By Jason Gabak
Editor
Science has not yet revealed a cause or a cure for Parkinson’s disease, but Baldwinsville resident Karl Sterling is hoping he can help reduce the risk of developing this degenerative disorder of the central nervous system.
Sterling, a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Master Trainer, is the CEO and creator of the Parkinson’s Regeneration Training education program.
Research has shown that exercise, particularly in middle age, may help reduce the risk of developing Parkinson’s later in life. Sterling said his experience has shown that physical activity can also be beneficial once people are managing Parkinson’s.
“It is about rewiring the brain,” Sterling said.
In recent years, Sterling has been sharing his work with people across the globe, often traveling several days a week to help people over seas.
Starting Jan. 8, he will be bringing his program to Tearney’s Martial Arts in Camillus.
“In 1991 I was training there,” Sterling said. “I haven’t trained there in many years, but Greg found me on Facebook and we talked about doing something together.”
This is an opportunity Sterling said he is excited to have.
“While we know that Parkinson’s disease can be debilitating, there is plenty of compelling data to show that exercise is one of the best ways of managing PD symptoms,” Sterling said. “Studies show that regular exercise can help to slow disease progression.”
In addition, improved movement and mobility helps to reduce falls, injuries, and various other complications of the disease in PD clients, according to Sterling.
Sterling took an interest in this area when he returned to school at Syracuse University about seven years ago.
“I was 50 at the time,” Sterling recalled. “I was focusing on nutrition and I had a professor with Parkinson’s who asked me to do some training.”
Sterling said at first the idea was intimidating, but his son was working on his doctorate in the field working on brain imaging and he gave Sterling a good starting point.
Since then, Sterling has continued to hone his knowledge and do his due diligence, creating a series of more than 100 videos interviewing leading neurologists and others in the field.
“I knew these people were busy and probably wouldn’t have time to just sit down and talk to me,” Sterling said. “But I asked them to be part of these videos and this interview series and a lot of these great doctors took the offer and sat down to talk with me.”
All of this and his firsthand experience working with people with Parkinson’s have all combined to help Sterling create his program.
Through this series of classes and workouts, people with Parkinson’s learn to reduce falls and fall risk.
They also learn techniques and strategies to significantly improve gait, grip, balance, stability, strength, motor control, cognitive function and multi-tasking abilities, according to Sterling.
“We teach these classes all over the world and our main goal is to improve quality of life for the person with Parkinson’s,” Sterling said. “As the disease progresses, movement and mobility become more difficult. In fact, in nearly every workshop, there is at least one person who has lost the ability to roll over in bed. Imagine that when you wake in the morning, your first challenge is rolling over? The next challenge may be getting out of bed.”
Sterling said through exercise, he has found people living with Parkinson’s have found relief.
“Many times, people come to workshops feeling completely defeated by PD,” Sterling said. “When they regain better balance, gait, mobility and movement, they become hopeful and everything changes. With depression being the number one non-motor symptom in Parkinson’s, improved movement can change the psychological, mental and emotional state. When people move better, they feel better and this affects everyone around them, especially their caregivers.”
While the focus is on Parkinson’s, Sterling said this approach can also have a positive impact on those managing other illnesses like Alzheimer’s.
Classes are held every Tuesday and Thursday at Tearney’s Martial Arts from 1 to 2 p.m. at Tearney’s Martial Art at 3739 Milton Ave., Camillus.
For more information visit tearneyskarate.com or parkinsonsregenerationtraining.com.
