Spin City star, Michael J. Fox says that exercise, most particularly Pilates is helping him with his condition. He surprised everyone by announcing that he is coming back on TV with a brand new series that has integrated his battle with Parkinson’s disease into the script.
The actor, who once played Marty, a physically coordinated high school student who happened to have accidentally gone back in time in the 80s hit trilogy, Back to the Future, advises other Parkinson’s disease patients to not be intimidated by what they’ve been diagnosed with. He hopes to be a source of encouragement for those who suffer the same disease as he does through the TV show.
Here’s the article on Mother Nature Network:
Exercise, Pilates Is Good For Parkinson’s Diseases.
When asked whether he’s found relief from his symptoms from exercise, Fox agreed that it was helping, in particular a new regimen with Pilates.
“I didn’t exercise as much as I would have liked to or I would recommend others do for awhile, but then I got a big dog — and I mean a really big dog — and we’d go to the park for about an hour every weekend day and during the week,” he said. “And he keeps me moving. And I do yoga in the summer and I golf and I just started Pilates, which I’ve found really helpful. A lot of times when I just want to ease the tension of symptoms, I react asymmetrically, I push against things with my feet and my hands — and that really steadies me. That’s the essence of Pilates, that kind of pressure. So that’s been really helpful to me.”
Benefits Of Exercise For Parkinson’s Disease Patients
Parkinson’s disease is a debilitating and incurable neurological condition. Many people with Parkinson’s have lost a significant amount of control over their movements. They experience tremor and rigidity of their bones and muscles, there is slowness of movement and their balance is greatly affected.
However, many people who have tried Pilates can attest to the effectiveness of this exercise.
Here are some of the benefits that people with Parkinson’s can get out of exercise as a whole:
1. It improves control over gross motor movements such as catching ball, walking, jumping.
2. It helps strengthen muscles affected by the disease and increases flexibility; this battles the rigidness that takes place in the muscles and joints .
3. Helps improve muscle coordination, posture and balance. One personal trainer shares that he gets his client to practice walking in straight line, balance on one leg or lift herself up on her toes.
4. Reduces muscle cramping. A Parkinson’s disease patient goes through many muscle pains which are regulated by exercise.
5. Reduces stress levels and helps them regain their confidence. A patient experiencing the benefits of exercise and how it has improved their condition; seeing that they can do more, are happier, more accepting of their condition and are confident to take on more tasks.
Here’s a video on Pilates Exercises for Parkinson’s disease patients:
Benefits of Pilates Exercises For Parkinson’s Disease Patients
Each Parkinson’s disease patient has his own needs from exercise; every single one has his own set of exercises to make the workout effective and efficient. A personal trainer from Polestar Pilates says that the goal in the workouts with their clients is to be able to get them to do the movement more than being able to follow the instructions to the letter.
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