Boxing class, national park hikes lift her spirits

Lisa Allen
Illinois

Year of diagnosis: 2013

Exercises of choice: boxing, walking, hiking, pickleball, golf, and biking

Favorite outdoor exercises: biking and pickleball

Favorite place to hike: national parks

Toughest hike and why: Avalanche Peak in Yellowstone NP because there was an elevation gain of about 2,100 feet over 2.25 miles. It was steep!

Outdoor or exercise gear that is a must: a backpack

Advice for someone recently diagnosed who wants to stay active: Choose an activity you love to do. It’s great to exercise outside. It will lift your mood. Exercise with a group. It motivates you and there’s great camaraderie. 

Advice for someone with PD who is just starting to exercise: Set smaller goals to start with, so you don’t get discouraged. As you get in better shape, you can make more challenging goals.

Biggest challenge with Parkinson’s right now: not sleeping well

How I try to stay positive: Pray, go to church, exercise, attend a support group. My boxing class is like a support group, too.

Job/career: I still teach tot gymnastics one day a week.

A woman and her teen daughter rest on top of a mountain peak.
Lisa rests at the top of Avalanche Peak in Yellowstone, el. 10,568 feet, with her daughter.

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If you have Parkinson’s and the outdoors and exercise are part of your life, you could be featured in Unshakable Voices, too. Email unshakablehiker@gmail.com.