Being able to exercise at home when you have Parkinson’s can be hugely beneficial.
It’s convenient, cost effective, private and you don’t need lots of equipment.
You can do a fully rounded workout that includes strength training, stretching and aerobic exercise – a mix of which can help to reduce Parkinson’s symptoms or delay their progression.
Choosing your Parkinson’s exercise space
When choosing where you’ll work out, be mindful to choose somewhere with firm, non-slip flooring. You might also want to consider whether it’s somewhere you’ll enjoy exercising without any interruptions.
Staying safe when you exercise is important for everyone, but if your balance is affected by Parkinson’s, it’s especially important to avoid trip hazards. A clear, uncluttered space is the best place for a home workout space.
Check that you have enough space to do the exercise you’d like to do by kicking out your legs and moving your arms in all directions. Then before you start exercising be sure to have your phone and water nearby.
Creating workout stations
You don’t need to designate a single area to work out from but instead you could have multiple set ups throughout your home. This is how 48-year-old Martha Batup and her husband Jason, who are both living with Parkinson’s approach exercise at home. They’ve designed their one-bedroom house to encourage them to exercise by dotting equipment throughout to form exercise stations.
Kickboxing from home is a key part of how Martha manages her Parkinson’s symptoms. “It’s incredible. I grew an inch and a half. It turned my confidence around as well…because I’d been suffering from depression and anxiety for years. It’s unbelievable the change it’s made,” she says.
Overcoming barriers to exercise
To get the most out of your setup, think about what you can do to encourage yourself to get active. Martha often dresses so she’s ready to exercise when she feels like it. That way she has one less thing to think about before working out.
Having exercise equipment within easy reach also helps Martha and her husband overcome the apathy that’s common in people with Parkinson’s. Visual cues are an important element of their home set up. That’s why she’s now got a punching bag in their living room where she also works for Parkinson’s UK three days a week. She says her home is designed “so there’s absolutely no barriers anywhere to any exercise at all.”
As well as the punching bag, they’ve also got some battle ropes, a yoga mat and an exercise bike. Martha says: “When my medication’s off, I find sitting down really uncomfortable because all my muscles are fighting each other and my tremor moves around my body. As I try to relax one part of my body, it moves somewhere else …but if I sit on the exercise bike and just pedal slowly, I can sit there for half an hour and it’s much more comfortable than trying to sit on the sofa.”
Exercise snacking for Parkinson’s
One of the biggest benefits of doing workouts at home when you have Parkinson’s is the flexibility it affords you to do shorter, more frequent bursts of activity called exercise snacking.
Martha says this approach helps her manage the fatigue she experiences with Parkinson’s: “I haven’t got time or the energy to fit in a proper full gym session. It’s expensive as well.
“I’ve realised that when my energy is lacking, punching on the punch bag combats my fatigue and lifts my mood as well.”
Equipment for exercising at home with Parkinson’s
If you’d like to exercise at home, there are a few inexpensive pieces of equipment we’d recommend. To save money you could buy second-hand exercise equipment or look for deals.
Since weight training is a core part of using exercise to manage Parkinson’s, you might want some equipment to help with this. You could get a light set of dumbbells or kettle bells if this type of equipment is safe for you.
If you’re unsure about your technique, stick to bodyweight exercises or use resistance bands instead. Alternatively, you can use bottles filled with water too.
An exercise mat is another good piece of kit to have since a daily stretch can help manage Parkinson’s symptoms such as stiffness. Stretches can be useful if you’ve been sitting for a long time for example.
Or, if you like, you could make do with a towel on a carpet if that works for you. We recommend using yoga blocks to support your stretches. Resistance bands are also good for extending your stretches.
If you’re unsure how best to use your equipment, then our Parkinson’s exercise videos can help guide you through your home-based workout routine.
Online Parkinson’s exercises
If you’re planning on following online exercise programmes, then you’ll also need to make sure there’s a good spot to pop your device so it’s visible.
If you’re ready to start an online exercise programme, our 12-week Get Started course might be a great option for you.
