Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurological condition that disrupts normal movement. You may experience uncontrolled movement in the form of tremors, or you may find that initiating movement is difficult. If you have PD exercise is an important component of an overall treatment plan. If land exercise is challenging because of balance issues and stiffness, talk to your doctor about the appropriateness of water exercise. Working out in the water will allow your muscles to relax and can help you to move more freely then on land. Also, the water can hold you up so you do not need to worry about falling.
Water Walking
Working out in the water can be very beneficial if you have Parkinson's disease (PD), says the American Parkinson's Disease Association. Having PD can affect your gait and make walking challenging. You may tend to hold your arms stiff as you walk and take quick, short shuffling steps. To help combat this, try water walking.
While being supported in the water, practice taking long strides and landing with a heel strike. Force yourself to swing your arms to push forward through the water. Try walking forward, backward and sideways. If balance is a concern, hold onto the side of the pool or wear a flotation device that keeps you upright. Wearing special aqua shoes can prevent slipping in the pool. Since each day with PD is different, listen to your body to know how long and hard to walk at each session.
Trunk Exercises
According to the Cleveland Clinic water exercise can help to improve balance and range of motion. If you have PD, you may have tightness and rigidity in your trunk muscles. This makes it tough to twist and bend and can restrict lung motion and make breathing difficult.
Standing in chest- to shoulder-deep water, stretch your arms out to the sides with the palms facing forward. Stand in a wide squat and plant your feet. Slowly twist from side to side without changing your arms or lifting your feet. Drag your arms through the water. If this becomes easy, hold buoys or water webs in your hands to add resistance. Go slowly and gently and try to turn a little further each time. Keeping your palms facing forward and your shoulders over your hips, swing your arms forward and bring your hands together. Then turn your hands to face away from each other. Push back so that your hands go behind you. Do large sweeping motions. Aim for 12 to 15 repetitions of each exercise.
Lower Body Exercises
The National Parkinson's Disease Association recommends focusing on cardiovascular exercise, such as walking and lower-body-strengthening exercises. Both help to prevent falls.
Standing in chest-deep water, do squats, lunges and heel raises. Try for 8 to 12 repetitions of each exercise. Hold onto the wall or a flotation device such as a noodle to help maintain balance. From the same position do leg lifts up to the front, out to the back and out to the side. Focus on moving slowly and pushing your leg in both directions through the water versus letting it float. This helps to tone and strengthen all of the muscles in your legs.
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