3 steps to better posture for people with Parkinson’s

People living with Parkinson’s can experience a decline in posture. Here, expert Deniz Mustard explains how specific exercises that focus on small areas of the body can help improve your posture with dramatic results

Step one: Eyes on the prize

Posture decline can manifest itself in awkward movement of the eyes – one eye moving while the other stays still, each eye ‘taking a turn’ to look.

Try this simple assessment to identify whether you have a dysfunction.

If the exercise is uncomfortable and causes some nausea, there could be a postural dysfunction – the eye line is more to the ground instead of looking forward.

Checking eye alignment for postural issues

Step 2: Flat, flexible footwear

When you live with Parkinson’s, it’s important to consider what kind of shoes to wear. Your contact with the ground should be as solid and stable as possible. This means having footwear that is light, flat and flexible.

Special supportive shoes and ‘postural’ insoles may in some cases be detrimental to your posture, because certain muscles can atrophy and therefore lose strength. Doing postural exercises in bare feet can help.

Step 3: Primitive reflexes

This amphibian reflex exercise in the video below is suitable for someone who exhibits poor lower body movement. By doing this simple exercise for two minutes, the muscles in the posterior aspect of the leg can become stronger. These muscles are important for sitting and standing.

Posture improvements in a Parkinson’s patient after the first sessions, and then a week later

 For more information on posturology visit the En3Perform website