Exercise has been suggested by doctors as a way to help curb tremors.
Of the one million Americans living with Parkinson’s disease, 17,000 of them live here in Colorado.
Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological disease that robs individuals of control over their movements.
Exercise has been suggested by doctors as a way to help curb tremors.
Nancy Ivankoe was diagnosed with Parkinson’s five years ago.
“I immediately got educated on how to live in the best condition I can,” Ivankoe said. “What I learned is that exercise is the number one medication for Parkinson’s.”
Ivankoe attends a fitness class at Fit36 in Highlands Ranch twice a week for two reasons:
“One is to see my friends, and two is to increase my fitness,” Ivankoe said.
For her, the classes are more than just a workout; it’s a place to bond and cope with other Parkinson’s patients. She was already into fitness before she was diagnosed, and says if anything changed, it’s the way she works out.
“Research has proven actually that exercises are neuroprotective, meaning it kind of protects our nerve cells from degeneration and it really slows down the progression of the disease,” Ivankoe said.
Ivankoe says she finds that exercise not only helps curb the disease, but it helps mitigate her symptoms.
“I will say that if I didn’t have Parkinson’s, I probably wouldn’t exercise on days I didn’t feel that great, but we with Parkinson’s knew that it is those days in particular that we need to get out to the gym and just do what you can.”
At Fit36, the class focuses on high-intensity training with several different stations. Each station works a part or part of the body and focuses on improving core strength and balance.
According to the Parkinson’s Association of the Rockies, (https://www.parkinsonrockies.org)
there are 47 monthly support groups, and more than 10,000 exercise classes throughout the year.
http://www.9news.com/article/news/health/this-exercise-class-can-help-those-living-with-parkinsons-disease/73-544450705
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