Parkinson’s symptoms through diet and exercise, including fitness and nutrition tips, interviews with experts, profiles of people in the Parkinson’s community, and more. They’ll also get updates from BGF founder Brian Grant, a former National Basketball Association player who was diagnosed with young onset Parkinson’s in 2008.
“Playing in the NBA taught me about accountability to my teammates,” said Brian Grant. “Together, we were able to overcome great odds. I believe Team Grant can build that same culture for the Parkinson’s community so that we can live our lives to the fullest.”
Team Grant is based on a former project of BGF and the World Parkinson Congress (WPC), called the Power Through Project, which was a marketing campaign for the WPC in September 2016. Power Through Project users formed teams to track their activity on a web-based map from Montreal, the site of the WPC 2013 to Portland, the site of the WPC 2016. The success of the Power Through Project campaign inspired the recently launched Team Grant network, where users can now set their own individual fitness goals and track their success toward achieving them.
Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects cells in the brain that produce dopamine, a chemical messenger that helps to control movement. The outward signs of Parkinson’s may include tremors, slowness of movement, balance problems and rigidity. Though there is no cure for Parkinson’s, research has shown that physical activity, healthy eating and social connections are important aspects for managing the condition and improving quality of life with the disease.
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About Brian Grant Foundation
Founded in 2010, the Brian Grant Foundation (BGF) provides proven tools to improve the well-being of people with Parkinson’s. BGF’s efforts focus on wellness, specifically exercise, nutrition, and emotional health programs. Visit www.briangrant.org to learn more.
Standing up straight and keeping your posture strong gets harder with Parkinson’s, but there are many ways to improve your stance. Doing so will improve your balance, which is critical to maintaining mobility and avoiding falls. Improving balance and posture will also help you stay flexible so you can sit, stand and reach with less effort and pain.
Better posture also means easier breathing (a stooped stance makes it harder to take deep breaths); less neck, shoulder, and back pain; and more energy. Impaired posture and balance make the body work harder with every move and can wear you out quickly.
Here are five ways to help straighten up your spine and build better balance:
1. Try Yoga or Tai Chi.
These practices emphasize strength, flexibility and body awareness—all of which make for healthier posture and balance. Studies of yoga in people with Parkinson’s, for example, show eight to 12 weeks of the practice improves people’s scores on tests of postural control, balance, flexibility and muscle strength.
Tai Chi also gives people with Parkinson’s more control over their posture, including when they’re negotiating obstacles, as well as improved balance and a significantly lower fall risk.
2. Ask an expert.
Physical therapists (PTs) are experts in improving physical function, and 2017 research shows not enough Parkinson’s patients in the U.S. tap into their skills. In a few sessions, PTs can hone in on individual posture and balance challenges, as well as assess your particular limitations and design an at-home or gym-based program that works for you.
A PT can show you how to safely strengthen back, shoulder and other muscles that help keep the spine erect; moves that encourage flexibility in the body’s large muscles; and exercises that enhance proprioception or your ability to know where your body is in space—a major key to good balance.
PTs also teach exercises designed specifically to improve the postural problems of Parkinson’s, like these offered by the University of Florida Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration.
3. Check yourself.
Parkinson’s affects the brain’s ability to send automatic reminders to stand up straight and keep shoulders from rounding. The muscular stiffness and rigidity of PD can add to unhealthy postures. People with the condition who’ve developed a stooped posture or rounded shoulders may feel like they’re about to fall over backward when they’re actually upright. See where you really stand by using a mirror several times a day to view your posture from the front and sides.
4. Power up an exergame.
Computer-based exercise games are making inroads as an evidence-based treatment for poor balance and other symptoms of Parkinson’s. Studies of the technology in people with PD mostly use Nintendo Wii Fit systems, which combine an electronic board that detects users’ weight and center of balance with on-screen games. Research comparing Wii Fit balance games with traditional balance training showed the high-tech option improved balance significantly more than conventional training.
5. Bolster bone health.
Parkinson’s isn’t the only factor in older adults that affects posture. Osteoporosis, or thinning bones, can cause spinal vertebrae to compress, leading to a bent-over posture and pain. Ask your doctor about your risk of osteoporosis. He or she can do a bone density scan and, if needed, prescribe medications that work quickly to improve bone health and lower risk of spine and hip fractures.
There’s a lot you can do to prevent osteoporosis. Weight-bearing exercise is one of the best ways to preserve bone mass. A diet high in calcium helps keep bones strong, and vitamin D is another key nutrient for bone health in which many people are deficient. Your doctor can check your levels and prescribe supplements to build bone health and keep you standing strong.
Get a dose of whole grains and veggies with this asparagus and tomato faro salad from our partners at Market of Choice. This dish is filled with nutrients that support healthy living with Parkinson’s.
Ingredients
1 cup faro
4 cups water
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 bunch of asparagus
1/2 pint halved cherry tomatoes
8-10 cloves of roasted garlic
12 kalamata olives
1/2 lemon
Fresh oregano, parsley, arugula, spinach
Salt and pepper
Instructions
Add faro, water and pinch of salt to a saucepan. Cover, bring to a boil and cook about 20-30 minutes until the faro softens.
Add olive oil to a separate pan and warm over medium heat.
Trim the ends off the asparagus and cut into 1″ sections. Add to the pan and stir to coat in the olive oil.
When the asparagus has softened, add lemon juice and stir.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the roasted garlic, tomatoes and kalamata olives to the asparagus and stir.
Toss with faro, arugula, spinach and oregano. Finish with salt and pepper and serve!
Watch Chef Greg from Market of Choice prepare this dish and follow along!
After a Parkinson’s diagnosis forced him to retire from a successful career in IT, Fulvio Capitanio dedicated his life to helping others with Parkinson’s around the world.
At the time he was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s disease in 2007, Fulvio Capitanio was an economist and manager at a global information technology firm in Barcelona, Spain.
“You never imagined that, at the age of 40, a little problem with handwriting or walking could be related to Parkinson’s disease. It’s really shocking to hear that about yourself because you always related Parkinson’s to older people like Pope John Paul II or Muhammad Ali,” said Capitanio.
“It’s not like breaking your leg and having it fixed in six months. In this case, it’s going to progress over a long period of time, and it’s going to change the way you cope with it.”
Capitanio’s main concern at the time of his diagnosis was figuring out how to continue providing for his family and whether he was obligated to notify his employer. He spoke with his neurologist and lawyer to determine the best course of action.
“I wanted a clear visual of all the cards in my deck,” he said. “I decided I wanted to go on working. When you’re a manager at a top IT company, you can show no weakness. I was performing at 120% because I didn’t want the disease to affect my performance.
“When you light the candle at both ends, you have twice the amount of brightness. But it won’t last as long if it’s burning on both sides. I was accelerating the disease because I was increasing my stress level. After two years, I decided to retire.”
But retired life didn’t suit Capitanio. He became depressed and felt like he had too much time on his hands. He didn’t want to spend his days on the couch watching Netflix.
“My thought was ‘How can I be entitled to ask for help in 10 years if I didn’t do anything to help others while I am in good health now?’ That was the moment I decided to invest my time in helping people.”
Advocating for Parkinson’s on a global scale
Capitanio and four friends he met through an online Parkinson’s forum started an organization called “Unidos contra el Parkinson” (Together against Parkinson’s disease).
Disappointed by the lack of Parkinson’s resources available in Spanish and Italian, the group set out to create a Parkinson’s resource page that could be accessed by Parkinson’s patients in Europe and South America.
They also created a comic book for kids called “Through the eyes of a child” to help parents explain PD to their children. “It’s not easy to explain to children that their father or mother, who is invincible, is going to have health problems and cannot take care of you as well as he or she was doing before,” Capitanio said.
Capitanio’s work through Unidos contra el Parkinson eventually led him to become an ambassador for the World Parkinson Coalition (WPC). Over the past few years, he has worked ardently to bring the sixth-annual WPC meeting to his hometown of Barcelona, Spain, in 2022.
One of Capitanio’s most memorable moments was meeting Brian Grant at an event in Albany, New York, in 2012.
“I was a basketball player, so it was incredible to meet an NBA star,” he said. We started talking about our daily worries and were sharing our experiences mitigating symptoms through nutrition and exercise.”
While Parkinson’s medications can work wonders for mitigating symptoms, Capitanio noted, people with Parkinson’s can further enrich their lives with complementary therapies such as diet and exercise.
“The more active you are, the more you are going to improve your life. When you feel healthier, you are going to think more positively. If you think more positively, you are going to be more active. It’s a continuous loop,” he said.
One way Capitanio stays active is mountain climbing with his friend and fellow Parkinson’s activist Vincent “Enzo” Simone, who we wrote about in a recent article.
In 2005, Simone created the “10 Mountains 10 Years” project, which he describes as “the longest, the highest and most arduous outdoor epic awareness and fundraising campaign of its kind.” The project became the subject of an award-winning motion picture documentary.
Capitanio worked with Simone to subtitle the documentary in Spanish and Italian, and bring screenings of the film to Europe. He also joined Simone in scaling two of those mountains in Italy in 2015 and in Peru in 2017.
“Living with Parkinson’s can be a pain in the neck,” Capitanio said. “It’s alright to be angry, to get mad or to break something if you feel like it’s going to help you release your anger. But you cannot be stuck in this feeling for the rest of your life.
“It’s the end of the life you planned, but it’s not the end of your life,” he continued. “You need to build a new life with the tools you have available at the moment. You have to play the cards you were given. It’s up to you to play your hand the best way you can.”
Some people call tai chi “meditation in motion,” but we think it should be called “medicine in motion” because of its benefits on Parkinson’s symptoms.
If you love watching martial arts movies but never imagined yourself doing the same dashing moves as Bruce Lee, don’t give up on yourself just yet. Tai chi is a Chinese martial art that improves symptoms of Parkinson’s safely, while kicking anxiety and stress to the curb.
Tai chi is when you move through a series of graceful motions without pausing, sort of like gentle flow yoga. And just like yoga, there are myriad styles of tai chi, with each style having its own set of poses or forms. These forms, such as “white crane spreads its wings,” range from eight to 108 depending on the style.
Although the true origins of tai chi are mysterious and open for debate, the concepts are rooted in Taoism and Confucianism. The founder of tai chi is said to be Zhang Sanfeng, a 12th-century Taoist monk who left his monastery to create his own form of fighting based on softness.
To the layperson, it almost looks as if you’re doing kung fu in slow motion. But instead of gearing up for a fight, you’re engaging in a slow, choreographed dance that strengthens the body and relaxes the mind – hence the expression “meditation in motion.”
You find yourself breathing deeply and naturally while transitioning moves, which sends a calming sensation throughout the entire body. According to tai chi philosophy, that calming sensation relates to the proper flow of an energy force known as “qi.”
Tai chi helps alleviate common Parkinson’s symptoms
Tai chi movements are very gentle, meaning they don’t put any extra strain on the muscles or joints, which makes them ideal for people with Parkinson’s who struggle with stiffness and rigidity. Some of these moves can be done seated and can be easily adapted to varying levels of physical capability, including those recovering from stroke or surgery or in the later stages of PD.
The fear of falling, a symptom of Parkinson’s, leaves a lasting impression on the mind, which actually increases your chances of falling. Doing tai chi on a regular basis is believed to reduce that fear and decrease your chances of taking a spill.
Researchers have found that this low-impact, slow-motion exercise improves balance, posture and flexibility and can help reduce freezing episodes and the risk of falls.
People living with PD are believed to have an impairment in their proprioception, which is the unconscious perception or “sense” of movement and how our bodies take up space. Tai chi helps retrain this sense by improving the function of sensory neurons in the inner ear and stretch receptors in the muscles and ligaments.
In other words, the art of flowing from one movement to the next helps strengthen the way your mind communicates with your body.
According to a 2012 report in the New England Journal of Medicine, a team from the Oregon Research Institute recruited 195 men and women with mild to moderate Parkinson’s to participate in a special exercise study.
Participants were randomly assigned to twice-weekly sessions of either tai chi, strength-building exercising or stretching. After six months, those who did tai chi were stronger and experienced better balance than the other two groups. The tai chi group also had fewer falls and slower rates of decline in motor control.
Ever since research has demonstrated the benefits of tai chi for Parkinson’s, tai chi classes for Parkinson’s patients have been popping up across the country, and the martial art is quickly becoming an add-on to current PD physical therapies.
Additional studies show that tai chi’s calming influence is not only helpful for PD patients, but for their caregivers and loved ones as well. So why not get the whole family together for a tai chi session?
Before you fire up the grill for your Independence Day cookout, consider these healthier takes on traditional barbecue fare.
Fourth of July isn’t quite Independence Day without star-spangled outfits, family cookouts and an epic fireworks display. Tradition plays a key role in Fourth of July celebrations. For most folks, that means grilling out.
We know that it’s tradition to nosh on burgers, hot dogs, potato salad and other barbecue staples on this holiday. We’re encouraging our friends in the Parkinson’s community to have fun, stay hydrated and eat healthy this Fourth of July. Oh yes, and don’t forget to wear sunblock!
Tasty alternatives to burgers and hotdogs
Beef may be the Fourth of July protein of choice, but hear us out, grill masters. The taste of fish cooked over an open flame is hard to beat. Swordfish, tuna and even snapper make great barbecue options.
Salmon steaks are the best choice for people with Parkinson’s because they’re chockful of omega-3s. Salmon is already meatier and richer in flavor than most fish. But if you marinate it in teriyaki seasonings? Trust us, that is next-level deliciousness.
Don’t forget to have meat-free options for your vegetarian and vegan friends. They know personally how much veggie burgers have evolved over the years. You might even consider trying one yourself.
But to each their own! If you can’t go without the burgers or hot dogs, consider skipping the bun to keep your calorie count down. Or choose a whole grain bun to add fiber to your diet for the day. And don’t forget to add plenty of green leafy veggies, tomatoes, onions and other veggies!
Grill fresh veggies and fruit
Fries and potato chips usually make an appearance at Independence Day celebrations, but if you really want to take the flavor up a notch, try sweet potato instead.
Bake them into chips or fries. Or, wrap them in aluminum foil as you would a regular potato, and then load them up with your favorite condiments. You could also bring out the sweetness of the sweet potato with a little bit of honey.
We can’t talk about grilling vegetables without mentioning the four magical words: CORN ON THE COB. Corn counts as a vegetable, and it’s high in fiber. Just go easy on the butter and salt.
Why do vegetables somehow taste better after they’ve been placed on a skewer and roasted over an open flame? Well the same principle applies to fruit. Grilling fresh fruit caramelizes its natural sugars. Mangos, peaches and pineapples are good options. They’re also an excellent substitution for cupcakes, cookies or pie.
Make your own popsicles and ice cream.
Popsicles are an ideal desert for Independence Day because they are not only delicious but hydrating! Try out some low-fat, sugar-free or vegan versions for a guilt-free treat. Or you can make your own popsicles with fresh fruit and almond milk or coconut milk.
Conventional ice cream is loaded with calories, sugar, and fat. But not if you prepare your own. The night before, blend together 1 cup of low fat, low sugar vanilla yogurt, ¼ cup peanut butter, 1 scoop whey protein powder, 2 tablespoons of powdered stevia, and ½ cup of light coconut milk.
Blend this up until smooth and then place in a 9 by 9-inch baking tray in the freezer until frozen. Freeze overnight and about 20 minutes prior to serving, take it out and set it on the counter. Let it thaw for 10-15 minutes and then gently break up the frozen mixture, stirring to create a soft ice cream consistency.
Skin problems are common in Parkinson’s.
People with the disease may experience increased oiliness, changes in perspiration or red, itchy and flaky skin. Seborrheic dermatitis, a condition where the sebaceous glands produce too much oil, may actually occur before the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s that often lead to a diagnosis.
Though the exact mechanisms behind skin changes in Parkinson’s are not well understood, it may be that skin is affected by the disease itself or by the side effects of PD medications. Internal inflammation, yeast overgrowth and sebum (sweat gland production) also influence changes in the skin.
Top foods for skin health
For those of you experiencing skin changes, here are my top foods to help optimize skin health:
Foods to limit
Sugar
Dairy
Processed Foods
BBQ/Overcooked Meats
Fried Food
Foods to add
Avocados contain healthy, monounsaturated fats, polyphenols and are rich in Vitamin E.
Wild salmon is an anti-inflammatory food and the pink color contains an antioxidant, astaxanthin.
Fermented veggies contain probiotics for gut health supports skin health and reduces internal inflammation or “skinflammation.”
Broccoli contains glucosinolates, which have antioxidant properties and improve liver detoxification. This cruciferous vegetable is also packed with vitamin C and biotin, important nutrients for healthy skin.
Bone broth contains minerals and protein in the form of collagen which are super important for skin health.
Let’s talk about sweat
In addition to oily or dry skin, some people with Parkinson’s may have problems with sweating too little (hypohidrosis) or sweating too much (hyperhidrosis).
This could be due to issues with the autonomic nervous system. Some studies also suggest decreased activation of sweat glands in the palms of the hands may lead to excessive armpit sweating to compensate.
To help with excessive sweating:
Be sure to drink plenty of fluids, especially water
Avoid foods that trigger sweating such as alcohol and spicy food.
Try using herbs such as sage, schisandra or chamomile.
But avoid herbs that can increase sweating such as elderberry, linden flower, hyssop and peppermint.
Sage leaves have tannic acid in them which constricts the sweat glands and reduces perspiration making it an astringent botanical. It is also an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. This can help regulate sweat production naturally.
Parkinson’s and skin cancer
As we head into the summer, it’s important to remember that people with Parkinson’s also have an increased risk of skin cancer. Remember to limit sun exposure, wear sunscreen and get regular skin cancer screenings. Check out the Brian Grant Foundation’s article on sun safety for more information.
While there needs to be more research in understanding how changes in skin and sweat regulation are impacted by Parkinson’s and how these even may be early signs, it can be beneficial even to overall health to incorporate these cures from the kitchen!
Dr. Bethany Tennant is a Naturopathic Physician & Certified Nutrition Specialist and has been involved with BGF since 2012. Dr. Tennant is passionate about neurodegenerative conditions, natural sports medicine and medical nutrition. She sees patients at 2bwell Clinic in Lake Oswego, OR.
@dr.bethanytennant www.bethanytennant.com
A new study finds the economic burden of Parkinson’s is double previous estimates.
The results of a study released today show the total cost of Parkinson’s in the United States is $52 billion a year. This figure takes into account direct medical costs of $25.4 billion annually and non-medical costs of $26.5 billion annually. Non-medical costs include missed work, lost wages, early forced retirement and family caregiver time, among other factors.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF), with Parkinson’s Foundation, American Parkinson Disease Association, and Parkinson Alliance, commissioned this new study, called The Economic Burden of Parkinson’s Disease. The study provides the most comprehensive assessment of the total economic burden on patients, care partners, payers, employers, healthcare systems and government programs in the United States.
