Exercise: Arm Raise

Purpose: Helps strengthen shoulder muscles.
(Required item: A set of 1 lb. hand weights.)

1. Sit in a sturdy armless chair. The back of the chair should support you comfortably.
2. Keep your feet flat on floor.
3. Hold a set of hand weights (a recommended starting weight is 1 lb. for each weight) straight down at your sides, with your palms facing inward.
4. Raise both arms at your side, to shoulder height.
5. Hold the position for 1-2 seconds.
6. Slowly lower your arms to your sides. Pause for 5-10 seconds to rest.
7. Then, repeat the exercise about 10 additional times.
8. After a short rest period, do another set of 10 repetitions of this exercise.

For more information go to www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org

Stretching Exercises for Parkinson's Disease

By Sarena Ulibarri

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative muscle disorder that causes tremors, stiffness, trouble balancing and lack of mobility. The symptoms generally worsen over time, and there is no known cure. In addition to medication and close medical care, exercise is commonly recommended to improve functioning and quality of life in those with Parkinson's disease. Exercise classes that focus on stretching, such as yoga, tai chi and Pilates, may be especially beneficial.

Benefits
Few studies have tested long-term effectiveness of stretching exercises for Parkinson's disease, but according to a Cornell study, patients who took part in gentle yoga classes for Parkinson's disease reported an overall improvement in their sense of well-being, including decreased stiffness and tension, and increased mobility and energy. Stretching exercises can also help counteract the postural changes caused by Parkinson's disease, including rounding forward of the shoulders and spine. In addition to physical benefits, group exercise classes may provide emotional support that can help people cope with Parkinson's disease.

One cause of Parkinson's disease is an insufficient amount of dopamine in the brain; the cause of the decrease in dopamine is unknown and may be genetic. According to a 2002 study at the John F. Kennedy Institute, restorative or meditative yoga has been shown to increase dopamine levels, which may be one reason why Parkinson's disease patients report improvement after practicing yoga.
Types
If you have Parkinson's disease, take care when choosing an exercise program, and opt for a gentle and noncompetitive practice. Some hospitals or recovery centers have exercise classes for Parkinson's disease that focus specifically on stretching exercises as symptom management. Choose a yoga class for Parkinson's disease labeled as "gentle" or "restorative," and always talk to the instructor about your condition and particular concerns. Pilates is a system of exercise that focuses on small controlled movements and strengthening the core. Pilates classes for Parkinson's disease should be a gentler practice than those offered at many gyms and studios, but you can always ask the instructor for modifications. Tai chi and qigong classes also offer stretching exercises that are beneficial for those with Parkinson's disease.

Examples
The National Center on Physical Activity and Disability recommends gentle stretching exercises for Parkinson's that focus on the arms, legs and neck, as well as gentle twists, forward bends and side bends. Neck exercises include head tilts, chin tucks and head turns that decrease stiffness in the neck and shoulders. Yoga poses such Bound Angle Pose (baddha konasana), Head to Knee Pose (janu sirsasana), Standing Side Bend (Chandrasana), Wind Relieving Pose (pavanamuktasana) and Half Lord of the Fishes (ardha matsyendrasana) are beneficial stretching exercises for Parkinson's disease.

For more informations go to www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org

Parkinson: Special Exercises To Improve Symptoms

With the help of an exercise you can take action against your complaints. The training also contribute to physical therapy to counteract poor posture around the back and neck and strengthen the muscles. On Parkinson’s disease sufferers are suffering), inter alia, poverty of movement (akinesia), and muscle stiffness (rigidity. Consequently, their movements are disturbed and the movement will be charged uniformly.
According to the dPV go for lack of exercises in the course of the disease, lost a lot of normal movement patterns, which stunted the unused muscles. Several studies have already provided evidence that exercise training helps many Parkinson’s patients in everyday life. For example, strength training can promote the ability to climb stairs, while Special Mobilisationsübungen help to preserve the balance.

Targeted training contributes to the increase in mobility, and also improves blood flow in the brain. Through the practice of more complex movements can be nerve cells activate and deactivate a wide area. Thus the distribution of the neurotransmitter dopamine and serotonin, whose metabolism in the brain in Parkinson’s syndrome is impaired, increased. Moreover, complex motions by the formation of nerve cells are stimulated.

For more information go to: www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org

Simple steps to create your own exercise program and follow it.

Exercise is good for most people, but not everyone. If you are living with Parkinson's disease, be sure to discuss any exercise program with your doctor before you begin. Again, work with your doctor to assess the right exercise program to fit your current Parkinson's disease symptoms and specific needs.

Exercise can be an important additional therapy in treating Parkinson's disease.

An exercise program should include aerobic, strengthening, and stretching activities.

Most patients can still exercise, regardless of their stage of Parkinson’s disease.

Now you know the good news. Exercise is not only healthy for most Parkinson's disease patients, it can also be beneficial in maintaining strength, aiding in relaxation, reducing stress, and helping you feel more in control of your health. Research has also shown that exercise can also have a beneficial effect on a patient's mood or well-being.

Here are some simple steps to create your own exercise program and follow it.
Write out your exercise goals and a schedule.
What fitness goals do you have in mind? Aerobic fitness? Increasing strength? Staying flexible? Agree with your doctor on your exercise goals. Next, write out the days and times of the week that you plan to exercise. Create “appointments” on your calendar, so you’ll stick to your program and follow your exercise plan. If necessary consider seated exercises.

Find a workout friend.
Consider finding a friend to work out with you. The extra company and conversation will make it easier to work out, since people tend to be less focused on the physical activity and more on the person they’re with.

Set a goal and reward yourself.
Practice setting exercise goals for yourself. When you achieve one of your goals, give yourself a reward: a movie night, a visit to your favorite bookstore, or some time at a café. This can help you stay motivated to continue your exercise program.

Listen to music.
Some people find listening to music a great way to stay with their exercise program. Try taking a CD player, radio, or MP3 player with you on your workouts. You may find that it gives you the extra burst of energy that you need to do your exercises.

Exercises For The Parkinson Patient

Just as running water does not freeze, so moving muscles do not freeze.
Know the facts. The maintenance of normal muscle tone and function is an important aspect of the treatment of parkinsonism. In part, medication administered for your illness achieves this goal. However, to realize the full benefit of the medication daily exercise and activity are essential. This booklet outlines some of the exercises capable of maintaining muscle power and tone and preventing deformities of the limbs and spine. Their daily performance has proved most beneficial to patients with this illness.

TEN BASIC EXERCISES FOR THE PARKINSON PATIENT
1. Bring the toes up with every step you take. In Parkinson's disease, "you never make a move", without lifting the toes.

2. Spread the legs (10 inches) when walking or turning, to provide a wide base, a better stance, and to prevent falling. It may not look "beautiful," but neither does falling.

3. For greater safety in turning, use small steps, with feet widely separated. Never cross one leg over the other when turning. Practice walking a few yards and turn. Walk in the opposite direction and turn. Do so fifteen minutes a day.

4. Practice walking into tight corners of a room, to overcome fear of close places.

5. To insure good body balance, practice rapid excursions of the body. Backward, forward and to the right and left, five minutes, several times a day. Don't look for a wall when you think you are falling. It may not be there. Your body will always be there to protect you, if you will practice balance daily.

6. When the legs feel frozen or "glued" to the floor, a lift of the toes eliminates muscle spasm and the fear of falling. You are free to walk again.

7. Swing the arms freely when walking. It helps to take body weight off the legs, lessens fatigue, and loosens the arms and shoulders.

8. If getting out of a chair is difficult, rise with "lightning speed," to overcome the "pull of gravity." Sitting down should be done slow, with body bent sharply forward, until one touches the seat. Practice this at least a dozen times a day.

9. If the body lists to one side, carry a shopping bag loaded with books or other weights in the opposite hand to decrease the bend.

10. Any task that is difficult, such as buttoning a shirt. or getting out of bed, if practiced 20 times it day, becomes easier the 21st time.

FOR TIGHT MUSCLES AND POOR POSTURE
STANDING
1. Stand ln front of a wall, facing it about 8" away. Raise arms and reach as high as possible toward the top of the wall. Lean toward the wall and stretch.

2. With your back to the wall, alternate raising legs as high as possible by bending the knee as if marching in place.

3. Holding on to something secure, squat down as far as possible, bending knees; then come up.

SITTING
1. Sitting in straight-back chair, place your arms behind the chair and bring your shoulders back as far as possible; raise your head up and look at the ceiling.

2. Sitting In the same chair, grip the ends of a broom or mop stick with both hands, try to raise it over your head until you get it behind your head. Keep head and shoulders as erect as possible.

3. Sitting in same chair, place one leg at a time on another chair and press the knee straight. Keep it there 15 minutes. Try both legs together.

4. Sitting in a chair, raise legs up from the knee alternately, as if stamping your feet.

LYING ON A FIRM BED OR FLOOR
1. Lie on the floor or bed, flat on your back; try to press your body to the floor as flat as possible. Move your head from right to left as far as possible. Make sure your head, shoulders, back, and knees touch the surface.

2. Lie on the floor or bed on your abdomen. Do the following one by one:

1. Put your hands behind back and look up to ceiling, trying to raise your chest off the floor.
2. Kick your legs alternately, as if swimming.
3. Turn your head from right to left.

FOR BETTER BALANCE
1. Stand with hands on hips, feet spread apart:

1. Practice marching in place
2. Practice raising leg straight out to the rear.
3. Practice raising leg out to the side.
4. Practice drawing a circle with the leg.

2. Standing with hands at side, feet spread apart:

1. Lean forward and back
2. Lean to both sides
3. Lean in a circular motion and reverse the motion

FOR WALKING
1. When walking, REMEMBER:

1. Take as large a step as possible
2. Raise your toes as you step forward, hitting ground with your heels
3. Keep legs apart and posture straight
4. Swing arms and look straight ahead - your feet know where the floor is located.

2. Collect a dozen magazines; lay them out in a straight line. Space them so that you can take as long a step as possible. Practice walking over these magazines without stepping on them.

3. For a better swing to arms, walk holding a rolled magazine in each hand; keep elbows straight.

4. Practice walking sideways, backwards, and take big steps.

FOR TURNING
1. When practicing turning:

1. Keep feet spread-apart and head high
2. Use small steps; rock front side to side
3. Raise legs from the knees

2. If you feel glued to the floor:

1. Raise your head, relax back on your heels and raise your toes
2. Rock from side to side, bend knees slightly and straighten up and lift your toes
3. It sometimes helps if the arms are raised in a sudden short motion

FOR GETTING IN AND OUT OF A CHAIR
1. If you become glued a few steps before you reach the chair, try this: Don't aim for the chair but some object past it. Pass the chair as closely as possible and as you go by it sit down.

2. To sit down, bend forward as far as possible and sit down slowly. Get close to the chair. Do not fall into the chair.

3. To get up, move to the edge of the chair, bend forward and push up vigorously using your arms; try to count 1 2 3 GO! If you have a favorite armchair, raise the back legs with 4" blocks. This will help you to get up easily. Don't let people drag you up by your arms, but help you by pulling you under your arms, or with a slight push on your back.

FOR GETTING OUT OF BED
1. Place blocks under the legs of the head of the bed. This will elevate the head of the bed, & make it easier for you to sit up and swing the legs off the bed.

2. A knotted rope tied to the foot of the bed can help you to pull yourself up.

3. To get to a sitting position, shift the body down and rock yourself by vigorously, throwing your arms and legs toward the side of the bed.

FOR USING YOUR ARMS AND HANDS
1. Practice buttoning and unbuttoning your clothes; practice cutting food and writing. Squeeze a ball or work with "Silly Putty." Keep your fingers busy many times a day. Tear paper; take coins out of the pocket; play the piano.

2. Always try to dress yourself completely. Use shoehorns, elastic laces, or extra-long shoelaces to get a better grip. Dress in the most relaxed and comfortable position, sitting or standing, but make sure you are in a safe position.

3. To keep elbows straight and shoulders loose, install a pulley in doorway, place a chair under it or slightly in front. Stretch your arms and shoulders in all directions. By working the pulley when seated, you can get a more vigorous pull.

FOR GREATER SAFETY IN BATHTUB AND TOILET
If it is difficult to sit down in a bathtub, try the following:

1. Place a bench, stool or chair inside the tub; have the legs sawed off to tub height. Sit on the chair and soap yourself. Use shower to rinse, or rubber shower extension.

2. Bathtub grab bars are available. Purchase only those that attach securely.

3. Raised toilet seats are commercially available.

4. Toilet armrest for getting on and off the toilet are available.

FOR SPEECH, FACE AND CHEWING DIFFICULTIES
1. Practice singing and reading aloud with forceful lip movements. Talk into a tape recorder, if one is available.

2. Practice making faces in front of a mirror. Recite the alphabet and count numbers with exaggerated facial motions. Massage your face with vigor when washing and bathing.

3. When chewing food, chew hard and move the food around; avoid swallowing large lumps.

The previously outlined general exercises and suggestions are designed to help you. They are ancillary to medical treatment which should be carried out in consultation with your physician. In special instances where other diseases are associated with parkinsonism, your physician may wish to limit the intensity of your physical activity. Conversely, more intensive physical therapy may be indicated and in some instances should be done under the direction of a physical therapist.

All activities possible should be engaged in: work, walking, shopping, house chores, gardening, visiting, senior clubs, church organizations, travel, theater, swimming, sports, gymnasium, health clubs, "Y" activities, etc.


For more information and resources about Parkinson's disease you can check out www.parkinsonresearchfoundation.org It's one of the most comprehensive websites on the internet for Parkinson's disease information.

Dancing for all ages at Dennis Senior Center

SOUTH DENNIS - Alyce Potvin, 97, grimaced and waved to the reporter entering the room. Potvin, along with six other senior citizens with more than 80 birthdays behind them, were “dancing” to the music Golden Age Society director Avis Kaeselau had playing.

“We talk, we have lunch, we exercise. It’s fun here,” said Potvin, who had impishly skirted the senior center’s van destined for her biweekly group. Instead, she first opted to grocery shop at Patriot Square. “Have you ever tasted this?” she asked of a bottle of country French salad dressing. “I thought I’d try it. I like salads. Don’t eat much of anything else these days.”

Although Potvin wouldn’t say if her dietary preferences are the secret to longevity, she walks unassisted and is happy to participate in the Golden Age Society. “It’s just what the doctor ordered,” she said, giggling since her doctor had ordered no such thing.

Following lunch on a recent Friday, the group was exercising under Kaeselau’s direction. “Tighten your knee and stick your other foot out,” she encouraged. “OK, Dottie, you’re doing great. Ten more beats, then you can rest.”

The five women and two men come every Tuesday and Friday to enjoy time together. They help and encourage each other, sensitive to the various needs that accompany age.

“I have a dream, a song to sing, it helps me cope with everything,” sang Abba, as the group of seniors rotated their arms and ankles. “This will help keep you stable,” Kaeselau said, encouraging them to reach further.

As the workout proceeded, it became clear that one woman needed assistance, and it came quickly. “OK, you’re OK now,” Kaeselau said. Relief washed over the others as they continued the routine. “Now let’s end it gently by walking in place,” Kaeselau encouraged.
“Such exercise!” said Don, a man well into his 80s.

In her heyday, Roberta “Bobby” Guarante, was in the WAVES during World War II. Asked if she enjoyed dancing with the GIs, Guarante said, “I love to dance, but I’m not good at it.” Others shared their dancing backgrounds, including Dottie Glidden of South Dennis, who said she met her husband 50 years ago at Kimball’s Starlight Ballroom, just outside Wakefield.

As the group scattered for their return home on the senior center’s van, Potvin said, “It’s nice to come here. You meet lots of people your own age who understand you.”

Kaeselau said the program prevents isolation. “Most of them don’t drive anymore, they live alone or with children or a spouse. They have different degrees of mental and physical limitations, but they enjoy this program at whatever level they’re able to participate.”

Kaeselau, who in 1972 became Massachusetts’ first female emergency medical technician, is prepared for any medical emergencies that may occur during the 4-hour program. “They’re very safe with me,” she said.

Baby-boomer opportunities
The Dennis Senior Center offers many weekday programs for retired folks. These range from opportunities to play bridge, mahjongg and cribbage with other like-minded folks to learning to paint, operate computers, cane chairs and build model ships.

Designed for younger seniors still working, offerings include Mary Jane Doonan’s tap-dancing classes beginning at 5 p.m. Mondays.

With students ranging from 50 to 78, Doonan offers beginner and intermediate tap classes. “The intermediates are a combination of people who started with me five or six years ago and moved up and those who excelled at tapping as children and have returned in their later years,” Noonan said.

The classes are an opportunity for women to exercise together to music. One dancer’s pedometer testifies to burning about 500 calories per hour.

“People can come with leather-sole shoes for the first classes because tap shoes are expensive, and I want them to be sure they want to continue before investing in shoes,” Noonan said.

One tapper, a former ballerina who has Parkinson’s disease, finds that her body moves fine during classes, Noonan said.

Noonan’s tappers perform at Cape and off-Cape venues, but those who are shy are not forced to travel with the group. “Some ladies auditioned for the National AARP convention at the Boston Civic Center,” Noonan said. “About 100 groups auditioned, and 20 were selected. My girls and I were selected, and we performed all three nights.”

Tap-dancing keeps women in mental and physical shape. “It’s also good for memory, because you need to recall your steps,” Noonan said.

A square dancing group convenes Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Dancer Johanna d’Entremont, who serves as the group’s secretary, said this is the only square dancing group this side of the bridge, gathering participants from across the Cape.

Some come in costume, but most square dancers wear casual attire. “Some of our women have learned the man’s part because sometimes we’re short of men,” d’Entremont said. “Square dancing is excellent exercise and it’s a wonderful way to socialize, to meet people who share an interest.”

D’Entremont and her husband got involved in the group through Vida and Dan Demale, a couple in their 80s. “I took a computer class at the Eastham Senior Center and Vida recruited me,” she said. “They picked us up, brought us to Dennis, and that was it. We’re hooked!”

Exercise May Aid Parkinson’s Patients

ScienceDaily (May 16, 2007) — A new study from researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) shows that treadmill exercises may benefit patients with Parkinson's Disease and those with similar movement disorders.
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Recent studies have shown that exercise can have beneficial effects in patients with Parkinson's Disease but the underlying reasons haven't been fully explored. This new study using treadmill exercise in animal models looked at the effects of dopamine in motor learning and execution.

Parkinson's Disease is a chronic and degenerative disease that leads to slowness, balance disorders, tremors and difficulty in walking. The disease results from the loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells in the brain. It is critical as a stimulator of motor system nerves in the body. While there is no current cure for the disease, several treatments do offer relief from its symptoms.

This particular study looked at treadmill exercise and its effects between animal models with and without a loss of certain cells that are similar to what a Parkinson's Patient might suffer. Given the importance of dopamine in Parkinson's Disease, the researchers looked at changes in dopamine levels, among other results.

Researchers found that the subjects with cell loss and that exercised indeed had an effect on dopamine levels while normal subjects showed less of a difference in levels.

"Our study shows that the beneficial effects of exercise in Parkinson's Disease may be due to a more efficient use of dopamine, "says Giselle Petzinger, M.D., assistant professor of neurology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the study's first author. "Surviving dopamine cells in our animal models- made to simulate what Parkinson's patients suffer with- subjected to intensive treadmill exercise appear to work harder."

Studies with John Walsh, Ph.D., associate professor at the USC Andrus Gerontology Center and a co-investigator of the study, showed that these cells release greater amounts of dopamine and decrease the rate of its removal from the synapse compared to neurons in subjects that do not undergo exercise.

The findings suggest that the benefits of treadmill exercise on motor performance may be accompanied by changes in dopamine neurotransmission that are different in the injured subjects compared to the non-injured."Studies in our animal model of Parkinson's disease support the fact that exercise is beneficial for patients with Parkinson's," says Jakowec. "Exercise may help the injured brain to work more efficiently by allowing the remaining dopamine producing neurons to work harder and in doing so may promote stronger connections in the brain."

Further studies will investigate if beneficial effects of exercise have long-term effect on the injured brain, identifying the molecular links between exercise and the brain, and to better understand the molecular mechanisms within neurons that lead to these changes.

The study is led by USC neuroscientist Michael Jakowec, Ph.D., assistant professor of neurology and appears in the May 16 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.

Funding for this study comes from the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, Team Parkinson Los Angeles, the George and MaryLou Boone Foundation, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the US Army Neurotoxin Exposure Treatment Research Program.

Reference: "Effects of Treadmill Exercise on Dopaminergic Transmission in the 1-Methyl-4-Phenyl-1,2,3,6-Tetrahydropyridine-Lesioned Mouse Model of Basal Ganglia Injury", Petzinger, G.,Walsh, J.,Akopian, G., Hogg, E., Abernathy, A., Arevalo, P.,Turnquist, P., Vuckovic, M., Fisher, B.,Togasaki, D., Jakowec, M. Journal of Neuroscience, May 16, 2007.