Parkinson's Disease is not holding me back!

You are AWESOME! I was sure that there was no way for me to exercise, and after speaking to you, I found out that there WERE exercises I could do. I went down the stairs to the basement, and marched in place - every day since you told me this exercise, for 100 steps, and then I stepped up onto the first stair up and then back down, alternating legs, for 50 steps. Each day I tried to march with my knees coming a little higher up, and I was amazed at how it seemed to raise my heart beat! Just marching!

Then, when I got your email about the low-impact workout that can be done in a chair, I was able to do everything there, except for raising myself 1/2" off the seat (that will take me some major weight loss to get to do that!!), but I did the alternate exercise for that. Then, with the endorphins running on high, I took our dogs on a very short walk - short because we live at the top of a hill and leaving home is always downhill, but coming back is always uphill. I have 9 dogs, and I took them each about 1/4 mile away from the house and then back, got the next one, and took it, and without wavering, marched back out the door and went out for that dog's walk. And when we got home, I rested. I did the dog walk thing every other day. And sometimes I took two at a time. I am drinking a ton of water. I have to use the bathroom at least once every hour, sometimes twice in an hour. To tell you the truth, I'm flabbergasted at how much exercise and just MOVEMENT I can fit in.

I'm going to look for more ways to fit some movement in - yesterday I had to go to the grocery store, and it is undergoing expansion, and they keep rearranging where they put things. So it is back and forth through the store from one end to the other and then back and forth several times - I'm sure I walked at least one mile Usually my first stop is at the ice cream, where I get a quart of vanilla ice cream. But I was able to say NO! to that. Instead I went to the far end of the store, where the fruits and veggies are stored, and got about 3 days worth of fruit and veggies, and salad fixings. I did not buy one ounce of junk food. I was so proud of myself. I cannot thank you enough for your initial call to me, and subsequent call about the low-impact workout regime - I did eventually find it, but I had the one you sent me all printed out by then. I've changed my screen saver to say NEWO and have that scrolling across my screen all the time. To keep it in front of me. I feel like my life has changed, in baby steps, but still has changed. I feel PUMPED!