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How has your exercise regimen changed since quarantine started?
My Dad (diagnosed in 2013) has had to shift his relationship to exercise since quarantine began. Originally, he made his way to Rock Steady Boxing twice a week. But since it’s not safe for groups to meet right now, classes are being delayed. Dad is focusing on bicycle session and manual labor around the house. How has your exercise regimen changed since quarantine started? Are you still finding ways to stay fit?
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16 Replies
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Thanks Mary Beth. My exercise regime has increased significantly during lockdown. I have more time available and doing it at home is very convenient. I’m in a regional area in Australia and many of the capital city PD exercise trainers have taken their classes online through Zoom, organised by the state Parkinson’s association for its members. These are free and have been great. They include sessions on Pilates, Dance with Parkinson’s, Exercises to strengthen core muscles class, balance and cognitive skills class and a session of Boxing for PD. So that’s 4 days a week. I’m hoping they will continue these Zoom sessions after lockdown as they are so convenient.
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Our RSB coaches have developed routines weekly for us to keep up with our exercise. They even do a scheduled zoom session each week so we can participate “together” doing the routine. I also signed up for the LSVT/pwr4life program with a local physical therapist who provided the program via telemed. The RSB coaches have also provided an opportunity to gather at 2 different parks in the area to walk together in June.
Overall, I’m getting more exercise than I did before the covid 19 crisis.
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Allie – it’s funny you say that. My exercise regimen seems to have become more intense since quarantine began too. I have a lot more time and many fitness instructors are providing resources for us in a virtual way right now. I’m glad to hear that you’ve been able to adapt. Do you have a favorite fitness class?
Patricia – I’m really glad to hear that RSB is adapting that way. Have you been enjoying these classes from home? What is your favorite part about virtual fitness?
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Mary,
I’m finally back into my gym, but they now require masks. My “Nose To Toes” workout is very intense for an hour (15 min. core, 20 min heavy weight training and 25 minutes cardio-vascular on a computerized recumbent bike in the Cardio Theater….After a lot of study and trial and error, I finally picked this mask. With the exhalation valves on each side and a five filter inhalation filter, it is like I’m wearing no mask at all and no rebreather air! The filters are recommended replaced about every 30 days, but they are not expensive. Hope This helps!
Mike Scott -
Previous to COVID-19 I attended Yoga, T’ai Chi, and an exercise class each week at my local hospital. These classes did much to improve my physical health as well as to provide wonderful social experiences. Once we needed to stay home I became much more sedentary. I knew I should exercise but just could not make myself do it on my own. I definitely lost ground during those weeks, even suffering from sciatica. Happily, over the past couple of weeks, both my local hospital and the local libraries started to provide classes using Zoom. I am now doing more than I had before COVI-19, and I feel so much better!
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Mary, I’m not sure that I have a favourite. I enjoy them all. I do miss the company of the other participants though. We used to go for coffee afterwards and that was great. It is with a different group (who are from all over he state) that I do the virtual sessions and not face to face of course. In Queensland COVID is under control now but state borders are still closed as there is still a few new cases in southern states.
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Mary, I have a feeling that online sessions will be our new normal for quite a while to come. I live in New Jersey, and with our dense population we were a hot spot for the virus since the end of March. We are just in Phase 2 of things reopening, and I think, with the possibility of a second wave, the classes that I took will not be meeting in person for a long time, especially since most of us are over 65 and are more vulnerable than the average person. In my case, besides PD, I am 73 and have asthma and heart issues, so even if classes started back up, I would be hesitant to go back yet, even though I really miss seeing my friends.
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Marlene,
What are how do you feel about that possibility? I’ve, personally, been missing the gym. Luckily, Covid hit us during the warmer months. So I’ve been able to get outside. But I worry about the following months.
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Just this past week I received the magazine from my local hospital, letting us know of the classes that will be offered as of the last week of July. My expectations were correct; all classes will be provided through Zoom, none will be in person. I was very happy to learn, however, that I could sign up for the same classes I had been taking for years, at the same times I had taken them, and with the same instructors. I didn’t hesitate to sign up for my usual three classes!
I have learned that classes through Zoom can be as good as in person in the hands of the right instructors, and even though I won’t be actually in the same room as my friends, I have learned that the positive peer pressure to get me to class can happen through Zoom. I have been taking a Qigong class on Zoom for the past month or so, and one of my good friends has also been taking the class. As soon as the class is over, we are on the phone talking to each other, and I know that if I don’t attend the class, my friend will be calling to see why she didn’t see me participating.Another factor is cost. All Zoom classes I took so far have been free, so I didn’t hesitate to try any class that looked interesting. Beginning with this next session we will be paying what we usually do for our classes (they are very reasonable at $5 for each class lasting an hour), which I think is as it should be, and since I know how well the summer classes went, I have no problem doing that.
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That’s great, Marlene. You’re making the best of the situation and I am glad to hear you can continue the classes you enjoy. I have been using YouTube for home workouts and it’s been kind of fun to try out new things at home — where no one except my cat is around to laugh at me if I lose my balance or mess up a move! What other classes are you taking besides Qigong?
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For the past couple of weeks I have been taking two different Chair Yoga classes besides the Qigong class. I found it really interesting that they were so different from each other, one definitely more gentle and the other more physical. I tried two different Zumba classes, but they were both too much for me! I have been using my computer, which does not have a camera or a microphone, so the experience hasn’t been interactive, but that was how I wanted it. Like you said, nobody has been able to watch me so far but my cats!
Once the next round of classes starts, I will use my iPad, which has a camera and microphone, since I do want to be able to interact with the instructors and the people in the classes who I have known for years and consider to be my friends. Those classes are Intermediate T’ai Chi Chih (one of the many forms of T’ai Chi), Beginner’s Yoga (I have been a “beginner” for about 7 years. That level is challenging enough for me!), and a Lite and Fit Exercise class, where we use weights and are on the move constantly for the hour. I’m really looking forward for those classes to start!
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Marlene,
I know what you mean about wanting to interact with the instructors and students who have become your friends. That’s an element that I’ve been missing too. One of my favorite yoga instructors has been offering weekly classes, and all of the people that usually attend her classes in the flesh have been on zoom too. So there is some semblance of community. And, yes, the cost makes a tremendous difference.
I took a Tai Chi class when I was in college and I enjoyed the experience. Do you find that you prefer it over yoga? Or do you like them equally?
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Mary Beth,
The first class I took was T’ai Chi Chih, which is one of the many forms of T’ai Chi. Parkinson’s disease had caused me to take a couple of really nasty falls, and what I found was that this class gave me my balance back and essentially eliminated further falls. Then I tried Yoga, and that continued to help with my balance along with giving me a greater flexibility. On the occasional times when I have felt like I might fall, this flexibility helped me to catch myself and get me steady again. I feel like both of these classes are of great value to me, and both have a meditative component that is so soothing. I can’t say I prefer one over the other, and in fact after taking two Chair Yoga classes this summer that turned out to be so different from each other, I think the value of the class can all depend on the instructor.
The third class I am taking is a strength training class that is called Lite and Fit. This class has given me additional stamina. Putting all of the three classes together I am so much better than I was seven years ago, before I started to take classes. I have always been a couch potato, and even now I can’t make myself exercise on my own, even though I know how important the exercise is, so I am extremely grateful for my classes, and I am amazed that I find them to be so much fun!
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Yes,it has. Like your dad, I miss my 2X’s per week of Rock Steady Boxing as well as once a week spinning class at the gym. My qigong and Taji classes have gone virtual, so I ve filled 6 days with them, but it’s not the same as live instructions. I tend to laz-off, and cheat, it’s easy. The results of the past 5 months: I’m getting stiffer, more cramps, unwanted fat, less balance, less muscle strength, less energy & stamina, and Increased lethargy; all bad.
Bottom line, I need more exercise and the motivation to do more, it’s all up to me, and I know it.
StanTheMan
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Prior to Covid I was a member of camp gladiator and also boxing but all that came to a halt. Diagnosed at 48 (4 yrs ago) exercise has been a challenge. Need some accountability from an online forum….I have a treadmill and boxing bag too. I have looked online but its hard to find something that fits me. Any suggestions would be most appreciated. I have smart phone/lap top too. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lots of Love from Texas – Lisa
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Marlene – I’m so glad to hear that you’ve found ways to cope with some of the symptoms. I need to work on balance a little bit myself. I seem to chronically sprain my ankles. Like a proper klutz. Maybe it’s time to revisit some yoga and Tai chi!
StanTheMan- Yes! It’s difficult to stay accountable when adjusting to online classes. I believe that Rock Steady Boxing is offering online classes too. Have you investigated that option? I think that being in a routine helps me to continue to show up. But I know what you mean about taking the shortcuts in those environments.
Lisa – I wrote a column recently about ways to stay fit during covid (https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/2020/03/25/coronavirus-covid-19-isolation-quarantine-exercise-videos-staying-fit/). These were just a few ways I found to stay active. I think that most athletic companies are attempting to offer some form of virtual training. But if you’re looking for a community, it could be helpful to find a zoom class that meets regularly. I, personally, try to participate in zoom yoga with teachers I’ve worked with before. They know how to call me out when I’m doing something wrong 🙂
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