Group Exercise for Parkinson’s Disease in Pocatello, Idaho

If you have Parkinson’s Disease, please come join us for group exercise that includes non-contact boxing and other exercise that improves your coordination, agility, mobility and balance.  The class is adaptable for people with Parkinson’s Disease at any stage and is coached by a physical therapist.  For more information, please feel free to contact Carolyn at cfweberpt@gmail.com

Times:

–As the times are subject to change, please call Carolyn Weber at (208) 244-9291 or email her at cfweberpt@gmail.com for the most up to date times.

Location:

–Senior Activity Center, 427 N 6th Ave, Pocatello, ID 83201

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LSVT Big Training DVD’s to enhance your homework practice sessions

If you are undergoing LSVT Big(R) Training, you may want some help with your exercise homework.  Below, are two great DVD’s made by the creators of LSVT Big that can lead you through your homework.  Make sure that you know whether you are doing the Standard LSVT Big(R) exercises or the Adapted LSVT Big(R) exercises.  Please contact your physical therapist if you don’t know which program you are doing.

If you are doing the standard LSVT Big program, you will want to purchase the DVD below (click on the image below to purchase):

If you are doing the ADAPTED LSVT Big program, you will want to purchase the DVD below (click on the image to purchase):

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Losing your voice?  Difficulty breathing or swallowing?  It might be time for Respiratory muscle strength training!

Parkinson’s Disease also affects the respiratory muscles which can make swallowing, breathing and speaking more difficult as the disease progresses.  This enhances the risk of one’s likelihood of aspirating food and having pulmonary infection.  Decline of respiratory muscles also greatly impacts quality of life, reducing endurance with daily activities and ability to speak.  The good news is that your respiratory muscles can be trained like the muscles in the rest of your body.  In a study performed by Sapienza et al. 2011, they found that in as little as 4 weeks of respiratory muscle strength training, people with Parkinson’s Disease were able to increase their maximum expiratory pressure (a measure of the force of the air you exhale!) increased by 27%!  Respiratory strength training can be completed using a device such as the Breather RMT (Respiratory Muscle Training device.  Click on image below for more information and to purchase.  You can double check, but such devices are generally not covered by your health insurance.  For information on how to use this device and an exercise program, please get in touch with Weber Physical Therapy and Wellness.

Reference cited:
Sapienza et al. 2011. Respiratory Strength Training: Concept and Intervention Outcomes. Seminars in Speech and Language, 32(1): 21-30.