It’s Monday morning, and coach Jo-anne Paulgaard helps client Don Mytrash into a pair of black and white boxing gloves.
She steadies a heavy bag as Mytrash starts to jab with as much effort as he can, as Paulgaard encourages him along the way.
“You can throw a hook in there once in a while,” she says with a smile.
After a few minutes, the fit 65-year-old needs a break. Paulgaard always has a chair at the ready for clients like Mytrash – who has Parkinson Disease.
“I can go rest,” he said.
Mytrash was officially diagnosed a few months ago, after noticing a leg tremor and a change in his writing style over the last couple of years. He said the first thing he did was “read every book I could on Parkinsons,” and through his research he learned that exercise could help manage his condition.
Enter Paulgaard, a personal trainer at Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre, who also began researching how to help.
Now, Mytrash is one of the first students in Paulgaard’s new small group training class, with an emphasis on Parkinson Disease and other movement disorders.
“There’s no other group that responds to exercise the way they do,” she said. “I believe exercise is about being functional, period. It’s about being a functional person … They can live a much better life and that’s what it’s all about.”
Parkinson Disease a neurodegenerative disorder that “affects motor and non-motor functions due to a lack of dopamine in the brain,” according to Parkinson Alberta.
The organization highlights a study that shows exercise and movement increases levels of dopamine in the brain, which increases motor performance (among other benefits) for those living with the disorder.
Mytrash says he can feel an immediate difference on the days he works out – compared to the days he doesn’t.
“It feels good. If you miss going to class, it ruins your day,” he said. “The sorer you are, the better off you are.”
After rest time is over, Paulgaard leads her client through a series of balance exercises, as well as stretches. The class ends with some back-strengthening resistance band work.
Mytrash – who runs a tree farm north of Cochrane – says he’s amazed at the mobility he gains after his sessions are finished.
“It makes you realize Parkinsons isn’t that bad after all,” he said. “It can’t be defeated … (but) it can be controlled.”
Classes began this week. They are 45-minutes and run Mondays and Wednesdays until Dec. 21. Anyone interested in attending a free session to explore the idea can contact Paulgaard at 587-215-7994 or by email at [email protected].
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