Merry Christmas to you and yours! Today of course is Friday, December 25, 2020. I woke up later than usual so my med protocol started later as a result. I am always grateful for the nights that I fall asleep quickly and stay asleep all night. As I have written so many times before.... PD + No Sleep = Disaster. Today is a day to focus on Love and Family. I have an abundance of Love in my life. I consider myself extremely blessed to have the close knit group of friends who "get" me and love me know matter what. I am also beside myself with joy that I still have my dad here with me at my age (I just turned 60). Although I have PD, I can always always find reasons to be grateful that I am alive and healthy. We all have choices in this life. When G*d throws you a curve ball, you and you alone must make the choice of whether to fight or run scared. I have chosen to fight with all my might.
One of the ways I am fighting PD and giving it all I got is through exercise, specifically Pilates and Ballet. If I skip one day of exercising and stretching, my body tightens up and my right hand dances to its own beat. Exercising is nothing new to me, as I have been extremely active since I was a little girl. As far as my Pilates practice goes, whether I take a reformer or Mat class, I am working on stretching and strengthening my entire body. Don't be fooled by what you may have seen regarding Pilates. The movements are very precise and good form is a must. You will learn how to do all of this as your Pilates practice progresses. Because my body tightens up so easily, Pilates is a very safe and zen way to loosen me up. By staying consistent with my practice, Pilates is helping to improve my gait, stability and core strength, just to name a few. Pilates4parkinsons is designed for those of us who have PD. The movements are carefully crafted depending on what your specific needs are. How does an Instructor figure out what your needs may be? By working with you privately and doing a full body assessment. Before taking any Pilates class, do your research and make sure that your instructor has a strong background in exercise, specifically someone who has gone to school for Kinesiology and/or Anatomy. Personally, I read every Instructors bio before I actually decide to take their class. I have found that the best instructors are professional dancers (specifically Ballet dancers) and/or those who have a strong background in Dance. Not only do they know the body inside and out, I find that their classes are very safe, as they know how to warm up the body safely. I am blessed to be doing so well, that I am able to take regular Pilates classes without making many modifications for myself. This is because I came into PD already strong and I intend to keep it that way. In thinking about how far I have come in my Pilates practice, I have been taking classes for 5 years already. I have built up a lot of strength, but I also know that I need to be consistent to stay strong. The beauty of Pilates is that it is for everyone, no matter what your level of fitness is!
This is me laying back on a stability ball. Cecilia helped me to center myself so I could lay back on the ball correctly, without falling on my head. In this exercise, "deep thoracic extension", I am working on stretching through my chest and expanding my spine for correct alignment. What you cannot see is that although I am laying on my back with my head almost touching the ground behind me, my arms are out sideways. One hand is holding onto my hutch and the other hand is holding on to the reformer, so I can stay balanced. Now I can do this one by my self. The stretch I get by laying back this way is fabulous 💕
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