Newton's first law of motion states. "An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force". Those same principles apply to anyone of us, even as humans, but your "unbalanced force" may be the diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease. Parkinson's Disease may slow you down but should never stop you from moving safely. Research has shown that intense exercise can actually slow the progression of Parkinson's Disease.
Well what is the magic formula? How active is enough? Research has found that when individuals were performing an intensive workout at least 2 hours a week, and stayed consistent over the course of 3 months, they found short and long term benefits (Boxing Training for patient with Parkinson's Disease: a case study). Well how do you know if you are working hard enough? One easy way to check, is examine your heart rate, are you reaching your maximal heart rate during your workouts? Also check in and see how hard you feel like you are working, if you feel too comfortable, it maybe worth it to turn it up a notch.
Now sometimes that may seem scary, which is why we recommend being seen by your doctor first to know if you have any limitations engaging in an intensive workout that would put you at risk for any reason.
Finding a program that is challenging, fun, safe and keeps you motivated are the key factors to stay consistent in your journey to wellness. Take some power back and slow that progression down!! Find a program that connects with you and just start moving!!
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