How singing, hiking, and Parkinson’s are connected
I came across a Parkinson’s study that caught my attention as a hiker. It looked at how singing can improve gait — or walking stride — in people with PD.
When portions of the brain that control movement are impaired (hey, that’s you, Parkinson’s), maintaining a rhythm in gait can be difficult. And a less-rhythmic gait can lead to “freezing” and falls.
It can also mess with your speed, cadence, and stride length while hiking.
Now, stay with me…
This study suggests that singing to oneself while moving can ease some of those problems.
In the researchers’ words: “Singing holds promise as an effective cueing technique that may be as good as or better than traditional cueing techniques for improving gait among people with PD.”
(Gait “cueing” uses sounds or visual clues on where and when to take the next step. For example, metronomes and red-light pointers can be used.)
Singing to yourself seems to work the same way, according to the authors.
You can walk more smoothly without using all those cueing tools.
I like singing. I almost always have a song in my head, and sometimes while on a walk or hike I find myself humming or even belting out a tune.
“The hills are alive …”
During duller portions of a trail, one must entertain oneself.
Note: I do try to be courteous. I sing only if I know everyone who’s within hearing distance and if they are sympathetic to my cause.
And singing may be even better than listening to music to “catch a beat,” the researchers add, because everyone’s inner beat while walking is different.
Singing allows you to set your own rhythm.
And that helps keep your stride the best it can be.
Next hike, give it a try!
The study, “The feasibility of singing to improve gait in Parkinson disease,” was conducted by Elinor C. Harrison, Marie E. McNeely, and Gammon N. Earhart and published in Gait Posture in 2017.
Photos credits from top to bottom: Hal Gatewood, Dasha Musorhranova, Jon Thomas, Kamaji Ogino, Jan Valle, and Ryk Naves.
