RACINE - Imagine being diagnosed with an incurable, progressive disease at the prime of your life. When a Kenosha woman was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, she knew it would be tough, but she's battling it head-on. Exercise isn't easy for any of us. For Cindy Grueter...it's especially a challenge. "You have to look at what you can, not what you can't do," Cindy explains. Cindy has Parkinson's disease, a brain disorder that leads to shaking and difficulty moving. "My hand tremors started in my right hand, but they've progressed to my legs, which when your legs shake, your whole body shakes," Cindy says. Cindy was diagnosed six years ago at age 43. Most cases don't develop until after age 50. "You look at it and think, 'Where am I gonna be in 10 years?'" she admits. The diagnosis came right at the peak of Cindy's career. She also had two kids in high school. Her daughter Dana recalls that difficult time. "My mom was very depressed for a long time, and our family kind of went into chaos, crisis mode," she says. Cindy's husband John adds, "Once in awhile I'll see where she can't do something, and that'll upset me." Cindy decided it was time for a change...and that's where Razor Sharp Fitness and personal trainer Ernie Zuberbuehler came in. "She was a go-getter. She wanted to do everything, jumps right to it," Zuberbuehler says. Cindy takes several medications a day, but nothing works as well as exercise. "The exercise helps a lot. I feel better. I look better," Cindy notes. There's even research to back up the benefits of exercise in Parkinson's patients. Dr. Karen Blindauer is a neurologist at the Medical College of Wisconsin. "There's some theories that the increase in blood flow to the brain when we exercise, or even just circulating endorphins that just make us feel good when we exercise, that might even help to preserve the dying nerve cells in Parkinson's," Dr. Blindauer says. Cindy has another coping mechanism besides exercise: Her new red sports car! "Cindy hit me with the 'I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to drive, and I'd really like to have it, and we could afford it,’ so yeah, she got her little red sports car," John says. While Cindy has improved...it's still not easy for the family. "The things that upset me most now...she has a very hard time smiling. I miss seeing my mom smile," Dana admits. Cindy's condition will eventually worsen. But for now, she's hitting the gym, and beating the odds! "I think the bottom line is, is you can't look for a Utopia, cuz it's not coming. You gotta learn to live with this disease, and all the little things it does to you," Cindy explains. The Medical College and Froedtert Hospital offers treatment and advice for patients and their families. There's no cure for Parkinson's, but medicine and surgeries like Deep Brain Stimulation can help control the symptoms.