3 Practical Ways to Optimize Your PD Exercise Videos at Home
Before he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in November 2019, Mike P. had a pretty active lifestyle. Imagine, he had been downhill skiing for more than 40 years! Unfortunately, he had to let it go due to his symptoms. But even then, he still tried to do as much as he could outside. He was a very active member of the YMCA and he and his wife Sharon would go there five mornings a week.
But 2020 rolled around and the pandemic happened. They were faced with the dilemma of how they could keep up their fitness levels when Mike was starting to have some specialized needs. Plus, doing Parkinson’s disease exercises outside was almost impossible because of COVID-19. So what did they do? Well, they took advantage of recorded PD exercise videos and optimized them so he could go back to doing what he loves even with PD.
What are Parkinson’s disease exercise videos?
As the name suggests, PD exercise videos are specifically created for use by people with PD. These videos are sometimes recorded from in-person or online classes and can feature PD-specific routines like PWR! Moves, HIIT, Yoga, Boxing, and much more. They can also be downloaded online through free or paid streaming platforms where they are readily available in one simple click.
Now, exercise is medicine for people with PD. However, exercising outdoors or attending in-person exercise classes may not always be possible for everyone. This is why these videos are extremely useful as they can help folks continue their routines wherever they may be.
How did Mike optimize his exercise videos at home?
During the pandemic when people weren’t allowed outside, Mike used these PD exercise videos to remain active even at home. Starting in May 2020, he and Sharon started exercising while following these recorded routines and they're still using them until now. But mind you, they didn’t just watch these videos. They also maximized their exercise sessions by incorporating other things into them. Here are the 3 ways they optimized their workouts:
They created an exercise plan for the week based on the instructor’s suggestions.
Mike knows exactly how many minutes of exercise he does in a week, thanks to the guidelines set by his instructor. Back in 2020 when they were still new to online exercising, Mike and Sharon had an informative talk with Claire, Rogue’s founder and one of the instructors. The conversation helped them outline how many times a week they should be doing PD exercises and what kind of exercises they need to focus on.
This is how they came to formulate a schedule where they do an average of 5 to 6 exercise sessions a week. They can keep their classes varied, fit everything on their daily schedule, and still track whatever they’re doing in a calendar. Plus, they even have time to watch educational meetings to keep themselves up to date on the latest PD research!
2. Mike still joins community exercises and has his own physiotherapist to watch over his progress.
Mike has a physiotherapist named Susan, who visits him every second Monday of the month for at least an hour. She’s the one who oversees his progress and the one who suggested that they try signing up for Rogue in Motion so they can continue doing PD exercises at home.
Aside from having a physio, Mike also does a broad range of interesting things and tries to learn as much as he can. He’s taking advantage of the resources from the Michael J. Fox Foundation and has joined the Association of Parkinson’s in his area in Edmonton, Alberta Canada.
3. Mike exercises with Sharon as his care partner.
Although not diagnosed with PD herself, Mike’s wife Sharon also does exercise with him. When Susan is not present, Sharon does the checking based on what Susan has suggested. She would remind Mike of his posture or how his hands should move, for example.
Then when it's time for them to exercise, Sharon just opens their videos online and chooses which PD exercise video or class best fits for the day. This is one of the added benefits of their setup because now Mike has someone who would make sure that his progress continues even without a physiotherapist physically present.
Learn more about how Mike and Sharon make the best out of their exercise sessions in this inspiring interview:
So you see, working out at home can also be beneficial for people with PD. A lot of folks tend to avoid this kind of set-up because they think that it wouldn’t be as effective as being outside.
But Mike is proof that everything is possible with much-needed resources and a can-do attitude. Now Mike is in a much healthier state. Remember when we said he pretty much quit downhill skiing? Well, that was in 2020.
In February 2022 he went back to it and he relearned how to ski with Parkinson's and now he’s already enjoying the slopes! Here’s Mike skiing in the winter using outriggers.
Want to try working out with PD exercise videos?
Got inspired by Mike’s story and thinking about using exercise videos for your workouts, too? That’s great! Like Mike, you can also take advantage of these exercise videos and stay active even at home.
To optimize your routines, you can also consult PD certified professionals to get detailed instructions on what to do, have a care partner who will help you maintain your progress, and even join a community if you can. All of these will help you make the best out of your exercise videos the same way it did with Mike.
Want to watch the same PD exercise videos that Mike and Sharon are using? We have live online classes that you can join in. Or if you are in the Orange County, California area, you can check out our in-person classes here at the gym.
Plus, here’s a link to our online video gallery at Rogue in Motion. Here you can find practical routines like this one where we teach how to get in and out of bed easier.
Now it doesn’t really matter if you choose to exercise through online classes, be at the gym, or use PD exercise videos. The most important thing is to remain consistent, active, and inspired. Remember, you’re not just exercising for the sake of exercising. You’re doing this to get back to doing what you love. We’re rooting for you!