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What are your hobbies?
What are some of your favorite hobbies? Did you know that some hobbies can actually help ease some PD symptoms?
Listen to this flash briefing of a column by Jo Gambosi about how her sister Bev, who has stage 3 PD, continues to enjoy baking and gardening, and how these activities help improve her ability to concentrate and ease her shakiness.
What do you like to do in your spare time? Has Parkinson’s made these activities harder? Have you had to adapt them along with your disease progression, or do they seem to help with your symptoms?
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5 Replies
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While I do not have hobbies as such I enjoy archery. Recently diagnosed with Parkingsons, I found that a sport for me keeps me focused and sane! While there is deterioration I refuse to give in; so more weight exercises so I can continue archery. Walking can be an issue sometimes but consciously lifting and placing one foot at a time is like a meditation process.
Just keep going…..
Garry
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A recent ((4 months) diagnosed patient I have pretty much retained all of my hobbies. Reading is a hobby since childhood, primarily fiction but some “non”. In recent months I tend to lose sight of the plot and characters unless I note them as I go. Adult book colouring is recent but allows my creativity to remain active. My personal favourite is creative writing . Knowing that my memory was failing even before diagnosis my daughter made a list of topics for me to cover. How I met my wife, a story of my friendship with my best friend, and If I could have dinner with anyone from the past who would it be. And other topics. I find I can really lose myself in the researching and the writing. For exercise I enjoy walking but I plan to step up my pace. Gee! Exercise and a hobby. My wife and me enjoy some TV shows together. Various topics. Did you know Grey’s Anatomy features a primary research goal of finding a cure for Parkinson’s. A large viewing audience can only help IMO.
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I used to enjoy artwork, needlework, cooking, and baking, but I can no longer do those as I have both resting an action tremors. I am trying my hand at adult coloring books, but I’m using my non-dominant (non-tremor) hand, which is both interesting and challenging. I also enjoy reading, doing creative writing, doing freelance editing for the company I retired from, doing Sudoku puzzles (the easier ones!), reading oracle cards, visiting art museums, and going for long walks with my husband.
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I enjoy jogging (at a slower pace now) landscape photography and reading especially neuroscience books.
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Diagnosed 10/2017 at age 64. I enjoy reading novels, even though it’s slower reading now. I have enjoyed sewing, knitting, crocheting, and cross-stitch in the past but my lack of interest and hand tremors discourage me now. I still enjoy computer activities and games. TV shows are my go-to relaxation activity now.
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I enjoy music both listening and playing, railroads, and severe storm watching.
I studied piano since I was around 7 years old and once had plans for a career. That was sidelined by time spent in the high-tech industry instead. In 2009, during the Great Recession, I took time off job searching after my old company closed and did a year as a music major at UMass-Lowell. It was the best time of my life. Sadly, that came to an end, and I ended up back to work again when I ran out of mortgage money. (I had to pay that too!). When I left work in 2012 due to the PD, I continued my lessons and I still play and study.
I practice and play most days for about an hour or two. I can’t do more than that because my back and shoulders bother me as I attempt to stay upright, besides, the brain caves and nothing gets done. A teacher once said to me don’t do any more than an hour at a time, and she was absolutely right. With practicing and playing, it gives me goals to aim for and accomplish. This doesn’t mean I don’t have bad days. It’s on those days I step away and don’t go near the instrument.
I also enjoy virtual railroading. I discovered this in late 2003 and I haven’t stopped since. I used to have an extensive layout setup but with the cost today for a real model railroad being beyond what many people can afford. Dropping a $500 or more locomotive on to the floor is a bit more than heartbreaking and I did just that! Shortly after that accident, I discovered Trainz and that was the end of the real layout.
With the virtual railroading program, Trainz TRS19 (TRS2019) from N3V Games, http://www.auran.com I can build routes as big as I want and not break anything. I can disappear in my own world as I detail the landscape with trees and buildings, and eventually place trains down and drive them. Seriously, I can climb into the cab and see my world. The best part is there’s no mess and nothing can get broken.
I also enjoy severe storm watching and chasing. I used to go out on tours with Roger Hill, but those days are over for me. During these trips, we didn’t always see storms and instead visited some beautiful places such as Devil’s Tower and Glacier National Park. The problem now is twofold. The trips are way too expensive and way beyond my budget, and I can no longer handle this physically. The long rides, trapsing in and out of hotels, and the stress of air travel became worse and worse. After my last trip in 2016, I was more exhausted when I got back than when I left for my vacation.
Today, I watch a severe storm chaser from Australia. Daniel Shaw does weather and news reporting in Australia and live streams the storms down there and comes up to the US and does trips in the Midwest. With these trips, I can sit and watch the storms while my cat chases the windshield wipers disappearing behind the monitor.
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