By Elizabeth Grover
In the depths of the dark winter, we bring some light to our world when we celebrate the New Year. A traditional part of that celebration is the New Year’s resolution. Humans have been pledging to change their bad habits since the Babylonians vowed to pay off debts and return borrowed farm equipment some 4,000 years ago. (The custom of breaking those resolutions within several months is also an old one.) How can people living with Parkinson's disease make the most of New Year’s resolutions?
Because Parkinson’s is mostly about movement, we might resolve to improve our movement somehow. It takes a lot of physical and mental energy to deal with Parkinson’s. Movement of almost any kind is difficult, and the level of attention required to keep your movements safe and productive is very hard to maintain. So even if you resolve to walk more slowly or to avoid falling, you cannot necessarily achieve your goal.
Because we know that exercise is critical for people with PD, and that motivation to exercise is always a struggle, we might be tempted to help out exercise regimen with a resolution. One year, I made a New Year’s resolution to exercise more. The next year I realized that I still had room for improvement so I made that same resolution again -- to exercise more. I ended up making the same resolution 5 or 6 years in a row (untiI I retired and had more time to exercise). Making the same resolution you made last year does not mean you failed. It just means there is still room for improvement.
Although Parkinson’s can take charge of your movements in ways that you didn't ask for, there are often some things you can work on to combat your PD. If your steps are small, you can try to take bigger steps. If your posture is hunched, you can try to sit up straighter. It won’t be easy, but every little effort helps. Any effort will be better than no effort, even if you leave room for improvement. The very least you can do is work hard to take your medication on time and exercise as much as you can.
Much of this effort is really about awareness. If you can work on becoming more aware of what PD is doing to your body, you can use your efforts to reclaim some of your body’s function. It is not about achievement, but rather it is about effort.
So what will be your New Year’s resolution this year?