Delay The Disease™: More Than Just Another Exercise Program Eugene-Springfield, Oregon

Rise and Shine

6:15 am is when my alarm clock goes off every morning, and every morning, five days a week, I have the same conversation with myself:

Me: I don’t really feel like getting up. Maybe just today I’ll stay in bed a little longer.
Myself: Come on, don’t get lazy, you know it is for your own good.
Me: I know, but it is still dark outside, and cold. Just today, I promise you, I’ll go to the gym in the afternoon.
Myself: I know you. In the afternoon you’ll be tired, or have paperwork to do, or you’ll find some other excuse to stay home.

And every morning, after five minutes of internal “conversation”, I drag myself out of bed, put my workout clothes and shoes on and head to the gym.

I wish I could tell you I have fun when I lift weights or run on the treadmill. But the truth is that I exercise because I know it is good for my aging body. I am already losing calcium, which puts me at high risk for hip or spine fracture. My muscles are getting weaker and if I don’t keep them strong I will be at a higher risk of falling. And we all know about the many benefits of exercise, such as keeping healthy heart, healthy weight, improved mood or decreasing the risk for Alzheimer’s.

When is the best time of the day to exercise? Now!

Fun, Yet Effective

Delay The Disease is an amazing exercise program that changes the lives of many people who live with Parkinson. But before I explain the science behind the Delay The Disease program, let me show you the fun we have in our exercise class.

High knees help with changing a shuffled gait, where you can easily stumble over any small object and fall.

Using the Zidi Sticks to facilitate arm swings and big steps to help change the pattern of stiff gait, small steps and no arm swings.

Using a ladder for coordination, sequence, and multi-tasking cognition challenges.

Working on big movements and a loud voice to overcome the small movements and quiet voice.

Making funny faces to work the facial muscles to help prevent the “mask face”.

Strengthening core muscles to help with improved posture.

Practicing bigger handwriting to help increase size of writing.

There is so much more fun in the class than what you see in these snapshots: we run, jump, stretch, turn, bend, run (again), scream (yes, scream as loud as we can), make faces, walk in big and wide steps, lift weights, stand on one leg with eyes closed, count backwards from 22 in threes while stepping in and out of the ladder. But most of all, we have lots of fun, laughter and comradery.

The Science Behind the Fun

There is compelling evidence in animal models that intense exercise can alter the way the brain works and promote recovery.
It was found that exercise through goal-based and aerobic training may enhance neuroplasticity and neuroprotection, which is important for driving motor and cognitive behavior improvements in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) (Petzinger et al. 2013). The definition of
“activity-dependent neuroplasticity”: modification within the central nervous system in response to physical activity that promote a skill acquisition process. (Petzinger et al. 2010).

Simply put, our brain has the ability to change (neuroplasticity) through exercise that increase brain chemicals that act like ‘Miracle Gro’ for the brain.

When people with Parkinson’s practice vigorous exercise that targets the impairments of Parkinson’s (goal-based), new pathways are created in their brain.
The new pathways help the brain and body create new and improved ‘habits’ of better movement and cognition.

In one sentence: repeat perfect movement over and over, and your brain will relearn it!

The Delay The Disease exercise is specifically designed to target the impairments we see in PD:
small movements, impaired coordination, rigidity, postural instability, autonomic dysfunction (the autonomic nerve system affects the heart, bladder sweat glands, intestines, blood vessels), sensorimotor and perceptual impairment, reduce cognitive function, emotional impairment (depression, motivation), weakness, cardiovascular deconditioning, musculoskeletal deformities, pain, on/off fluctuation, impaired divided attention, freezing of gait.

The changes that participants of the Delay The Disease exercise program experience are all related to the above impairments. They see: improvements in strength, agility, balance and ease of rising from their bed, a chair and the floor; the ability to perform daily living activities such as household chores and driving; improved mood, motivation and cognition, to name a few. They also may experience a decreased need to use a walking device and fewer falls.

The Program Founders

The creators of Delay The Disease are:
Jackie Russell RN – a dynamo who comes in a small package full of energy. Her personal connection to PD is through her mother in law who was diagnosed with PD in 1982
David Zid (Zidi) – a professional fitness instructor. Through his work with Dr. Thomas Malloy, a surgeon diagnosed with PD, he witnessed the improvement of his symptoms through the goal- based exercise program Dr. Mallory created for him.

Dr. Mallow introduced Jackie to David and the rest is a history! After launching in 2005 it has become the number one program to fight Parkinson’s Disease.

Lane County’s ONLY Certified and Licensed Instructors

In my 25-plus years as a physical therapist I have worked with many people with PD and I wish I had heard about this program years ago. It was at the 2017 Eugene Parkinson’s conference that Martha, who teaches the class with me, and I heard Jackie’s presentation. We knew right there and then that this is an idea worth spreading! A year later, when Jackie and David came back to Portland to teach this program, we signed up without a second thought. After two extensive learning days, we became certified instructors for the Delay The Disease program.
And let me tell you, those two are smart, fun, funny and energetic teachers. But most of all, their passion about changing the lives of people who live with PD is contagious.

David and Jackie prove that good things come in different sizes….

Martha and I were laughing so hard during this challenging exercise of combined large steps, big arm movement and backward counting. Not as easy as it sounds…

You can’t tell, but I did get the sequence of arms and legs all wrong…

…and Martha was laughing right next to me.

Final Word

In her introduction to the Delay The Disease exercise book Exercise and Parkinson’s Disease,
Jackie Russel writes:
“My mission is to help you fight this disease with a new attitude. Don’s let PD steal the things you love to do. Make those activities your goal. Hang on to the part of life that bring you joy. Our group classes become very tightly bonded: battle this disease with friends. That will help your attitude. Get angry at PD, don’t allow it to shrink your body or your mind. Don’t count your defeats; count your victories, no matter how small. No matter how long you have been diagnosed with PD, it is never too late to start exercising your ability to fight, and never too early.”