If I understand correctly, the rules being brought in on 4th July will remain until there is a vaccine, which is unlikely to be before the end of this year and probably longer.
My immediate, and selfish concern, is that it means my local Parkinson’s UK group will not be able to resume any of its normal activities, most importantly the physiotherapist led exercise classes, but also other exercise and social activities, such as the boxing and the coffee mornings.
The exercise class is now on Zoom. It is a big success, as is our movement to music teacher’s dance class, but not all of our members have either the computer skills or equipment to join in. I really miss the direct contact with the other members. That contact in itself helped me keep motivated. I find some of our members inspirational because of their positive attitude and courage with which they deal with the disease. It inspires me to remain positive and provide a good example myself. It is a real bummer that we can’t go back to it.
When I was cycling through my local park a couple of days aGO SOMEONE WAS Holding an exercise class in the gym carpark. About 30 or so people, all nicely distanced. leaping up and down to music in the sunshine.
Personally I aM Not missing the gym., I think it gave me enough discipline & awareness that I could motivate myself.
Cycling feels pretty sociable these daYS AS THERE ARE so many of us out & aBOUT. Because I am ordering more food online I can enjoy cycling just for itself and explore different routes & challenge myself to go a bit further and fit in a few more uphills
& while I struggle with yoga because of the dyskinesias I am actually enjoying feeling I am making a bit of progress and I vary it a lot more than I did at the gym where I would bore myself to death with the same old routine.
It is meeting other PDP’s that I miss. The physiotherapy led exercise class has members who are more advanced in their PD than me, but who steadfastly maintain a positive attitude to life. They have been inspirational for me in the last couple of years, and I hope that by also adopting a positive attitude, I am able to be a good influence for some other PDPs.
I’ve never taken much part in the social events, the coffee mornings and so on, because of the amount of travelling involved for me; I live in a rather isolated hamlet. But, when I went to the exercise classes I enjoyed the tea and biscuits afterwards and I sometimes found it useful to compare symptoms and prescriptions.
