Batman Brian

A Blog by Brian Carson

5 July 2022

This event took place in Cascais in Portugal.

The short blog details my experience at this event, what I, and I think all of the People with Parkinson’s (PWP) playing, got from the competition and what we expect to do next. I have used a lot of photographs in this blog as I think they describe the experience far better than my words. Apologies to those who are not in any of the photographs, there were just too many to include them all.

The competition was the brainchild of Damásio Caeiro and he has been dreaming of holding the first Portuguese Open since he attended the first Parkinson’s Table Tennis World Championship competition in New York in 2019.

Taking on this responsibility was a major undertaking and at times the strain has shown on Damásio as he dealt with issues and problems up to and during the event.

Some things went wrong some things were very good and some things were in between these two extremes. I am not going to dwell on these things in this blog as we who attended understand the challenge in holding this event, and Damásio has already starting working on what can be improved to make this event even better in 2023. I hope he gets some good support to arrange the next event as we want to see Damásio enjoying the experience with us, playing table tennis to the high level we all know he is capable of, and not in the role of planning and administering, as this is not his strength. He is a writer and a poet, not a project manager, although what he may lack in project management experience he certainly makes up for in his passion and commitment to this event, his TT Club, his home town, and the wider Parkinson’s Table Tennis Community.

The Location

Cascais proved to be a beautiful part of Portugal and lived up to everything Damásio said it would be. On finals day we had a later start as a sightseeing tour was arranged for a couple of hours to let us experience the full beauty of the area. We visited Devils Mouth – Boca do Inferno and drove along the Estrada Do Guincho to the Praia Pequena do Guincho. Which were areas of natural beauty and breathtaking to see.

We were located in three hotels around the area and travelled by coach each day to the competition. But this was not the only time we seen each other as a group. We came together in one of the hotels most nights to socialise and continue developing our friendship, despite some language difficulties these get togethers proved to be a key part of the experience.

The Event

We had a short opening ceremony with a local music group leading the players into the arena to assemble together to hear an event opening speech, followed by a brief explanation of the competition rules. I was given the honour of leading the players in this procession as I was the first player to register for the competition. I was also the sole representative from Scotland.

Compared to other Parkinson’s TT competitions the number of players at the Portuguese Open was small. Approximately 40 players from 12 countries took part. This was smaller than hoped but taking account the number of competitions now taking place and the travel and expense involved to get to the host countries, this number is a success in my view. PWP are choosing what is best for them not only based on travel and expense but also the need to factor in the level of their Parkinson’s and how they manage their treatment regime, their family and home commitments, and in some cases their employment.

We played TT for three days in this event. Three fantastic days where we won, we lost, we got tired, we got elated, maybe a little “off” when medication was not quite working, but the smiles and support and togetherness were always present.

This was a sporting event where the sport was secondary. The priority was being together as a community, sharing the common bond that we have through Parkinson’s, but more importantly being together, supporting each other, laughing together and crying together. I have never been one to show much emotion but as I attend each of these events I surprise myself every time by becoming more and more emotional as the depth of feeling I have for this community and this sport grows.

I will never forget the emotion shown by Damásio as he spoke at the presentation ceremony about his competition not being everything that he hoped for, only to be told by the players, families and officials in one voice that he had delivered a great event.

Nor will forget how my great friend Lars Rokitta and I held each other and cried after the presentation ceremony as we realised what we had just been part of, what our friendship means and our commitment to help this community through table tennis and any other means available.

After the presentation ceremony concluded we were taken to a local club, the Groupe Musical e Desportivo 31 de Janeiro de Manique de Baixo. Here we had a meal prepared by our hosts of local Sardines and meats served with lots of wine and accompanied by music and dancing. A great conclusion to the event.

What Next?

We now all return home to our “normal” lives, managing our Parkinson’s as best we can, play table tennis, and spread the word about exercise and in particular table tennis, and what it can mean for PWP. As I write I am travelling home from Portugal and this very evening we have a webinar taking place where Table Tennis England, supported by the Parkinson’s UK Scotland Parkinson’s Active team are encouraging TT coaches around the UK to become involved in bringing table tennis to more PWP.

For most of the players who attended this event the next focus is the Parkinson’s World Table Tennis Championships taking place in Pula in Croatia in October. For those in the UK we have the small matter of the UK Parkinson’s Table Tennis Championship’s taking place at Drumchapel in Glasgow on 7th August. This is only the second time this event has been held, the first time in Scotland and we at Parkinson’s Table Tennis Scotland are very proud to be hosting this competition. It is fully subscribed with all player slots taken. This will be another opportunity to come together as a community and further the cause of TT for PWP while having fun. I look forward to catching up with many friends at this event.

Parkinson’s Symptoms and Treatment.

I would normally include some information in these blogs on some of the 40 plus Parkinson’s symptoms, treatment and management of these and the benefits of exercise. I have excluded these for this blog only as I do not want to detract from trying to describe the fantastic experience at this competition. Normal service will resume in my next blog.

End

Brian Carson

A blog by Brian Carson

11 May 2023

All views in this blog are my own.

My Parkinson’s Table Tennis Adventure continues (Part 1)

I have had a very busy few months where I have taken on some new Parkinson’s responsibilities in addition to my usual physical activity, local volunteering, and playing sport. This has been very rewarding, interesting and challenging and I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given to contribute.

Recent Activities 

I have also been involved in setting up the Scottish Parkinson’s International Table Tennis Open which takes place in August and I will cover this in later blogs.

However, table tennis is my focus for the next couple of weeks and it has been too long since I bored everyone with a blog.

After a week at home following the brilliantly organised and executed Eystrup competition it is great to be back on the road again heading for the Veterans event in Stockholm.

Eystrup

I can never overstate the great experience we had in Eystrup and again I say thanks to Lars Rokitta for his commitment and passion which shone through at that event.

With Lars in Eystrup

Travel

I have written previously about my nervousness travelling with PD and this trip is no exception. I had a recent Facebook discussion about travel with some others who are living with PD and it turns out I am not alone in these feelings. However we all had the same attitude that while travel is not something we enjoy we will continue to do so while we physically are able, as the reasons for travel are not something we want to give up on yet. For me it’s holidays, table tennis events, sightseeing and spending time with friends. Hopefully I am a long way off from having to cease or even reduce these activities.

Today I am heading to Stockholm via Heathrow. A direct flight is easier to manage but recently the destinations involved have the complication of a flight change as direct options have not been possible.

Eystrup was a prime example where a change at Amsterdam was needed but this was made much easier as I met up with Cecilia and Torgny from Sweden in Schipol and we travelled on to Germany together. This proved to be fortunate on the return journey as Torgny was injured during the competition and travelled mostly in a wheelchair. We were able to help him get through Bremen and Schipol airports although I wonder what other passengers made of us as we three PWP shuffled around the airports, one of us in a wheelchair. But we made it by supporting each other and had a few laughs along the way. Torgny definitely should have had Learner plates on his wheelchair.😂

Sweden

So I am en route to Stockholm to play in the second Veterans Open which for the first time has a Parkinson’s classification event included. I am grateful to Pelle Hanglund (aka Py Tagaros) for the invite and for facilitating my registration.

The competition is being held in Tammsvik which is an hours drive  north west of Stockholm and we will move to the area on Friday evening for two days of play Saturday and Sunday. All players are staying at a conference hotel near the venue and we have a dinner planned for Saturday night as as a group. 

The Venue

We have players from Sweden 🇸🇪 Germany 🇩🇪 Portugal 🇵🇹 Norway 🇳🇴 USA 🇺🇸 and Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿, and I will say Finland 🇫🇮 (Seppo – Swedish or Finnish? 😂)

My potential singles opponents.

I am playing Parkinson’s singles and doubles and a banded singles for all players ( Vets and Parkinsons)

On Friday we are playing a mixed doubles event at the Sparvagens BTK Table Tennis club in Stockholm where Pelle coaches a weekly Parkinson’s group.

My preparation has not been ideal as I have been resting for a week with a knee injury but that won’t affect the enjoyment I will get from playing and socialising with these fantastic people.

Readers of previous blogs will know, but I will say it anyway, the benefits of this type of activity for PWP are not only physical, there are also social and mental benefits from the non playing activities not to mention the peer support we provide for each other.

What Next

I will remain in Stockholm for a few days after the competition for some sightseeing and socialising.

I will post competition updates on Facebook over the weekend, and next week write a summary of my experiences before I start Part 2 of this adventure. 🏓💪

End

Pula, Croatia 12 – 16 October 2022

A Blog by Brian Carson

This years world championships took place in Pula in Croatia over 5 days. This blog is a description of my experience of the event. I was fortunate enough to attend and play as a member of a UK group of 11 players, 8 from England and 3 from Scotland. Additionally we had a total of 14 supporters accompanying us including my son and daughter and future son in law. This allowed us to have a family holiday around the competition

The tournament had a total of 165 participants, 107 men and 58 women from 19 countries.

Pre Tournament Preparation

I usually go into some intense training for these competitions in the weeks before, increasing my weekly TT sessions from 4 or 5 a week to 6 + a week across the three clubs I play in, South Ayrshire, Knightswood and Drumchapel., in addition to some practice at home.

However this time I actually reduced my playing time rather than increase it as I have recently had a hernia diagnosed and I have been carefully managing my playing time to give myself the maximum opportunity to be able to play in Croatia and be as competitive as possible.

This has also meant reducing other activities and I have kept away from walking football for a few weeks and scaled down my Pilates and PD Exercise with the help of both instructors.

Tuesday 11 October

We arrived in Pula early afternoon after an overnight stop in London. This was necessary due to limited flight options from Scotland. The UK team travelled separately from various locations and arrived at various times with some of the group travelling early to take advantage of the great weather and location for some pre tournament holiday time.

The competition dates were changed a few months before due to a clash with another TT event and this late change caused some delay in clarifying some specific event information until very near the start date. This impacted travel and accommodation arrangements for a lot of participants, and in my view resulting in groups being located at multiple locations around the area and making the social side of the event more challenging. At previous events we would be accommodated at a few specific hotels which  helped us easily integrate socially. That is not to say we didn’t meet up and have some great social time.

Our first “event” was Tuesday evening and was a cocktail party at a beach bar where the majority of the players and their families and supporters got together to catch up. As I always say this is a great opportunity to come together as an international Parkinson’s community and catch up with old friends from previous events and meet new friends who are first time attendees at one of these competitions. For me personally this was a chance to catch up with my doubles partner Christoph Freyburg from Cologne, who I had not seen since we played together in Berlin in September 2021 although we keep in touch regularly.

Lars Rokitta thank you for giving me the photograph of you and I together in Portugal.

This was an early evening event and on completion a large number of volunteers went to the arena (the Mate Parlov Sports Centre) at the request of the organisers to help set up for the competition, assembling tables and barriers etc.

Wednesday 12 October Day 1

We had a couple of hours on the practice tables in the morning preparing for the competition start. I had a good session with my mixed doubles partner Joy Paul and it was great to get some practice time with my men’s doubles partner Christoph. 

In the afternoon we attended the opening ceremony in the Roman Amphitheatre which was both unusual and fascinating to have this type of event in such surroundings. Although we were told it is used often for concerts so was probably not so unusual for the locals.

Then late afternoon down to business as the mixed doubles competition commenced. 

There were 5 competitions in total. Men’s singles and doubles, ladies singles and doubles, and mixed doubles. Each of the five competitions has three separate classification groups meaning there were fifteen separate competitions taking place. 

Classification allocation is determined using a complicated questionnaire completed by each player and includes information about their Parkinson’s, time since diagnosis, severity of symptoms etc, as well as TT ability and level of participation where they normally play at home in clubs or groups. 

There is usually an appeals procedure to allow allocation of classification to be challenged or clarified but I am not aware of any official responses to challenges made for this event.

All competitions were started in group format with the qualifiers moving on to knockout rounds through to a final. Similarly those who did not qualify moved on in a parallel consolation knockout competition which concluded with a consolation final.

My partner in this completion was Joy Paul who plays at South Ayrshire TT Club. Matches started at 17:00 and we were included in the class 1 competition, despite both being assessed as class 2 players for the singles competitions. This gave us quite a challenge and despite some great games we failed to qualify from our group, playing some tough opponents including the No1 seeds. 

Thursday 13 October Day 2

Play commenced in the men’s singles with all group matches played to determine who moved forward to the knockout stages in all classes. I was playing in class 2 and had a successful day finishing second in my group and qualifying for the knockout rounds on Saturday.  My group contained players from the USA, Germany and Israel. As always I get a bit nervous when starting these matches, particularly the first one but this time I was much calmer than usual and hopefully this was reflected in my play.

Friday October 12th Day 3

Christoph Freyberg and I began our doubles campaign, hoping to continue our success in Berlin last year where we won a bronze medal in the category. We were in a tough group that included the number one seeds as well as the current world champions who we lost to in last years semi final. Again we were both class 2 singles players who were entered in the class 1 competition.  I am aware this may sound like sour grapes but it would help everyone if the organisers responded to questions and challenges on classification allocation. Unfortunately the other teams were just too good for us and we could not qualify for the knockout stages, moving on instead to the consolation rounds. It was great to see Christoph again and to play with him as he’s has not been able to make any other competitions this year due to ill health.

I spent 2 hours in the early afternoon as a volunteer umpire officiating 6 matches in the ladies doubles competition group stage. Challenging to say the least as some of the players were quite competitive (argumentative). 

There were no official umpires provided by the organisers and we were relying on the goodwill of other players, supporters and coaches to umpire all matches.

Later in the afternoon Joy and I played in the mixed doubles consolation round but we were not able to progress. 

Saturday October 13th Day 4

The men’s singles knockout competition started with all rounds up to quarter final taking place. The semi finals and finals were scheduled for Sunday morning. In the morning I played in the first knockout round of the men’s class 2 singles. I played against the current German Open Champion and we had a great 5 set match. I took the first 2 sets but he came back in the next two forcing a tense final set which I won to go through to the round of 16. The vocal support from the side lines was a big factor in getting me through this match.

Next I played against a French player who had won his group and went straight into this round along with some other group winners by-passing the previous round. An awkward player with bat rubbers that made it hard to read the ball and I narrowly won the first game after a deuce. The next two games were more comfortable for me as I adapted my game to counter his play and secure a 3- 0 win. I also got some sound coaching advice from one of the UK players after the first set. Thanks to John Hughes for that.

Thirty minutes later I played in the quarter final against a Danish player. He was very experienced and very fast. The first game was very tight but he won it. He seemed to move up a gear in the next two games and I was unable to stay with him in both games ending up with a 0-3 result. The end of my singles competition.

Overall very pleased with my performance in the singles and reaching the quarter finals, last eight in Class 2 of the Parkinson’s World Championships.

Later in the afternoon Christoph Freyberg and I played in the consolation doubles but could not progress any further. Once again it was an absolute pleasure to play with Christoph and experience his enthusiasm and positive attitude, despite his Parkinson’s and other medical issues that he has to deal with. A true friend. 

This ended my participation as a player in this years championships. 

We had a social event scheduled for Saturday evening but due to poor planning / technical difficulties, this was cancelled at the last minute when we were already at the venue. As the venue was a bit remote we remained there for the evening and a few drinks with those already there.

Sunday 16th October Day 5

Although not playing I arrived early and helped some players who were scheduled to play in matches to warm up on the practice tables, doing drills, playing points, blocking etc, whatever was needed.

I then settled in to watch the semi finals and finals. I seen some great play and probably missed more, as all tables were in use constantly and there were just too many simultaneous games to keep up.

I watched a great 5 set match in the ladies doubles consolation final, won by Joy Paul and Margie Alley after a few deuces in the final set.

I also umpired the men’s singles class 2 final between Torbjorn Lidstrom (SWE) and Bjarne Taekker (DEN). Two great players I have come to know and respect at recent competitions and events. Congratulations to Bjarne who won the final.

Then on to the medal ceremony which concluded very quickly as there was an island trip planned for early afternoon for all players and there was a tight deadline.

The atmosphere, positivity and friendship around this whole event has been superb and I will miss it and all these fantastic people when it is over. 

What a way to finish off my sporting year. Or is it finished? Watch this space!

This left us with Sunday afternoon and all day Monday to sightsee and relax which is exactly what we did enjoying the down time after a hectic week.

Parkinson’s Impact

I have mentioned previously the challenge of managing medication and “off” times to be as ready as possible when matches are scheduled. This was the same as always but it certainly helped that in this event days were split into segments making the timing of matches more accurate enabling adjustment of timing and doses of medication easier to plan and execute.

However there still remained the long periods of downtime followed by short bursts of activity to play matches. Taking Parkinson’s out of the equation (wouldn’t that be great) we still have to deal with the aches and pains and injuries that come with playing sport and in my case getting older! It is difficult to keep prepared through this type of competition over 5 days but we do the best we can.

I had some interesting discussions with other PWP on whether vigorous exercise changes the efficacy of Parkinson’s medication. Some say they experience no impact others say exercising appears to cause the medication to wear off much quicker. It appears there are various impacts depending on the individual, which reflects the general variations each individual experiences in terms of Parkinson’s symptoms and their effects. However this is a very short term issue for those who experience it, what is not in doubt is the long term positive benefit of regular varied exercise for PWP.

What is the future for Parkinson’s Table Tennis – Ping Pong Parkinson’s (PPP) and the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF)

In the weeks and months prior to this event there has been a rift between PPP and ITTF. For many months we did not know if the ITTF would be involved in the event and eventually it was decided this would be a PPP only event. I am sure many of the participants were unaware of this going on in the background and like me just want to play table tennis with this fantastic Parkinson’s community.

A few days ago, during the current event, the ITTF announced the next Parkinson’s Table Tennis World Championships would take place in November 2023 in Crete, and it would be an ITTF event. I question the timing of this announcement during a Parkinson’s World Championship that the ITTF are not involved in. This appears typical of the criticism between these two organisations seen recently in correspondence and statements from both sides.

I have only recently been on the periphery of some of these statements and correspondence and do not pretend to understand the full list of issues and motivations causing this conflict between PPP and the ITTF. This has been going on since the first PPP world championship was held in 2019 in New York.

However I will pose a question to both organisations PPP and ITTF:

You both have made many statements about your commitment to table tennis for People With Parkinson’s, citing the positive impact on the players participating, including physical, mental and social benefits that help us in dealing and living with our condition. If you truly stand by these statements and are committed to continuing with TT for PWP then your priority should be enabling this for our future and working with any organisation involved that shares this goal. Why can you not work together if you share this commitment to PWP?

What next?

For me personally a few days rest and downtime, get used to the cold weather in Scotland again and decide whether to proceed with an operation for my hernia. And of course get back to playing TT before the end of the week. 

Long term my TT targets for 2023 include the next World Championships, the German Open, the Japsko Altea Training Camp, a potential UK Open in Birmingham. There are also competitions in Sweden, and possibly Denmark that may be options. 

This is all in addition to my role as part of the Parkinson’s Table Tennis Scotland Association, which involves trying to help and support all the new TT sessions being started for PWP in Scotland, and get more PWP playing, to experience the positive benefits while having fun playing.

End

This competition for people with Parkinson’s (PWP) took place in Bad Homburg in Germany between 27 and 29 May. This was the second time the event has taken place, the first iteration was held at Nordhorn in September 2021.

I was fortunate in being part of a small group of UK players participating this year and this blog is a short account of my experience. At the end I have included some medical testament explaining why People with Parkinson’s need to be active.

The UK players were, myself and Joy Paul from Scotland and Andrew Cassy and Liz Houghton from England

The event had 139 players taking part from 14 countries.

Travel
I was very fortunate to be travelling with fellow Scot and friend Joy Paul on this trip. I have mentioned previously the anxiety of air travel for PWP and my experience traveling alone. Having a companion for this journey made such a difference and removed a lot of the stress I felt previously. Our travel Into Frankfurt was uneventful and we arrived in Bad Homburg with no difficulty in the late afternoon.

It was great to get settled and over drinks and dinner catch up with old and new friends as the players continued to arrive and the atmosphere began to build towards the competition.

Day 2

We spent the morning walking the 5k into the centre of Bad Homburg and it was worth the effort to see at least part of this picturesque town. If our trip was a bit longer we would have included a trip to Frankfurt but this a not possible this time.

Early afternoon the organisers had a Parkinson’s “marketplace event” where various research and manufacturing bodies displayed their latest work and demonstrated progress in these areas. There were a number of exercise aids for PWP available to try out some TT related some not. An interesting session and again an opportunity for the gathered community to mix and catch up.

The day concluded with the opening ceremony followed by a buffet. At this event we heard from some local dignitaries and their commitment to the event and to supporting Parkinson’s causes. The formal part of the ceremony concluded with a brief by the tournament director on the format of the various singles and doubles competitions.

For the singles we were playing the Swiss format which was new to me and I took a while to fully understand this system. Round one involved playing 6 matches. After each match scores were reviewed to select the next opponent. Players who won their first match were paired together in match 2, players who won their first two matches were paired together in match 3 and so on. On completion players were listed in table format in order of results. The top 16 players progressed to a knockout phase, In parallel the remaining players played a consolation competition in the same format.

Consolation Rounds

Consolation rounds are a great feature of Parkinson’s competitions as they keep everyone playing and involved as long as possible. The event is about fun, networking, and social interaction as well as being a competition. Without this format it would be a less attractive event to participants some of whom have travelled far and at significant personal expense. Without consolation rounds some players would be eliminated from a three day competition in the first few hours of play on the first day.

Competition Timetable

The competition was held over three full days. There was much thought put into the timetable by the organisers to try and give players 6 hour time slots each day when their matches would be played. This prevented players (remember they are all PWP) from needing to be in the arena from first thing in the morning to well into the evening. The organisers should be commended for this and for the overall organisation and execution of the event which was first class.

This is how the competition looked for me in terms of matches over the three days

Friday am – 6 singles matches

Saturday am – 3 mixed doubles matches

Saturday lunchtime – 3 men’s doubles matches

Saturday early afternoon – singles round of 16 knockout match

Saturday late afternoon – singles quarter final

Sunday am – 2 men’s doubles consolation matches, 2 mixed doubles consolation matches

Sunday lunchtime – singles semi final match

A very busy and exhausting three days of competition but this was my choice as I elected to play in both doubles competitions as well as the singles. Not every player chooses to do this and for some who do elect to play in all three this is sometimes not possible as there are not enough female players for every male to play in mixed doubles.

All matches were played with great spirit and everyone was enjoying the experience.

The above match was a fun experience from beginning to end as we are all friends and did not take it too seriously. Despite repeated requests from me (jokingly) to stop putting spin on the ball 😂Jesper continued to do so. At some points we just could not stop laughing and even the tournament referee was watching with a smile on his face.

Saturday Evening Event – This was dinner and drinks for all players, partners, families, officials etc at the hotel. This was another opportunity to spend time with old and new friends in a social environment where competition is forgotten and having an enjoyable experience with fellow PWP from various countries is the priority. There was some excellent entertainment provided by local school children that added to the relaxed atmosphere.

Day 6 Monday – travelled home tired but very happy.

What was the outcome of this event?

In terms of performance for the UK players, both Joy Paul and I reached semi finals in our respective singles competitions and received bronze medals. Liz Houghton reached the final in the mixed doubles and received a silver medal.

More importantly we had a fantastic experience with a group of people all dealing with an incurable degenerative disease who, through their passion for table tennis and determination to live life to the full are an absolute joy to be with. They also inspire many others that physical activity is a major part of the treatment regime for this disease

Mental and physical benefits of exercise for People with Parkinson’s 

PWP have everything to win if exercise works little to lose if it doesn’t. We now know that such inactivity only accelerates the progression of Parkinson’s

Predictably, the 2020 COVID Pandemic decreased physical activity for those living with Parkinson’s, translating into more physical and mental symptoms. Subsequent research showed that many experienced “worsened symptoms . . .slowness, stiffness/rigidity, tremor, gait, freezing of gait, speech, pain, sleep disorders, concentration, feeling stressed, anxiety–depression, constipation, and forgetfulness.”

Without exercise, Parkinson’s progresses even faster. Professor Bas Bloem, Medical Director and Neurologist at the Parkinson Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands, states that “The adverse effects of inactivity include cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, insomnia, cognitive decline, depression, constipation, and all lead to early mortality. All of these are risk factors when you have Parkinson’s, so if you are both inactive and have Parkinson’s, your risk of early mortality is higher.”

Dr. Bloem goes on to say daily exercise is critical for those living with Parkinson’s because:

1. Exercise helps your heart, brain, bone density, lungs, and more.
2. Exercise may prevent Parkinson’s.
3. If you have Parkinson’s, exercise works like a medication. It is continually proven by research that exercise suppresses symptoms of Parkinson’s.
4. It is currently believed that if anything can slow the progression of Parkinson’s, it’s regular exercise.”

That is an important distinction to understand: Those living with Parkinson’s often become discouraged at less-than-hoped-for results from regular exercise. If they aren’t experiencing results, they are likely exercising at too low of an intensity level. Unfortunately, many quit exercising because they think it’s not working. They haven’t been taught how to exercise to get their desired results. 

Yes we all enjoy the social and competitive aspects of these type of competitions and find then both stimulating and enjoyable, but as you can see from the information above exercise is medicine and is critical for PWP to maintain quality of life for as long as possible while we all wait and hope for a cure to be found.

End

Brian Carson