“Do not fear going forward slowly; fear only to stand still.”
Chinese Proverb

The other day I ran into a friend who has MS.    She too, has been told to exercise to improve her symptoms.  She goes to regular, not adaptive, yoga classes and swims.  We talked about the boxing for PD classes that I attend and the benefits of this type of exercise.  During the course of  our conversation, we both were curious to find out if classes designed for people with Parkinson’s would be beneficial for people with other neurological diseases.  So . . . .

A brief internet search found several articles about exercise for both diseases.  The goals of exercise for both PD and MS is to increase mobility, improve muscle tone, balance, reflexes and core strength.  In many cases, the same exercises were recommended for both conditions, whether it is Pilates, strength training, yoga or swimming.

For those of you who are teaching exercise classes for PD or MS, do you have any insights or suggestions for people seeking a trainer or class?  Have you had MS patients attend your yoga, boxing or dance for PD classes with any success?  Or, are the needs so different in these two populations, making it difficult to have them in the same classes?

Please share what you’ve learned.

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