Water aerobics perfect for Parkinson’s, she says
Mary Cantando
North Carolina
Year of diagnosis: 2015
Exercise of choice: Water aerobics class 5X a week.
Favorite outdoor exercise: Pool time.
Most proud of related to outdoors: I’ve been participating in water aerobics for over 15 years now. In addition to it being a great workout, I’ve developed a “community” of like-minded women with whom I participate in volunteer efforts such as feeding homeless women.
Outdoor or exercise gear that is a must: I love wearing water shoes in the pool; they make such a difference. The one time I forgot to bring them, I could feel a huge drop-off in my level of effort.
Advice for someone recently diagnosed who wants to stay active: Water aerobics is a great workout for anyone with PD because you can work out HARD without being concerned about falling. When I work out on land, I find that I’m very tentative, but in the water I can really get my heart rate up and engage in big moves.
Advice for someone with PD who is just starting to exercise: Try just getting in a pool and walking back and forth in the water. Even if you’re using a walker on land, you’ll find that the buoyancy allows you to walk without it.
Biggest challenge with Parkinson’s right now: Pain and limited range of motion in my right leg. If it were not for the pool, I would have great difficulty in working out for any significant amount of time.
How I try to stay positive: When I wake up each morning, I remember that my children, grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren are all happy and healthy. I remind myself if anyone needs to have less-than-perfect health, I’m happy that it is me rather than one of them. I keep a small smooth stone beside my bed, and each night I rub it while I think of the three best things that I experienced during that day.
Advocacy work: I currently play a leadership role in several nonprofits:
- Elle Ventures: I’m a Founder of this angel investment group of women that provides funding for start-up women entrepreneurs.
- The Foundation of Hope for Research and Treatment of Mental Illness: I’m a board member and co-chaired our recently completed $5MM capital campaign.
- Enterprising Women Foundation: I serve as the Regional Co-Chair of the Young Enterprising Women program that teaches financial literacy to underserved high school girls.
- The Woman’s Advantage: I’m the founder of this program that is currently offered to incarcerated women enabling them to start individual businesses upon release from prison.
Other interests/hobbies: I am fortunate that my six grandchildren and three great-grands live nearby. My husband and I are very involved in their lives, including attending sports events, musical performances, and school programs. We also travel as much as we can and are planning three weeks in New Zealand this winter.
Career field: As an entrepreneurial executive, I was part of a team that built and sold two tech companies back in the DotCom era. Since 2001, I’ve focused on helping women start and grow businesses. I’ve written seven books on the subject and spoken nationally and internationally to groups of women as large as 6,000. I retired in 2016 due to PD-related voice issues, but I stay busy with my volunteer efforts that focus on supporting women and girls.
Something the world should know: I believe that selecting your life partner is the most important decision you will make in your life. I tell audiences that I’m a “high-maintenance wife,” and I refer to my husband as “St. John” because he’s been putting up with me for over 50 years.
He retired just a month before my PD diagnosis, and learning of it, he immediately said, “I’m taking over the kitchen. I’ll do the grocery shopping, the cooking, and the cleanup. You invest your energy in the grandkids and other things that are important to you.” And he’s lived that commitment for almost 10 years now.
If you have Parkinson’s and outdoor exercise is part of your life, you could be featured in Unshakable Voices. Email unshakablehiker@gmail.com.