Stanford PD Community Blog

Stanford Parkinson's Community
  • Home
You are here: Home / Webinars - Announcements & Notes / “Maintaining Momentum [with a PD exercise program]” – Webinar notes

“Maintaining Momentum [with a PD exercise program]” – Webinar notes

February 9, 2022 By Parkinson's Community Help

This American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) webinar in December focused on tips and tricks to help everyone stick with a Parkinson’s disease (PD) exercise program. The speaker was Nick Wendel, DPT, with the APDA National Rehabilitation Resource Center for Parkinson’s Disease at Boston University.  

Here is an interesting question that came up in the question and answer session: 

Question:  I am struggling to stick to my exercise routine.  Who should I go to for help? 

Answer:  There is not one place for everyone.  A lot of people are having trouble sticking to their routine especially after COVID.  A great place to start is finding a local physical therapist who has experience working with people with PD.  The therapist can help set some goals, and help you get started with appropriate exercises, and keep track of your progress. 

This APDA webinar was the last part of a three-part series of “Let’s Keep Moving with APDA.”  It was recorded, and is accessible on PD Exercise videos

PD Exercise classes live online

PD Exercise benefits

See my notes below for the session. 

Regards, 

Sheela Sakariya


“Maintaining Momentum: Let’s Keep Moving” – Webinar notes

Webinar Host:  American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA)

Webinar Date:  December 9, 2021

Speaker:  Nick Wendel, PT, DPT, APDA National Rehabilitation Resource Center for Parkinson’s Disease, Boston University

Summary by:  Sheela Sakariya, Stanford Parkinson’s Community Outreach

4 basic elements for PD exercise

Aerobic exercise

  • 150 min/week
  • Moderately high intensity
  • Brisk walk, cycling

Strength exercise

  • Major muscle groups x2-3/week
  • Squats, calf raise, rows
  • Progressive resistance challenge

Balance exercise

  • Appropriate challenge
  • 20-30 min x2-3/week 
  • Tai chi, dance

Flexibility exercise

  • After warm-up
  • Hold 30-60 sec x 2-3/week
  • Calf stretch, trunk rotation

How do you stick with exercise? 

  • High self efficacy: confidence in your ability to do something
  • Positive expectation of exercise: time spent is really worth their while
  • Feedback on performance: helps reinforce good behaviors
  • Mastery experience: repetition gives you mastery
  • Rewards: external reward or experience
  • Peer and profession support
  • Forming a habit

Goal setting: SMART

S : Specific

M: Measurable

A: Attainable

R: Relevant

T: Time-based

Feedback/self monitoring

This allows you to track yourself and give feedback on how you are doing with your exercise routine.  This feedback can be in many forms: Apple Watch, Fitbit, another app, or just a fitness calendar.  What is important is that the exercise time is tracked, identify days that have gone well for exercise, and also identify when you have to change the exercise routine a little bit to accommodate not such good days. 

Mastery experience

Setting goals and tracking your progress will eventually lead to mastery – mastery can be as formal as a black belt in karate, or as informal as when you correctly complete a dance step.  Mastery doesn’t happen right away!  You need to work at it overtime, step by step, until eventually you reach your goal.  

Rewards: extrinsic and intrinsic

When a person has achieved his goal, it’s normal to give yourself a reward.  This reward is to keep yourself going – the rewards can be very formal, for example, going out for a nice dinner, or going on a shipping trip.  Rewards can also be informal like meeting up with friends and doing something fun or getting a badge on an exercise app.  Setting up these rewards helps build that sense of accomplishment and can help motivate you to continue to exercise. 

Rewards do not need to be external rewards.  A person with PD can also reward themselves by intrinsic rewards: 

  • Walking faster
  • Better balance
  • Improved mood
  • Symptoms less bothersome

Intrinsic rewards take time but can be hugely important with PD.  

The best part of exercise is you only get the benefits and not the side effects.  

Peer support

Many PD people benefit from people who are in similar situations as them – these people are peers who they can learn from or get motivation from.  Oftentimes, PD people will get support from exercise groups (tai chi class or boxing class), or from their support groups.  We encourage using support groups to keep yourself moving. 

Professional support

Professional support can come from many places – movement disorder specialist, neurologist, physical therapist, or a personal trainer.  Building a team can help you maintain an exercise schedule and hold you accountable for your exercise. 

The ultimate goal of all the above strategies is to create an exercise habit!

Forming a habit

To create an exercise routine, another tip is to add a cue to your day to get the PD person moving.  For example, setting your exercise clothes the night before will be a subtle reminder in the morning that it’s time to exercise.  Another example is meeting with a neighbor or friend daily for exercise will be your cue to exercise.  The most important thing is to make exercise a routine – a cue will help you lead to a routine.  When you are in the routine, eventually you are able to take advantage of those rewards. 

=============================================

Question & Answer Session 

Question:  I am struggling to stick to my exercise routine.  Who should I go to for help? 

Answer:  There is not one place for everyone!  A lot of people are having trouble sticking to their routine especially after COVID.  A great place to start is finding a local physical therapist who has experience working with people with PD.  The therapist can help set some goals, and help you get started with appropriate exercises, and keep track of your progress. 

Question:  Is it typical to feel clumsy and awkward when beginning an exercise routine? 

Answer:  Yes!  It’s definitely something that a lot of people with PD experience – when you are new to a certain exercise, you will not be as fluid.  The important thing is to stick with it and take advantage of the benefits that it offers over time.  With practice, you will get better over time. 

Question:  I have tried a number of activities and none of them work for me.  Does that mean I will never be able to exercise? 

Answer:  You need to find an exercise routine that works for you.  Sometimes, it just takes a little bit of practice!  There is no correct or perfect routine – do whatever works for you and your body. Invest in some help and see a physical therapist or work with someone you know who also has PD. 

Question:  Is there a best strategy to stick to exercise? 

Answer:  The options and strategies we detailed today work for many people with PD.   Perhaps, you should think about what you were doing in the past and what worked for you.  And you can better utilize your energy to see what was working for you before and start that routine again.  The cues and techniques we provided today are certainly helpful for many people with PD, but not everyone.  So, you have to figure out what speaks to you and work with that.  

Question:  Is there an example that we can use the SMART goal strategy? 

Answer:  Sure!  I would start using the Apple Watch or a fitness app and set the goal of 2000 steps per day for 2 weeks, and once you attain that goal, increase your goal to maybe 3000 steps per day.  You can also add specific goals like walking to get your mail everyday or taking the trash out everyday.  That’s one way of using the SMART goal strategy we discussed earlier today. 

Filed Under: Webinars - Announcements & Notes

  • Home

Categories

  • Monthly List – PD Webinars
  • Webinars – Announcements & Notes
  • Monthly List – Caregiving Webinars
  • Monthly List – Support Groups
  • Support Groups – Meetings & Notes
  • News
  • Research
  • Events
  • Exercise
  • Comment

Top Pages of the Stanford Parkinson’s Community Outreach Website

  • List of Live, Virtual PD Exercise Classes
  • List of PD Exercise Videos
  • Symptoms of PD
  • For Those Newly Diagnosed
  • Support Resources for PD

Featured Posts

Your top three Parkinson’s questions answered by the APDA

The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) recently shared the top three questions they are … [Read More...]

National Day of Action – Thursday, September 22, 2022

From the American Parkinson Disease Association, Northwest Chapter (APDA NW), Tuesday, September … [Read More...]

Archive

  • February 2023 (3)
  • January 2023 (4)
  • December 2022 (7)
  • November 2022 (4)
  • October 2022 (9)
  • September 2022 (2)
  • August 2022 (3)
  • July 2022 (5)
  • June 2022 (6)
  • May 2022 (9)
  • April 2022 (5)
  • March 2022 (8)
  • February 2022 (5)
  • January 2022 (13)
  • December 2021 (7)
  • November 2021 (19)
  • October 2021 (14)
  • September 2021 (12)
  • August 2021 (9)
  • July 2021 (7)
  • June 2021 (10)
  • May 2021 (10)
  • April 2021 (16)
  • March 2021 (8)
  • February 2021 (27)
  • January 2021 (18)
  • December 2020 (18)
  • November 2020 (19)
  • October 2020 (13)
  • September 2020 (7)
  • August 2020 (12)
  • July 2020 (15)
  • June 2020 (13)
  • May 2020 (17)
  • April 2020 (14)
  • March 2020 (14)
  • February 2020 (5)
  • January 2020 (12)
  • December 2019 (10)
  • November 2019 (6)
  • October 2019 (6)
  • September 2019 (7)
  • August 2019 (5)
  • July 2019 (10)
  • June 2019 (3)
  • May 2019 (8)
  • April 2019 (10)
  • March 2019 (5)
  • February 2019 (9)
  • January 2019 (12)
  • December 2018 (2)
  • November 2018 (8)
  • October 2018 (10)
  • September 2018 (2)
  • August 2018 (7)
  • July 2018 (10)
  • June 2018 (9)
  • May 2018 (3)
  • April 2018 (10)
  • March 2018 (4)
  • February 2018 (8)
  • January 2018 (11)
  • December 2017 (11)
  • November 2017 (5)
  • October 2017 (11)
  • September 2017 (10)
  • August 2017 (7)
  • July 2017 (13)
  • June 2017 (10)
  • May 2017 (14)
  • April 2017 (12)
  • March 2017 (17)
  • February 2017 (11)
  • January 2017 (13)
  • December 2016 (4)
  • November 2016 (6)
  • October 2016 (1)
  • September 2016 (11)
  • August 2016 (5)
  • July 2016 (8)
  • June 2016 (4)
  • May 2016 (2)
  • April 2016 (2)
  • March 2016 (1)
  • February 2016 (1)
  • January 2016 (4)
  • December 2015 (1)
  • November 2015 (2)
  • October 2015 (3)
  • September 2015 (1)
  • August 2015 (3)
  • July 2015 (1)
  • June 2015 (1)
  • May 2015 (1)
  • April 2015 (2)
  • March 2015 (4)
  • February 2015 (2)
  • January 2015 (1)
  • December 2014 (1)
  • November 2014 (2)
  • October 2014 (1)
  • September 2014 (2)
  • August 2014 (2)
  • July 2014 (1)
  • June 2014 (5)
  • May 2014 (1)
  • April 2014 (2)
  • March 2014 (3)
  • February 2014 (1)
  • January 2014 (1)
  • December 2013 (1)
  • November 2013 (1)
  • October 2013 (1)
  • September 2013 (1)
  • August 2013 (1)