Enter Cycling and a Future of Hope!

When Cidney received her diagnosis of Parkinsons in 2010 I did not know what was about to change in our lives. Life did not end, it was not a death sentence, however, goals and plans for our future changed. In those early days all we knew was that we had an answer to why she was becoming more rigid and why she had slight tremors. Although our medical insurance was not accepted at the newly opened Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Cleveland Clinic in Las Vegas we found that it could give us a place of hope to find answers and a diagnosis. It was there that she met Dr. Jay Alberts who was conducting research on the effects of forced exercise with people with Parkinson’s Disease. Cidney joined in the study which included forced exercise of cycling, this began her journey in cycling. In actuality she came home one day and explained that she was going to join Dr. Alberts group Pedaling for Parkinsons and ride her bike in RAGBRAI, a seven day ride across Iowa. My reaction was, you don’t have a bike and where the heck is Iowa? I believe that this was the turning point for me as a care partner and the realization that if this would help her then I would need to go with her and be a part of this journey. This past July marked our eighth year of joining with Pedaling for Parkinsons riding across Iowa. Cycling has become a great part of our life together and for Cidney’s prescription of health and well being in her own Parkinsons journey. This has been proven as her need for medication decreases by at least 30% by the end of the week of intense cycling.

Of course with any exercise program it is important to do so under the care of your physician. Cycling, Boxing, Dancing and many other forms of exercise have shown great benefits to Persons with Parkinson’s. Also, the best exercise is the one that you will actually do whether it is walking around the block or riding across Iowa.

Additional information concerning cycling and its benefits and Pedaling for Parkinsons can be found in the following article:

https://www.brainandlife.org/the-magazine/article/app/14/4/13/smart-ways-to-cycle-safely

written by - Pat Donahoo

Dr. Jay Alberts and Cidney Donahoo during filming of the documentary Ride With Larry.

Cidney Donahoo, 2018, Registers Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI)