How to Tame Parkinson's by Keeping Fit

When Parkinson’s entered my life, I literally gave up.

I was so angry and bitter that I couldn’t cope with the reality of having a disease with no known cure. I turned into someone even I didn’t want to know. Many of my friends gave up on me, and now I don’t blame them.

On the plus side, I was in relatively decent physical shape, having worked out regularly at my local YMCA fitness center. I wisely continued with my daily routine. Now, keeping fit became even more crucial as my balance, posture and walk became seriously affected by my Parkinson’s. I also suffered from a knee needing replacement. In a small way, my workouts helped boost my flagging morale.

It was at this YMCA fitness center that my new life began.

It began quite innocently. I was working out with a favorite friend who, out of the blue, asked a question that ignited my transformation from angry and bitter to positive and happy. This wake-up question set me off on a search for help, which I found right there at the Y in the form of the right personal trainer with the right training credentials for helping me deal with my physical and mental ills.

From day one, this charismatic and focused man has challenged me and motivated me. He’s transformed my life by strengthening my body, restoring my stamina and confidence, and showing me the importance of a positive mental attitude.

The results to date are gratifying. My balance is steadier, my walk more decisive, my posture straighter, my outlook infinitely more positive, my confidence stronger. In short, I’m living a much more normal existence.

That’s why I’ve written this story, hoping others who are in the same boat might benefit from my positive experiences with the right personal trainer. But, as you’ll discover, all this didn’t happen over night. Hard work, time and total commitment were and are required.

Think it’s too good to be true?

If you ask the folks at the Y who have watched my transformation, you’ll learn that I’m called the “Y’s success story.” Almost every day someone comments to me on how far I’ve come since the days I wheeled around hunched over my aqua-marine walker.

Those of you with Parkinson’s know it affects each one of us differently. Finding the right personal trainer may not be everyone’s solution. But isn’t it worth a try? It worked for me because I was willing to give it my total commitment mentally and physically in order to live a more normal life. Oh, sure, many of the PD side effects are still with me. My fitness regimen doesn’t negate Parkinson’s, but it certainly dulls down the disease’s sharper edges.

If you’re intrigued, why not use my positive experience as a guide?

Throughout my story, I discuss the qualities that I found most effective in a personal trainer in helping me attain my goals. Once you’ve identified your goals, make a list of the qualities you need and want in a trainer, using the six basic questions found in Appendix 1.

Above all, remember my success formula: Your Total Commitment + The Right Personal Trainer.

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Have you ever heard of the movie Grumpy Old Men? Well, to tell you the truth that is what it was like working with Dave in the beginning.

Dave was an angry man who didn’t want to accept his physical limitations. He’d enjoyed athletics throughout his life and his physical limitations were something he wasn’t prepared for. In addition to Parkinson’s, he needed a knee replacement and his posture was poor due to overdeveloped muscles in his back from years of playing squash and tennis. He couldn’t raise one shoulder very well and, because of his bum knee, walking was becoming increasingly difficult. But, above all, his attitude was negative; he was angry that life had dealt him these awful limitations. Dave wears a hearing aid to help him hear and he sometimes vented his frustrations in a loud voice. I have to admit that it was embarrassing for me when other members would hear his tirades and stare at us.

When one of the Y’s female members pointed out to him that he was always negative and never smiled, it seemed to strike home. From that moment on, he started to look at himself in a different light. He became willing to look at himself as part of the problem. His change in attitude was refreshing. The real Dave shone through: he smiled more, he was happy and he didn’t swear any more. He became a pleasure to get to know and to be around.

This is when Dave really became focused on working on his physical self to overcome his limitations. He has worked hard to improve his core strength, stability and balance, as well as his posture and walking abilities. As the weeks turned into months, Dave became extremely dedicated and committed to improving his physical conditioning. He always gave