Welcome to
BALANCE YOGA
With The Chair
Please reach out if you have any questions; I can be reached here
I have personally seen what happens when people with movement disorders embrace Yoga. Yoga helps create relaxation, which in turn helps control tremors in people with Parkinson’s Disease (commonly known as PD). It activates affected muscle groups and can be a steady reminder of where your body should be and how it should move. I see the changes in my participants from when they first come into class to when they leave.
Since 2005, I have had the privilege and honor to work with individuals who have PD. Twice a week I meet with an amazing and very active group (both men and women) at a local gym whose collaborative goal is to keep prolonging the progression of the disease, reduce the symptoms, and restore function through exercise, yoga, and stretching. I have seen firsthand how these three disciplines have helped each one of them immensely with improvement in their balance, strength, flexibility, and mobility.
In 2013 I had the opportunity to travel to Arizona, USA, and spend a weekend with Dr. Becky Farley, the founder of PWR!, Parkinson Wellness Recovery, learning techniques, stretches, and exercises that Becky had researched to help improve quality of life for those with PD. It was a great weekend of learning and networking.
From 2012 to 2017, I was honored to organize the annual Parkinson Superwalk here in our town of 40,000 people and was amazed each year at the generosity of the community. Combining the walk and a silent auction, we raised a substantial amount of money for research; we are always hoping that a cure will be found sometime soon.
In 2005, a pilot study conducted at Cornell University placed 15 people with PD in 10 weeklong yoga programs, after which participants reported less trunk stiffness, better sleep, and a general feeling of well-being. Yoga isn’t a cure for Parkinson’s Disease, but it can always help them come back to their center, balancing their body, mind, and emotions, bringing inner peace and happiness.
There are 13 modules and an open-book quiz for you to do. You have three months to complete the course. I have also included module 14 to give you more information about PD.
Why Movement Is So Important
For your clients who have never exercised before, has been injured, has heart disease, PD, or another neurodegenerative disease, they have probably been told at some point or another by their neurologist/physiotherapist that they need to exercise. A lot of seniors think they are too old to start exercising but we know that any age is the right age to exercise! Even if we take the disease or injury out of the equation, they still have a heart that needs to stay healthy, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels that need to stay in healthy levels. They may have osteoporosis; arthritis etc…the list is endless!
It is important to exercise because our body is meant to move; it has been created to move. We have all these joints in our body that make us move. We are not meant to be sitting for hours in a day; sitting on the couch, sitting behind the wheel of a car; we are meant to move.
Here are some examples of different ways to exercise, broken down into categories. The word ‘weight-bearing’ means when the body works against the forces of gravity, and these are some of the best types of exercises to do.
LOW IMPACT WEIGHT-BEARING EXERCISES
· Low Impact Aerobics (cardio – low intensity)
· Walking
· Treadmill walking
· Stationary bicycle riding
· Elliptical training
· Swimming
HIGH IMPACT WEIGHT-BEARING EXERCISES
· Dancing
· Hiking
· Pickleball
· Tennis
· Cycling
· Ballet
· Jazz Dancing
· Boxing
MUSCLE STRENGTHENING EXERCISES
· Weightlifting
· Using weight machines
· TRX (bodyweight) straps
· TheraBands and exercise tubing
CORE, FLEXIBILITY AND BALANCE EXERCISES
· Yoga
· Pilates
· Core-specific classes
· Ballet
Performing dynamic movements as a warm-up before any physical activity has many benefits; it will increase blood flow to the body, as your body gets warmer, your movements will get bigger, and you will begin to feel more energized, to name a few.
Sometimes when poses are held (static) for too long by a person with PD, he/she can experience tremors. For this reason, we don’t hold poses for very long in each movement sequence in this practice.
YOGA
Yoga is an old discipline from India that has been around for about five thousand years. It is a system that is both spiritual and physical and helps us with self-discovery. The system is made up of 8 limbs or pathways that take us to this realization. One of these limbs is known as ASANA. In Sanskrit, asana means ‘posture’ or ‘pose’ and is the physical portion of Yoga.
There are many different styles of asana, but the one that is known by most is Hatha Yoga. This style of asana connects breath with movement, keeping you in the present moment while you are moving through the postures. It is also the path toward creating a balance of opposites. The word Hatha is broken down to translate as Ha = sun and tha = moon. When you are in a posture, you are looking to find the balance between the effort and ease of the pose.
The benefits to a Hatha Yoga practice:
· Increase of strength and flexibility
· Improvement of balance and core strength
· Development of mindfulness
· Relief of chronic pain
· Reduction in anxiety and depression
· Improvement of sleep and quality of life
“Acceptance doesn’t mean resignation…
It means to understand that something
is what it is and there’s got to be a way through it.”
Michael J. Fox
MODULE 1 - GUIDELINES FOR A SAFE
AND EFFECTIVE YOGA PRACTICE
MODULE 2 - PROPS TO CONSIDER
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A chair with a back, preferably with no armrests
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A yoga mat
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One or two yoga blocks
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A tennis ball or something softer
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A yoga strap - approximately 6' long
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A pliable ball (7-8" in diameter)
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A rolled-up towel
MODULE 3 - THE BREATH
Breathing is one of our most vital functions in life.
Lowering your blood pressure, an increase in lung capacity and reduced anxiety are some of the benefits of practicing breathing.
The three breathing techniques used: The Complete Breath, Ujjayi (Victorious Breath) and Lateral Breathing
MODULE 4 - THE FEET
Our feet are our foundation and connection to the earth, and we need to look after them. When we have the chance to stretch our toes and our feet, we need to take the time to do it.
Relaxing the feet and stretching your toes apart, creating space between them, will improve tightness and aches and pains that you might be experiencing. Moving your toes back and forth helps keep the front arch in your feet mobile, which in turn will help you with balance, posture, and stability when you walk.
The feet are full of nerve endings that connect to other parts of our bodies. Rolling our feet on top of a small ball will "wake up" the nerve endings and increase the mobility and flexibility in the feet. It can increase the circulation and decrease any aches or pains we are experiencing in our feet or any other part of our body.
Ball Rolling
Sit tall with the ball behind your back and lean forward from the hips, creating a long spine. Place a tennis ball (or a softer ball) under one foot and begin to roll the ball back and forth from heel to toes.
When you find a "hurt so good" spot, stop rolling and press down with your foot, leaning slightly forward to enhance the pressure and to release the tension. Hold as long as you want. Continue rolling the foot for 2-3 minutes. Notice how your ankles feel – not so tight and rigid?
Take your foot off the ball and place it on the floor. Feel the floor with your entire foot and notice any tingling sensations you are feeling (this is a good thing!). Repeat the exercise with your other foot.
Sit tall again, lean back into the chair and place the ball between your legs, just above your knees. Straighten one leg.
Moving from your ankle, draw the alphabet (lower case letters) with your foot. Try to keep your leg still.
Repeat the alphabet with the other leg.
MODULE 5 - POSTURE
What is good posture? Posture is the position in which you hold your body upright against gravity while standing, sitting, or lying down.
Good posture:
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Helps us breathe easier
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Keeps our bones and joints in correct alignment so that our muscles can move more effectively
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Reduces stress on our ligaments
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Helps prevent backache and muscle pain
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Prevents body fatigue (the body can move more efficiently, therefore, not using more energy for everyday movement)
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Helps avoid falling
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Strengthens our back and opens our chest.
The words Power Up posture will now be used as a cue to sit up tall. The purpose of this cue is to bring awareness of your posture against gravity. You will be focusing on sitting up tall, opening your chest (pulling your shoulders back) and pulling the belly in towards the spine. This posture fights against gravity and aids in stretching and strengthening the torso equally.
NEUTRAL SPINE
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Place feet flat on the floor and knees in line with feet, hip-distance apart. Sit tall on Sits Bones (see diagram below)
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Pull the belly in towards the spine and up towards the ribcage, creating space between the hips and ribs. Lift the chest, pull the shoulder blades back and down, spreading them wide across the ribcage, and bring the ears in alignment with the center of shoulders.
Side view alignment:
An invisible line should run through the , shoulder, and the hip.The knees stack over the ankles, and the legs should be hip-width apart.
MODULE 6 - WARMING THE BODY
NECK STRETCHES
1. Power Up posture against the ball; spine long.
Exhale; pull belly towards the spine;
Inhale
Exhale; turn your head to one side, only as far as it feels comfortable
Inhale; bring the head to center.
Exhale; turn head to the other side.
Repeat 3x each side with breath.
2. Exhale; gently tip one ear to shoulder
Inhale; bring your head back to the center
Exhale; bring ear to your other shoulder. Repeat 3x with the breath.
WRIST STRETCHES
THE ROLLDOWN/ROLLUP
SHOULDER CIRCLES
ELBOW CIRCLES
HAMSTRING RELEASE
FORWARD FOLD
SIDE BEND
SEATED TWIST I
CHAIR POSE
EXECUTIVE STRETCH
You might be wondering why we would be taking our clients back into flexion when want to do is help create extension in the spine.
When somebody is naturally in flexion (as we see in a lot of seniors), if we were to force their spine to go into extension, it would fight back. By giving the body what it wants (is doing), it will be easier for the client to move into extension after the spine has warmed up.
MODULE 7 - STANDING FLOW
A Vinyasa is a transition of yoga poses put together to form a flow, coordinating the breath with the movement. Performing a Vinyasa helps to remind you that your muscles are fluid and that you need to keep moving. By setting your body up in a safe, balanced position, you are setting yourself up for success each time.
WARRIOR II
WARRIOR I
SIDE ANGLE/MOUNTAIN POSE
WARRIOR III
REPEAT THE STANDING FLOW SERIES WITH THE RIGHT FOOT FORWARD
Warrior II ~ Side Angle Pose ~ Tadasana ~ Warrior I ~ Warrior III ~ Tadasana
DOWNWARD DOG
MODULE 8 - BALANCE FLOW
CALF RAISES
TREE POSE
MODULE 9 - TWISTS
SEATED TWIST II
SEATED TWIST III
MODULE 10 - THE FINALE
CAT/COW POSE
MODULE 11 - COMING TO STILLNESS
SAVASANA
MODULE 12 - STRETCHING WITH THE YOGA STRAP
The Yoga strap is a great tool in yoga as it helps prevent muscle or joint strain and enhances the stretch that you are doing. In Yoga Balance, the strap allows you to ease into a deeper stretch that you normally would not be able to do because of tightness or rigidity in your muscles. The strap creates “longer arms” and aids you in being able to hold a pose longer than normal.
HIP AND CALF STRETCH
Set up as shown with left foot on the chair (knee over top of the ankle) and left hand holding on to the back of the chair. Point the right foot forward; heel in line with toes.
Exhale; push hips forward, and tighten buttocks. You should feel a stretch in your right calf area and at the front of your right hip. Hold for 3-5 breaths.
On your next breath:
Tighten the buttocks and lift your right arm, reaching back behind you.
The stretch will intensify in the right hip, and you will be strengthening your back muscles, creating a “Power Up” great posture position for your spine.
Hold for 3-5 breaths.
Repeat on other leg
SIDE STRETCHES
SHOULDER STABILIZATION
MODULE 13 - STRETCHING ON THE FLOOR
WITH THE YOGA STRAP
If you can get your clients to the floor, these yoga stretches for the legs create alignment,
length, and support using the yoga strap.
NECK LENGTHENING
HAMSTRING STRETCH
SPINAL TWIST
INNER THIGH STRETCH
Straighten your right leg. Place the strap into your right hand, anchor your left shoulder to the floor and extend your arm out to the side.
Exhale; Slowly pull your left leg across your body. Turn your head to the left (if no neck problems).
Hold for five breaths, allowing your leg to drop towards the floor. Exhale; Slowly roll onto your back, bringing the head back to the center
HAPPY BABY POSE
Slowly lower legs to the floor and rest for a few breaths.
REPEAT THE FLOOR STRETCHES WITH THE RIGHT FOOT IN THE STRAP:
Hamstring Stretch ~ Spinal Twist ~ Inner Thigh Stretch
SEATED FORWARD FOLD
MODULE 14 - WHAT IS PARKINSON'S DISEASE
Statistics show that PD is the second most common degenerative neurological disorder after Alzheimer's disease that affects approximately 1 in every 500 people in Canada. Today over 100,000 Canadians have PD, and over 6,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in Canada.
PD develops when there is a loss of nerve cells in the brain, which produce a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that controls the way messages travel from one nerve cell to another in the area of the brain, known as the substantia nigra, that controls muscle action.
The cells that produce dopamine begin to die, reducing the amount of dopamine. When the loss of these cells reaches approximately 80%, the symptoms of PD appear. The disease progresses over time, as the dopamine levels in the brain gradually fall. The progression of the disease and accompanying symptoms vary with each person.
Many of my clients say that when they look back at photos of themselves, they can see the “masked” face appearance that people with PD acquire over time.
THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS OF PD
Some of the chief motor symptoms that appear are:
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Slowness and stiffness
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Trouble with balance
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A tremor
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Rigidity of muscles
and non-motor symptoms include:
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Fatigue
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Sleep disorders
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Soft speech
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Depression
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Problems with handwriting
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Poor posture
“I often say now I don’t have any choice whether or not I have Parkinson’s, but surrounding thatnon-choice is a million other choices that I can make.”
Michael J. Fox
FREEZING WITH PD
Although the side effects of PD can differ significantly from person to person, many people with PD are particularly prone to feet problems because of difficulties they experience with walking (gait), posture and cramping in the feet.
Abnormal foot function can cause a lot of discomforts and, inevitably, can affect a person’s mobility, putting them at more significant risk of falling. As the progression of PD becomes more apparent, a person’s stride length begins to shorten, and the amount of time both feet remain in contact with the ground increases. This grounding can be one of the reasons for freezing.
Freezing is a temporary, involuntary inability to move. It can happen at any time, anywhere, and anyplace. It is where the weight of the body lands in the center of the feet and feels as though your feet are glued to the floor.
How can we help someone who freezes? Frank would always freeze in class, and when he did, he would ask me to place my leg in front of him at shin height so that he would need to “step over it.” He asked me to place horizontal lines of duct tape on the floor going into the men’s washroom at our gym because it was where Frank would freeze frequently. Every time he approached the doorway, he would “step” over the lines.
When George froze, I would give him a gentle nudge on the shoulder to “tip him sideways,” releasing one foot from the floor by shifting his weight onto the other foot. After a few attempts, this would solve the problem for him.
Unfortunately, there is no known cause for Freezing.
When we walk, a ‘normal’ walking action is to touch the ground first with the heel and then finally push off with the toes. The gait is a ‘heel-to-toe’ gait.
When rigidity begins to happen within the ankle, the person with PD can often lose this normal heel-to-toe gait and starts to walk with a shuffling action. This more flat-footed type of pace can produce foot, leg, and even knee pain as well as significantly reducing the foot’s ability to absorb the shock of ground contact adequately. In the long term, this type of uncompromising stance can severely impact on an individual’s mobility. www.parkinsons.org.uk
Congratulations! You are finished!
Complete the quiz and mail it off to me at the email below to receive your certificate.
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Email: pilates4life@hotmail.com
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