- There are a lot of Parkinson's
fitness programs out there,
including Rock Steady Boxing,
and there are a lot of
reasons why I love them.
I actually use to be a
group fitness instructor
back in the day.
I taught a class called Butts and Guts,
and, yes, it was the best class on campus,
but, group fitness classes can be fun,
and social, and really challenging,
a great workout.
So this isn't a video about
why you shouldn't be doing
a group fitness class.
It's more about walking
through some questions
to ask yourself about
the group fitness classes
that you're doing or maybe deciding on,
and asking some questions to identify
where there may be gaps
that, for you, individually,
need to be aware of
because if you're only
doing a group fitness class
and you're not reaching
your full potential
when it comes to your exercise program,
you're doing yourself, your brain,
and your future a really big disservice.
So, let's walk through
three questions to ask
about the group fitness
class that you're in
to see where we can improve.
(gentle music)
The first question to ask
is are there classes for
people at different levels?
The reason why Parkinson's
fitness classes should,
in my opinion, have different levels
is because Parkinson's is a disease
that has five different stages.
Now, not everyone goes
through all five stages,
but it is important to be aware
that someone in stage one Parkinson's
is much different than someone
in stage five Parkinson's,
and it's not really that important
to get wrapped up in what stage you're in,
but the exercise class that you're in
should have a group of individuals
who are at your level
because if you can't be
challenged to the peak
of your abilities
then you can't be making as
much progress as possible.
So if you're going to a class
and you're symptoms are mild to moderate,
but you're in a class of people
who are not able to stand, for example,
and they're tailoring
their class to the average,
you may not be getting
the best workout possible,
and if you are someone who can't stand,
and you're in a class where
there are a lot of people
who can stand still,
and the instructor is
trying to do half the class
tailored towards the higher level,
and half the class tailored
to people who can't stand,
then you're not getting
the highest benefit,
in my opinion.
So, I think that having
an occasional group class
where you're in as a community,
and everyone from every stage
and walk of life is there
can be really really
motivating and amazing.
I also would encourage you to make sure
that you're working
with a personal trainer
or a Parkinson's physical therapist,
individually, so that you have
part of your exercise program
that someone is taking you to the peak
of your ability and pushing you past it
'cause that's really
where your brain changes.
The second question to ask is how much
supervision are you getting?
This is really important
if you are someone
who is at a high risk of falling
or you have have freezing.
What I've seen is that when you're
in a large group class,
and you have a really impaired balance,
or freezing issues, or
maybe you even just have
dystonia in your feet or
dyskinesia in your feet
that make you unsteady
and make you kind of move slower
than the rest of the group,
that's totally fine,
but in a group fitness class,
in a large class, the supervision level
isn't going to be high enough
to where someone can take you
and push you to your
highest challenge point
because you need to be
working with someone
one on one, so when you get up
and you workout and you're doing things
that are really challenging your balance,
someone is right there to make sure
that you don't hit the floor,
or that you are trained
on how to hit the floor,
how to roll when you do.
So if you are having freezing
or you are at high risk of falls,
then it's really important to seek out
a Parkinson's physical therapist
to work with one on one
so that they can, again, push you
to that higher level of challenge
so that you can get your best results.
Question three, can
they tailor the program
to your specific needs?
If you have some type of injury
where you need modifications to exercises,
pretty often because maybe you have
a rotator cuff tear or maybe you have
a herniated disk in your back,
or a knee replacement
that's still healing,
typically, in a group setting,
no one can tailor the program
specifically to your needs,
and some trainers are really amazing.
Say you have shoulder pain,
they can give you some modifications
to avoid push ups, for example,
or to avoid certain
movements with your arms,
but because of the nature
of the group fitness class,
they can't be by your side all the time,
checking your form and making sure
that you're really not
going to hurt yourself
or reinjure an old injury.
So, in this case, if you have the need
for a lot of modifications
to your exercise program,
to the point where going to a group class
you find yourself raising
your hand with everything,
and saying, that hurts, or
this isn't working for me.
I can't move that way,
then it may be better for you to fill in
a couple of days a week
working with a Parkinson's
physical therapist
who can give you modifications
and tailor a program to you
so that when you do go back to that class,
you know exactly what
to do and when to do it,
and how to do it safely,
because you've had that training.
So you might not have to give up
your group fitness class,
but here's a couple of ways to modify
your weekly exercise routine
so that you're getting the most
out of that program.
Alright, so just to reiterate,
I am not discouraging you
from doing Rock Steady Boxing
or to do any other Parkinson's
group fitness class.
I love group fitness.
I think it's so fun.
So keep going, keep doing it,
but today, I hope that I gave you
a little bit of guidance on how
to identify when and where you may need
to fill in the gaps that
a group exercise class
is leaving open,
so you can supplement,
maybe a couple of days a week
with a Parkinson's trainer
or a Parkinson's physical therapist
to really give you the most bang
for your exercise buck.
So I would love to hear your thoughts.
If you're a fighter, you can tell me
all about how you love Rock
Steady Boxing down below.
I'll make sure to give it a big thumbs up,
because I love Rock Steady Boxing too.
If you are doing any
other group fitness class
for Parkinson's I'd love to hear about it.
You can put your comments in
the comments section below,
and make sure that you give
this video a big thumbs up
if you enjoyed it, and share it
with anyone you think may benefit.
I really, really appreciate it.
So, until I catch you next time,
sending you lots of big hugs,
and, of course, stay moving.
Alright, bye.
