I came across an article in our local paper this morning regarding the 5 pillars of human movement. It was written by a personal trainer, and she spoke of exercises she feels we all need to do to support our bodies and remain healthy. It was interesting to me because it really outlined what Parkinson’s Disease has taken away from my husband and reminded me to be more understanding.

The pillars that she mentioned were locomotion, level changes, pulling, pushing and rotation. These 5 abilities are the basis of human movement and are all equally essential functions. Locomotion refers to the ability to move your body through space, something my husband’s diagnosis of PD has slowed to a snail’s pace. Level changes, which include getting up from a bed or chair, are becoming more difficult for him every day. Pulling, so he can bring things to himself, and pushing, to make them go away, is also becoming increasingly challenging. And the final pillar, physical rotation, is extremely limited. The physical challenges his body faces just to survive must be overwhelming for him and I need to remember and respect that.

This article spoke to the my personal situation because my husband presents primarily with physical symptoms. I did get to experience cognitive and mental challenges when my father was on his journey with PD. I believe that the concept of not underestimating the challenge can apply in that arena too. The thing is, whether my loved ones are facing physical, mental, or emotional challenges I can never truly comprehend what they are going through. Instead I must always do my best to give them the respect and consideration they deserve because the road they are on is always going to be so much more difficult than mine.