"Snap, Crackle, Pop"

I guess it is the engineer in me that makes me buy a book on just about anything that I am about to tackle, experience, etc. My library is huge and contains subjects from computers, to aquarium fish, to electronics, to travel in Scotland, to the war in the Pacific during WWII, to Shakespeare...well, you get the idea. If I am going to do something that I am not familiar with, I buy a book. If I am going to go through a condition (such as Parkinson's), I buy a book. Although I don't think I would be in the minority with the latter, it would be my tendency anyway.

With all of that said, I have purchased at least three different books now on Parkinson's. All three stress the importance of exercise in helping with the muscle stiffness and potentially slow the progress/symptoms of the disease. To that end, I took up Tae Kwon Do (TKD) with my son and have started some modest body building. Has it worked? Yes, it does seem to help. I feel stronger and the stiffness in my muscles is not as bad as it was. Don't get me wrong... Parkinson's is a regressive disease and at some point the exercise will not help as much but for now, I am getting into better shape and hopefully prolonging the inevitable symptoms.

As mentioned in other posts, I have young-onset Parkinson's Disease (YOPD). This is actually a good thing for me because if I had to start an exercise program in my 60's when a majority of Parkinson's sufferers get this disease, I think I would be in major trouble. I say this because I have discovered over the last month or so that I am no "Spring chicken." At 41, the TKD and weight lifting is not as easy as it once would have been. My knees are making noises that not only I can hear but others can as well. If I throw a punch wrong in TKD, my shoulder makes a loud pop. This morning, after TKD practice last night, I could barely make it up the stairs (and back down) without having to heavily rely on the railing, wall, etc. So, while the exercise helps, it also reminds me of my age and why you don't see many athletes over the age of 40 (and believe me, they are in much better shape than me).

Forgetting the disease, it is really a let down when I see how much harder it is to do physical things now. My TKD class includes only one other adult (slightly younger) and the rest are kids. The kids run circles around me in terms of flexibility, ability, etc. It is funny to see the looks on their faces when I throw a kick that barely gets above my waist, if it all. When I was a kid, I could put my toe almost to my shoulder. I was not exactly Ray Guy, but I had some flexibility. Now, if my toe makes it over my belt line on a kick, I am celebrating (or getting Celebrex or something). Granted, I have had a lot of leg injuries over the years: torn ACL, Achille's tendon rupture, severely strained ankle, popped muscles, bone spurs in my foot, etc. With all of that, though, I always considered myself somewhat athletic. Yes, with my small stature, I usually have to pour more effort into what I am trying to accomplish and that has obviously taken a toll, but I thought I would have SOME of that left over.

Aging is not fun. I notice the changes over time but they tend to creep up on me. The physical ability changes seemed to come overnight (around 38). It is not to say that I cannot regain some of my abilities given my current regimen, but we shall see. In the meantime, I'll have to get use to "snap, crackle, pop".