How to slow down your Parkinson’s with experts’ top exercises

February 22, 2022

Research has shown that physical exercise can help to slow down your Parkinson’s. While nothing can reverse or stop Parkinson’s, increasing evidence suggests that high intensity exercise can assist in slowing down symptom progression, and improve non-motor symptoms such as cognition and balance.

 

Not everyone is in a position to or feels safe enough to access the clinic for physiotherapy. So these are some of the experts at morrello’s favourite exercises to slow down Parkinson’s, that you can do at home. It is worth mentioning that individuals will be recommended specific exercises based on what type of Parkinson’s they have, and how they present, so if you want Parkinson’s exercises that are catered to you then get in touch for an assessment. With that being said, let’s take a look at how to slow down Parkinson’s with experts’ top exercises!

 

1.Stop and Squat (Sarah)

A favourite of Sarah’s and one of the 10 core exercises from the PD Warrior Programme. This exercise works on several important areas for Parkinson’s patients: voice projection, powerful and purposeful movements of the arms and legs, and encouraging a large amplitude of movement. There is a great functional element to this exercise; sit to stand. If done correctly, this exercise works on strengthening your legs and lower back. Check out this video from PD Warrior to see how it’s done.

What isn’t shown in the tutorial video is the great addition of a shout to accompany the extension of the arms. Doing this helps build up voice projection and adds a bit of fun to the exercise. Be careful of scaring any unsuspecting friends and family!

 

2.Clock Face (Jon)

Clock Face is an exercise that really focuses on upper limb movement and improving posture. It’s also a bit of fun that you could perform with a partner by calling out times on a clock that need to be mimicked with the arms. The great thing about this exercise is that the complexity can be developed over the course of the exercise starting with simply mimicking o’clock times, moving on to all times and then calling out multiple times at once, focusing on memory and the transition of movement.

This one is nice and easy, simply use your arms as the hands of a clock and extend them to the position of whichever time is called out by your partner, hold for a few seconds and then move on to the next time. (Hopefully dinner time.)

 

3. Sumo Sidestep (Jakko)

The Sumo Sidestep is an exercise we use in the PD Warrior classes at morrello, it is similar to a box step exercise but works on high and wide steps whilst incorporating arms into big powerful movements. It makes you work on the height of your steps and encourages accuracy of steps too. It can challenge your balance by making you take larger steps out to the side, challenging your base of support. This exercise can help if you have difficulty getting in and out of a car, a bath or in situations where you have to step over an obstacle. Again, like a lot of Parkinson’s exercises you can add lots of variations to make it more challenging. At morrello we like to use coloured dots and call out the colour we are stepping on.

To see how it’s done, take a look at the video!

Your turn!

Those were Sarah, Jon and Jakko’s favourite exercises for fighting against, and slowing down Parkinson’s. Give these a go at home and let us know how you get on! These exercises, among many others are taught and used during PD Warrior sessions. PD Warrior is the leading exercise rehabilitation programme for people with Parkinson’s. It uses the latest evidence and scientific research to ensure the best possible chance to slow down your Parkinson’s symptoms. Morrello Clinic is the local licensed and accredited PD Warrior centre, known as PD Warrior Southeast Wales. We provide the 10-week PD Warrior Challenge at the clinic in Newport and community halls in Cardiff and Chepstow. To find out more, get in touch today.