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Wake Up and Fight Parkinson's
With Exercise
By Jackie Russell, RN
Parkinson’s disease (PD) remains, for the most part, a mystery of
medical science. For reasons unknown, certain brain cells stop
producing a substance called dopamine. The lack of dopamine affects
an individual’s movement, strength and balance. PD causes a slow,
yet progressive deterioration in function, taking many years to run
its course. When the diagnosis of PD is made, you experience a
life-altering event. It is not a condition you would desire, but PD
does have the capacity to cause you to reassess your priorities and
make lifestyle choices that can affect the course of the disease.
An emerging reality is the positive effect of exercise on the course
of this disease. An exercise agenda may offer stimulation to the
various neurological pathways, increasing the capacity to counteract
the progression of symptoms. The exercise plan is a “Wake Up Call,”
giving one a sense of purpose and direction, offering the
opportunity to proactively improve conditions such as stability,
flexibility, and management of tremor. More importantly, it helps
you to understand that you may have Parkinson’s disease, but it does
not have you.
David Zid, an ACE, APG certified personal trainer and president of
Columbus Health Works, in collaboration with a local surgeon, Thomas
H. Mallory, M.D., have authored a user-friendly guide, detailing a
Parkinson’s - specific exercise plan that can be used daily. Zid is
an energetic trainer in the central Ohio area that has taken a
specific interest in designing fitness regimens for individuals
afflicted with Parkinson’s. Dr. Mallory, a prominent and
internationally renowned orthopaedic total joint surgeon was
diagnosed with PD several years ago. He has found that his
enthusiasm for exercise has actually improved many of the symptoms
of this progressive neurologic disease. He has been using Zid’s
program for the last two years and is ecstatic with the results
including improvement in balance, strength and flexibility. They
both feel that these obviously positive results should be shared
with all individuals with PD, from the newly diagnosed to those in
the well-advanced stages of this affliction. This manual is in the
process of publication and will soon be available for purchase,
including a corresponding video.
The workbook describes and demonstrates specific exercises tailored
to the Parkinson’s patient. It requires a mental and physical
commitment to a daily routine. With this routine, all parts of the
body are challenged, from the dexterity and flexibility of the
fingers, hands, and feet to stretching the shoulders, back and
hips. Emphasis is also placed on activities of daily living that
frequently become a challenge, such as rising from a chair, getting
out of bed, moving about in crowds, walking over uneven ground. The
Wake Up Call agenda is a metaphor for an attitude that commences
each day as you realize there is an opportunity to modify the
progression of this condition. Dr. Mallory feels that the challenge
presented to the individual with PD is to never give up. “We must
continuously pursue a positive and active approach with our exercise
regime. It is important that we all leave a legacy and are
remembered as those who were privileged with the opportunity offered
to manage PD.”
Has exercise been proven beneficial for the individual with PD, or
is it just a casual relationship? How does an exercise agenda
influence the symptoms of this disease? Well, exercise has long
been proven advantageous to everyone’s general health. Aerobic
activity (any movement that increases the heart rate) strengthens
the heart, maintains lung function and keeps muscles strong. But it
appears that regular exercise may also impact the brain and nervous
system. An exciting study out of Pittsburgh has shown that forced
exercise had a major impact on rats that were given a toxin that
induced Parkinson’s disease. This study demonstrated that exercise
appears to prevent loss of brain cells that worsens this disease.
There are numerous other published studies supporting that daily
exercise does indeed improve the ability to move in the individual
with PD. These findings overwhelming show that a program of
exercise therapy combined with appropriate medication has a positive
effect on symptoms.
When your ability to move improves, so does your feeling of
accomplishment and sense of well being. Scientific evidence shows
that not only can motor function improve, but mood and a “feeling of
well being” is clearly related to routine activity. This manual
will get you started and walk you simply through every exercise. No
matter how long you have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease,
it’s not too late to start, and it’s never too early.
This manual includes detailed exercises that are divided into easy
to follow sections including:
Exciting news for those with Parkinson’s? We think so. Get started
on a fitness plan and see the results for yourself.
Jackie Russell is a nurse in Columbus, Ohio and has a dedicated
interest in the treatment of Parkinson’s patients. Her intrigue
with Parkinson’s disease (PD) began when her mother-in-law was
afflicted and eventually succumbed to this progressive illness. She
has collaborated with Dr. Mallory and a professional fitness
trainer, David Zid, to develop a Parkinson’s-specific exercise plan,
including helping to author a manual detailing the specifics of the
program. Jackie can be reached at Run1176@aol.com.
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