Probably my main frustration with Parkinson’s is the difficulty I have in walking. I do the Parkinson Shuffle sometimes or I tend to drag my right leg. It’s a particular problem going uphill. And we do live on quite a steep hill… So, if I go out early in the morning and walk up the road towards the railway station I’m very likely to shuffle, limp and perhaps come to a grinding halt after crashing into a tree or lamppost. On the other hand, if I start by going down the hill, after about 10 minutes I am walking quite freely.

I try and go for a walk most days for around 40 minutes. Often I listen to music as I go. Bruce Springsteen and New Order work very well to help improve my step. I’ve also noticed other things that assist me. A nearby road has a pavement of flagstones rather than tarmac. The lines of the flagstones are at just the right distance for me to place my foot. This makes it much easier for me to make a full step with the right foot. The other thing which helps me is to blinker my eyes with my hands to shut off noise and to allow me to concentrate on walking forwards. This one really works…. even if onlookers think I’m mad. But my walking varies from day to day and it is frustrating not to be able to be sure how long it is going to take to walk to a particular destination. When people ask how I am, I often reply ‘My walking hasn’t been good today’ or ‘I’ve been walking really well recently’. Health is measured by walking pace and never, sadly, do I get that feeling of exhilaration when you start walking in the morning and sense the energy flowing through your veins.