Do You Have a Parkinson’s Community to Exercise With?
What would you do if you found out you had Parkinson’s disease four years later than you should have? Well, this very situation happened to Jim, one of our friends from Lakewood, California. He officially received the diagnosis in 2019, but he had already been experiencing symptoms in 2015!
Now, four years is such a long period to go undiagnosed. During that time, he could have been engaging in Parkinson's disease exercises that might have made a difference. But like a true warrior, Jim didn't back down despite the delay. Instead, he sought out people to help him maintain consistency with exercise. And his amazing story is proof that having a Parkinson’s community to exercise with is one of the best ways to advocate for your own health.
New community, new beginnings
You see, Jim was only properly diagnosed in April 2019 after consulting a new neurologist. His initial visit was back in 2016 when he was already feeling something different with his body. Thinking it might be some sort of peripheral neuropathy, he consulted his first neurologist but was only dismissed as him being “dramatic.” Thankfully, his second neurologist took him more seriously and made him undergo several tests which led to a proper diagnosis of his PD.
Of course, the result felt like a gut punch but Jim didn’t let the delay stop him. He was really pissed off at PD and was determined not to let it win. He wanted to be a good life partner for his wife. And his children are now having their own kids so he wants to be engaged and present for all his grandchildren as well. This is why instead of dwelling on the lost time, he used the experience to advocate for his wellness more than ever. He started asking more questions about fighting PD symptoms and actively searched for someone to do physical therapy with.
This was when he found Alyx Abel. Alyx taught him the basic PWR! Moves and helped him navigate a customized PD exercise program. Sometime later, Alyx came over to Rogue Physical Therapy & Wellness so Jim followed her and joined the gym as well.
In the gym, he found a space where instructors and physical therapists are knowledgeable and encouraging. Here, he no longer had to figure things out on his own; he became part of a Parkinson’s community where his questions were heard and he could practice PD exercises with continuous support.
The positive effects of community-based PD exercises
Now, being in a group setting when you're on your journey to Parkinson’s disease wellness provides lots of opportunities for social support. In 2016, one study was done to examine the experiences of 20 people with PD in group exercise and the results were positive and promising.
The participants experienced reticence that evolved to inspiration
Everyone who participated in the study was initially drawn to the program in hopes of controlling their individual symptoms through Parkinson’s exercises.
But as the participants spent more time in the program and with other people, they also came to feel understood by others with PD. Many people spoke of feeling more comfortable being themselves, and this comfort helped them open up about PD in the program context.
They received anxiety relief through camaraderie and breaking taboos
The participants found a safe space to share humor and challenge taboos about their symptoms. This kind of camaraderie in the program also became a way to help them cope with anxiety, have fun, and forge supportive relationships within the group.
3. The participants maintained their athletic identity through participating and helping others
For participants who had been physically active most of their lives, joining the program gave them fears of being evaluated.
However, those fears were reduced as participants became involved in the program and came to feel support from those who had been there and who were coping with similar challenges. Their symptoms also improved and they realized that having PD did not prevent them from succeeding.
Now all of these results show that community-based PD exercises do help in improving a person’s quality of life in more ways than one. As for Jim, his strength improved when he started doing consistent PD exercises with his community at the gym. His transitions on the floor became easier, his posture improved, and he felt better overall.
But perhaps more importantly, being with his group encouraged Jim to continue fighting. Seeing all the different individuals and being open about their different experiences gave him a lot of hope. He was no longer dismissed as being “dramatic” as he had been for 4 years being undiagnosed. He’s now part of a family where everyone’s voice is heard.
Here’s Jim telling us all about his wonderful experience in the community.
Looking for a community to exercise with?
Now Jim’s story is a testament that you don't have to be alone in advocating for your health. You can find people and professionals to work out with. These people will listen to you and motivate you to go further.
This is why if you’re newly diagnosed or are struggling to find the motivation to get consistent with your routines at home, you might want to consider signing up at your nearest gym or joining a PD community if your area has one. If you can only stay at home for now, you can also sign up for online classes where you can still interact with others through live PD exercise sessions.
If you are in the Orange County, California area, you can check out our in-person classes here at Rogue Physical Therapy and Wellness. Or if there are no gyms near you, you can also try online classes like this one.
Teamwork makes the dream work when it comes to fighting PD. So let’s dream and work and win this together!