The Benefits of Exercise for Parkinson's

 If you're living Parkinson's Disease, you may wonder whether exercising is a wise idea. The answer, say many experts, is yes. Physical activity may slow the progression of the disease and confers other health benefits as well.

"Exercise can give you greater strength and independence," says Steven H. Schechter, MD, co-author of Understanding Parkinson's Disease. "It may also improve balance, help you overcome gait problems, strengthen particular muscles, and improve your speech and swallowing."

Both stretching exercises and aerobic exercises can be helpful, and if you get enough of a workout to break into a light sweat, you may feel more positive and less depressed, Schechter says. That's because exercise releases endorphins, which are the body's own "feel-good" chemicals. Also, he points out, exercising regularly helps you feel more connected and in control.

According to the National Parkinson Foundation, stretching, aerobic exercise, and resistance (weight training) are key components to a successful exercise program. Besides biking and running, Tai Chi, yoga, Pilates, and dancing can all have a positive impact on individuals with Parkinson's. Here's how to exercise successfully.

• Start out slowly, recommends Schechter. If you try to do too much too soon,
  you'll only wind up with sore muscles and maybe even an injury.
• Be sure to exercise when you're rested, when your medicine is working, and when you're wearing loose, comfortable clothing. And if an exercise feels painful, stop doing it immediately.
• "Practice walking sideways, backwards, and in circles several times a day," says Schechter. "Take large steps, lifting your toes when you begin a step and letting your heels hit the floor first as you step forward." Raising your toes from the walking surface with every step helps prevent stumbling. You can use toe-lifting to "unglue" your feet and legs from an episode of freezing, Schechter says, and to relieve muscle spasms.  As you walk, straighten up and try to look straight ahead, and swing your arms as you walk. In addition to walking, recreational exercises such as golfing and bowling not only keep your muscles and joints flexible, but can provide you with social opportunities, Schechter explains.
• Try swimming. It's a wonderful form of exercise for individuals with Parkinson's, Kohles says. "Getting into the pool can help someone with Parkinson's feel fabulous," she says. "He doesn't have to worry about falling, and she's lifted up by the water. She'll feel like herself again."

If you aren't sure how much exercise to try to get, consider this: "The more exercise, the better," says Caroline Kohles, senior director of fitness and wellness at the JCC of Manhattan, which partners with the NYU Langone Movement Disorder Center in New York City to offer exercise classes for those with Parkinson's Disease. "Exercise can really help with mobility, and it brings more oxygen to the brain," she explains.

9 Telltale Signs of Alcoholism

You love having a glass of wine at dinner or kicking back with a beer while watching TV at night. Lately, though, that one glass is becoming two, and the beer tastes so good it's hard to stop at one. Is there any way to know whether the alcoholic beverage you enjoy every night is a problem? Could you be gradually drifting over the line between enjoyment and abuse where alcohol is concerned?

Alcohol use disorders are bona fide medical conditions. It's estimated that some 18 million individuals in the U.S. have an alcohol use disorder--either alcohol dependence (alcoholism) or alcohol abuse. Alcoholism is more serious. It can include symptoms like cravings, physical dependence, and tolerance, meaning the person needs more and more alcohol. Alcohol abusers may not be physically dependent on alcohol, but they still have a significant disorder.

"We have been moving away from using the terms 'alcohol abuse' and 'alcohol dependence,' and putting the emphasis on risky drinking, prevention, and early intervention," says Bruce Goldman, LCSW, CASAC, director of Substance Abuse Services at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Queens, part of the North Shore/LIJ Health System. "We want to help people be more aware of how they use alcohol."

Wondering if your drinking is a problem? Here are some signs to look for.

1. If you are a man and drinking more than four drinks per day or 14 drinks per week,you're at risk for alcohol abuse. A woman who has more than seven drinks per week is at risk, says Goldman.

2. If you're an underage drinker, you're at risk for alcohol abuse later on. "The younger you are when you start drinking, the more likely you will have a problem with drinking later in life," Goldman says.

3. If you are jeopardizing your mental or physical health, or your job or family, you've got a problem, says Tina B Tessina, Ph.D., author of "Money, Sex and Kids: Stop Fighting about the Three Things That Can Ruin Your Marriage."  It can be tough to admit this, however. And, Tessina adds, "There is no blood test to determine whether someone is addicted to alcohol."

4. If you are seeing yourself drink more and more, this can be a sign of alcohol abuse, says Merrill Herman, MD, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Albert Einstein/Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.

5. "If you are feeling guilty about your drinking and annoyed when people bring it up to you, it's time to take a look at your alcohol consumption," Herman says.

6. If you wake up the morning feeling hung over, and feel like you need a drink to calm down, that is a problem.

7. If you are unable to cut down on your alcohol use or you find that your activities are curtailed due to drinking, you should seek help.

8. If your drinking starts to adversely affect your marriage, it's time to take stock and think about getting help.

9. Finally, if a person is not just drinking in a social situation but drinking by himself more and more, that's not good. 

Source:

"Alcohol use disorders." National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/alcohol-use-disorders

Stress Solutions From Head to Toe

Got stress? You're certainly not alone.

Everyone experiences stress in his own way. It may manifests as knotted muscles, painful digestion, troubled sleep, breakouts, chronic illness, weight gain, headaches, and fatigue. And that's just the physical symptoms. When you're stressed, you may also be irritable, depressed, or have trouble concentrating and remembering.

Fortunately, you can do many things to reduce the effects of stress.

Head and shoulders. Massage or apply heat or ice to tight muscles. Flex your face; it helps you relax. Scrunch your facial muscles, hold, and release.

Hands. Try acupressure. Using your thumb and index finger of one hand, apply a pinching pressure to the soft, fleshy web between the thumb and forefinger on the other hand.

Abdomen. Experts at Harvard Medical School recommend psychotherapy options, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, relaxation techniques, and hypnosis when stress slows or disrupts digestion and cases pain and other gastrointestinal symptoms.

Feet. A brisk foot rub elevates your body's oxytocin, a feel good hormone.

Full Body Stress Relief

Breathing. Effective stress relief varies among individuals. However, breathing works for everyone. According to the American Institute for Stress (AIS), breathing has true head-to-toe stress relieving benefits. It increases the supply of oxygen to your brain, which stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system and promotes a state of calm. It also slows your metabolism, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure, and increases your levels of nitric oxide, an important biological regulator. The AIS recommends focused abdominal breathing for 20 to 30 minutes daily.

Prayers. Pray five times a day (salat). It makes you feel relax and comfortable.

Exercise. It releases endorphins, lowers stress, and increases your energy.

Yoga. Yoga is an all-around good stress buster and certain poses work well to relieve stress in certain areas. For example, the triangle pose, cat/cow, and extended cat stretch help relieve back pain.

Laugh. It's true: laughter is the best medicine. Laughter produces immediate stress relief and, over time, laughing improves your immune system and reduces pain.

When you need immediate and accessible stress relief, Helpguide.org recommends engaging one or more of your senses. Whether it's sight, sound, touch, taste, or hearing, you'll know which works best for soothing your nerves.

An Ounce of Prevention

Of course, the best way to reduce stress is to prevent it in the first place.

• Exercise regularly
• Sleep 7 to 8 hours daily
• Eat properly
• Simplify your life
• Manage your time wisely and take breaks
• Avoid excess caffeine and other stimulants
• Quit smoking