My husband and I exercise together regularly. The program is designed for him, based on his needs as a Person with Parkinson’s, so I do what I can to modify the moves to accommodate my personal needs. He sits through the workout, I stand and move around, it works for us both. I like to be there for him, if he needs help, and I like the opportunity to be healthier myself. This shared time also gives me a chance to check in to see how he is doing while offering encouragement, support and advice, he doesn’t seem to mind.

I sometimes catch myself looking at him and wondering why he can’t do more? I build expectations of how my husband can perform based on my abilities which is not fair to either of us. I am younger and don’t have PD, I should be doing more. It also isn’t helpful to look at his fellow PwP’s as examples of how he should do because each person has a different reaction to this illness and the medications. The only way to gauge my husband’s performance is on how well he has done in the past, always remembering that he does have good and bad days.

I also need to understand that each day with Parkinson’s Disease brings its own special set of challenges. Whereas he may have had stiffness in a shoulder yesterday, today it may be moving freely and those differences will impact his ability to perform the exercises. The thing that truly matters is that whatever PD has thrown his way, my husband is always trying his hardest. I must embrace that thought and keep on encouraging him even when I think he should be doing more. He knows his body and the importance of working at his highest capacity in every moment, I will respect and support his effort.