Fighting Parkinson's with fitness - Graham's story

“Parkinson’s picked on a competitive person when it chose me,” admits Graham.

And this determination was clear from the start. “I told my consultant that I didn’t want to go on medication straight away but fight it by staying fit.

“I have kept fit constantly since I was about 18. I played squash and ran 5 miles twice a week. Until recently, I used to swim, although I did begin having problems with my rhythm - the further I swam, the more of a struggle it became to keep my legs in rhythm with my arms. I decided to stop in case I freeze in the water, but I do hope I get back in the pool at some point.”  

Out of the water, Graham has not slowed down. He spends 30 minutes on a treadmill twice a week, goes to the gym once a week and goes for walks outside.

“I have no problems with any of this yet and that is the mystery that comes with Parkinson’s - you don’t know what is around the corner. The problem I find is that the next day I can feel it in my right arm, just like I would with a first training session after a gap or injury.”

While his fitness routine can be interrupted by a busy family life, he is learning to be more flexible with his routine and be confident about the fitness levels he has already achieved.

“How do I know keeping fit helps? For me, it’s arm movement. There are times when I’m out walking, and my right arm - the part of my body most affected by Parkinson’s - feels like it is just hanging and I have to carry it a bit. Going on the cross-trainer helps me swing my arms when I’m out walking. Swimming was also good for this."

As well as improving stamina, Graham is also certain that physical activity has a massive impact on his mental health. “It helps with my positivity - because when I’m on the cross-trainer, I feel normal.” 

Graham is an ordained minister and although he is now officially retired, he is still able to perform different events. He has to accommodate his Parkinson’s in the course of this work.

“I find that my handwriting is OK, but I can’t write fast enough when recording information. I have to be deliberate and take my time,” Graham explains.

“So if I am preparing for a funeral and visit the family before the service, I now take my laptop with me to help me take notes. It is all about keeping within your capability.

“Having a softer voice is challenging because my accent is a big part of my identity. It also means I use a mic during services because if I don’t, people can’t hear me. When I’m at the graveside for a committal, I really have to throw my voice, raise it, and pump my chest.

“One thing I will not officiate at is weddings. I find that when the adrenaline is running, it sets my tremor off in my right hand and makes holding a service book really difficult. I could use a book lectern, but would rather not.”

One of Graham’s main Parkinson’s symptoms is rigidity, which affects lots of everyday tasks. “At the beginning of the day, teeth cleaning is no problem,” he explains. But by bedtime, it is a different story. “It takes holding the brush with two hands to really clean my teeth well.

“Drying myself - pushing a towel against my body using pressure can be difficult. Although pulling the towel from one side to side or the other, especially over your shoulders or around your back can be good exercise!"

These symptoms also affect Graham in the kitchen. “I find I can’t press a spoon down into ice-cream, only slowly. Even slicing a meat pie can be cumbersome, and spreading butter is difficult because it takes rhythm.

“My right-hand movement around a plate at tea time can be slow. I then have to adjust the movement of my left arm, mainly due to the heavy feeling in my biceps.”

He has strategies to manage this when his arms become tense, such as resting his arms on the arm of a chair, but concedes, “There is no perfect way to rest your arms.”

“I think what I find most challenging though, is grocery shopping,” says Graham. “I find negotiating corners around supermarket aisles difficult.

“When I get to the till, putting stuff on the conveyer belt is not too bad. But putting the shopping into the bags is hard. I find my movement gets slow when lifting and putting a bag into the trolley. 

"The area you have to move in isn't big and it's little movements which I find the most difficult. The problem is you can't stop, and the queue at the other end gets longer.

“I usually manage by going shopping before I have done much else that day,” Graham says. “Sometimes it can be ok and staff on the check outs are very good at asking if I need help.”

After a year without medication, Graham started taking a low dose. “I started on 1 tablet at the start of each day. This slowly built up to 2 tablets, 3 times a day. I have remained on this dose for about 5 years.

“I think no matter what you are taking though, your body will tell you when you need more,” Graham says.

“If I get up in the night, my walking is steady. This helps me judge the progress of my Parkinson’s because I take my last tablets of the day at 5pm and my next dose is at 7am in the morning.”

For Graham, each day brings new challenges, especially because as he says, “The effort of the previous day travels with me.” But his approach to the condition is certain: “Parkinson’s has never made me feel sorry for myself or search for sympathy.”

Instead, his aim is to keep up with the competition.  

• Find out more about physical activity and exercise for Parkinson's.