Please contact Dr Allyson Flynn for more information or feedback about the program.
Module 3: Maintaining and sustaining exercise
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Module 3: Maintaining and sustaining exercise
After completing this module participants will be able to:
- identify barriers to long-term exercise and develop strategies to overcome them
- outline when and where to seek help to maintain your exercise habit.
- To continue exercise over the long term, it needs to become a habit, just like taking your medication.
- Consider how you can fit exercise into your daily routine and make the commitment to do it. Prioritise physical activity and exercise when planning your day.
- Making regular exercise one of your goals will help you to include exercise as part of your daily or weekly routine.
- Physical activity can be incorporated into your daily activities, such as using stairs instead of an escalator or lift.
People with Parkinson’s disease highly value receiving feedback on their exercise. The evidence shows that receiving feedback is an important factor in continuing to exercise. Being able to monitor your progress also increases your capability.
There are many options for monitoring progress, including using:
- diaries to write down what you did or tick off a chart or calendar
- pedometers to track how many steps you take per day
- technology, such as:
- smart watches
- apps
- heart rate monitors to see the intensity of your exercise.
By monitoring your progress, you can note when you are improving (increasing motivation) and when things are not going so well, suggesting you could benefit from seeking assistance.
Role Model
Having a role model or being a role model can be a great way to maintain your motivation. It also helps to keep you accountable for your exercise.
Exercising with Parkinson’s disease needs to be performed over the long term. Exercise needs to become a habit. When thinking about maintaining and sustaining exercise, it can be helpful to use the COM-B model of behavior change as a guide. Increasing your capability and maintaining your motivation are key to developing an exercise habit.
It is helpful to identify problems which might impact on your ability to exercise and to develop the solutions in advance.
Here are some common barriers to exercise for people with Parkinson’s disease. Think about how you would overcome the barriers then click on each barrier for some ideas on how other people with Parkinson’s have overcome it.
- There are many reasons people take a break from exercising, including going on holiday or being unwell.
- When returning from a break have realistic expectations. If you don’t use it, you lose it, so you will notice that you are not at the same level as prior to your break. Start slowly and build up again.
- Consider seeing a physiotherapist or exercise physiologist to update your exercise program, ensuring it is still appropriate for you.
- A break gives you a chance to reflect.
- Think about if you were enjoying exercise prior to the break and if you want to return to the same exercise or try something new.
Over time your ability will change, and your exercise program will need to be adjusted accordingly. It is recommended you see a Physiotherapist or Exercise Physiologist, every 6 months (or earlier if necessary) to ensure your program meets your needs.
Exercise which is too easy can quickly become boring. Consider these options to make your exercise more challenging:
- increasing the intensity
- increasing the amount of exercise
- adding additional tasks when exercising (i.e. exercise while multi-tasking)
- changing the type of exercise
- changing the location.
Exercise which is too challenging can reduce your motivation. While it is important to challenge yourself you want to ensure you are enjoying the exercise, it is safe, and you are benefitting from it. Consider these options to make your exercise easier:
- reducing the amount or duration of the exercise
- reducing the intensity
- simplifying the exercise
- changing the type of exercise
When things are not going so well, this might be a sign you need to seek assistance or have your exercise program reviewed.
Exercise may help to reduce fatigue over time, but excessive exercise (especially without slowly building your exercise capacity) may lead to excessive fatigue.
If you are feeling excessively fatigued after exercising (fatigue that interferes with you doing your everyday tasks safely), you might want to consider:
- Breaking the exercise down into smaller amounts. For example, exercise for 10 minutes 3 times a day rather than for 30 minutes once per day
- Planning to exercise when you are feeling the best, this might be in the morning before you do other tasks.
- Prioritising exercise into your daily routine.
If you are feeling excessively fatigued, be careful when completing everyday activities.
If you experience pain, then seek help from your health professional (doctor, physiotherapist or exercise physiologist).
A physiotherapist or exercise physiologist can ensure your exercise is appropriate given your pain. They can modify your exercise, such as changing the frequency, intensity or type. Is there another type of exercise you can do which does not cause pain?
In most cases, exercise with tolerable pain that is not getting worse is safe.
Starting something new or making a change can be confronting and might impact your confidence. You can increase your confidence by:
- exercising with supervision so you can receive feedback
- exercising with other people who can provide support and encouragement
- practice, the more you exercise the more confident you will become
- remembering it is never too late, you can learn.
There are many options for exercise, here are some resources which might help you find the right exercise.
Consider using online exercise programs:
- Parkinson’s Europe ExerciseCast online exercise
- Parkinson’s UK online exercises
- Safe exercise at home for older people (Australia)
Finding an exercise program or exercise professional near you:
- Active and healthy ageing NSW (Australia) finding an exercise program near you
- Find a physiotherapist - Australia
- Find an accredited exercise physiologist - Australia
Remember no specific location is better than another so you can always exercise at home or near home for example walking in your neighbourhood.
Help can be provided by a range of people. Here are some examples of when to seek help and from whom:
- Your ability changes, and you are finding the exercise too easy or too challenging:
- seek support from a physiotherapist or exercise physiologist who can adjust your program.
- You have a fall:
- if you are injured in a fall, see your doctor
- seek support from a physiotherapist, occupational therapist, or exercise physiologist.
- You are losing motivation:
- discuss this with your care partner, family, friends, physiotherapist, or exercise physiologist.
- You are finding it difficult to access exercise:
- seek assistance from your care partner, family, or friends
- consider exercising at home.
- Parkinson’s Australia: call 1800 644 189 or visit their website.
