Individuals with Parkinson’s disease should remain as active as possible. Knitting, painting, and doing puzzles can be beneficial along with physical exercises like cycling and yoga.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder where the amount of dopamine in certain areas of the brain decreases. It can cause an individual to experience tremors, loss of balance, and stiffness.

There’s currently no cure for Parkinson’s disease, so treatment often focuses on reducing the severity of one’s symptoms and improving one’s quality of life.

Individuals with Parkinson’s disease should engage in a variety of activities that center on fine motor skills and cognition, as well as physical exercises that require balance and mobility. Staying active can help strengthen muscles and may help prevent dementia.

This article looks at beneficial crafts and activities for those living with or caring for someone with Parkinson’s.

How the stages of Parkinson’s may guide the activities you choose

It’s worth noting that Parkinson’s disease causes a resting tremor. During early stages, the tremor is present at rest and goes away with action.

The activities reviewed in this article can help during the early stages of Parkinson’s by strengthening muscles, improving mood, and maintaining balance.

It’s not until fairly late stages that people begin to have tremors that continue even with action. This can make some of the activities discussed here frustrating or even unsafe. In addition, people with Parkinson’s often have difficulty walking and may feel lightheaded for a few minutes when standing up after being seated or lying down.

Physical exercises that focus on balance and walking safely, especially after getting up after lying down or being seated, are extremely helpful during all stages of Parkinson’s.

Read about the best physical exercises for Parkinson’s disease here.

Artistic crafts like knitting and painting provide the opportunity to focus on fine motor skills and create something of value.

Those with Parkinson’s disease can experience tremors and have difficulty moving their hands. They may also experience stress and depression as a result of their condition. Creating something from scratch provides an opportunity to:

  • focus on hand movements
  • reduce stress
  • feel a sense of accomplishment

Many communities have opportunities for individuals to come together and practice crafts like crocheting or painting. This can offer a valuable social outlet for those with Parkinson’s disease.

Vocal exercises like singing can help strengthen and control vocal muscles. This may be especially beneficial for those with Parkinson’s disease because vocal tremors or difficulty speaking can develop as the condition progresses.

Singing may also help with recall and memory.

Whether a jigsaw puzzle or a crossword puzzle, the memory and concentration involved in solving puzzles offer valuable cognitive exercise. Crossword puzzles and other word challenges can encourage word recall, and word searches can help with word identification.

Individuals with Parkinson’s disease may experience cognitive changes that negatively affect their motivation, mood, and attention. They can even develop related dementia, so it’s important to engage their brains in problem-solving activities.

Technology can allow individuals with Parkinson’s disease to exercise important skills. Virtual reality and video games require mind-body coordination. Many also require problem-solving skills, strategy, or memory to win.

Depending on the game and gaming system, using a controller or keyboard can offer the opportunity to practice fine motor skills.

Other reflex games that do not involve screen time can be beneficial for many of the same reasons. Some examples of reflex activities include games like Simon and Spot It!

Cooking can offer the opportunity to follow steps in order and recall ingredients and measurements. It can also be a social opportunity to connect with others during the cooking process or over a meal.

As Parkinson’s disease progresses, individuals may require assistance and become unable to cook for themselves. Including an individual with Parkinson’s disease in the cooking process as much as possible can improve their self-esteem and allow everyone to create memories together.

Individuals with Parkinson’s disease may experience stress and depression related to changes in their brain, medications they’re taking, or daily challenges they face related to their condition. They may also develop dementia as their Parkinson’s disease progresses.

Meditating can help combat this by clearing the mind and lowering stress levels. It can be done in any environment and carries no cost, so it’s a very accessible activity to engage in.

Some individuals with Parkinson’s disease may also wish to write down their thoughts. Journaling can help individuals preserve memories for themselves and their loved ones.

In addition to encouraging memory and vocabulary recall, the writing process can offer the opportunity to practice fine motor skills.

Individuals with Parkinson’s disease can benefit from physical exercise. This may include:

  • walking
  • swimming
  • cycling
  • yoga

Physical exercise can help with balance, mobility, and flexibility. It also helps strengthen muscles.

Research indicates that physical activity benefits can continue for months even after training ends and may even slow Parkinson’s disease progression.

Before engaging in a new exercise program, it’s important for individuals with Parkinson’s to talk with their doctors to make sure that the exercise they have in mind is safe to do at this stage of the disease.

It’s beneficial for individuals with Parkinson’s disease to engage in crafts and activities that use their memory, fine motor skills, and coordination. Activities for those with Parkinson’s disease can include painting, solving puzzles, and practicing yoga.

It’s important to remember that there is no one “right” activity. People should be encouraged to engage in activities they find enjoyable.

A doctor can offer advice about beneficial activities and suggest therapy programs for individuals with Parkinson’s disease in your area.