Exercise to Help Your Parkinson's Disease
By Patrick McNamara, Ph.D., About.com
Updated: June 18, 2009

We know exercise is good for us, and people Parkinson's disease (PD) are no 
exception. Exercise should be considered a standard part of treatment. 
Beyond the benefits to physical health and mood, new research in animals 
shows that physical exercise may even protect the health of existing 
dopamine cells in animals -- and the same may be true for humans.

Studies in both humans and animals have shown that physical exercise, 
particularly aerobic exercise, like walking, running, swimming, bicycling 
promotes the release of neurotrophic factors -- these are chemicals that 
bathe brain cells in nutrients that HELP brain cells resist degeneration and 
to make connections with other brain cells. In addition, aerobic exercise 
increases the amount of blood and oxygen to the brain, thus enhancing 
virtually all brain functions. Decades of scientific work on exercise and 
the brain has taught us that (a) intensive physical activity increases the 
tendency of brain cells to make connections with other brain cells thus 
enhancing brain function; and conversely (b) reductions in physical activity 
leads to reductions in brain cell activity and brain cell interconnectivity. 
That old principle of use it or lose it may apply here. So exercise!

Studies of exercise treatment programs with PD have shown pretty 
conclusively that exercise improves physical functioning, strength, balance 
and gait speed. There is also evidence that exercise improves mood and the 
more general sense that 'quality of life' is 'good.' A spate of studies have 
shown that exercise can also improve your thinking and mental abilities.

So given all of this good news with respect to exercise, how can you start 
an exercise program that is right for you? The first thing to do is to 
contact your doctor who can put you in touch with a physical therapist. Your 
doctor and physical therapist can devise an exercise program that is safe 
for you and that will give you maximal benefit. In general, all exercises 
should start with a warm-up and stretching/flexibility session where you 
systematically and gently stretch all those stiff muscle groups. After the 
warm-up period, you can begin the exercise session proper. It should consist 
of some aerobic exercise so that you can get your heart rate up for about 20 
minutes or so. There is a set range for heart rate for each age group. You 
can get this information from your doctor.

Always: Before you begin any exercise therapy, get the approval of your 
doctor and a prescription to work with a trained, experienced physical 
therapist.

Exercise programs have been specifically designed for persons with PD. Many 
national PD organizations have created programs and tools to help you get 
started with exercise. Check out the Parkinson's Disease Foundation (PDF) 
www.pdf.org and the American Parkinson Disease (ADPA) www.apdaparkison.org. 
These organizations have free booklets on exercise as well as multimedia 
programs such as videos, DVDs and webcasts that describe detailed exercise 
programs for persons with PD.
Source:
The Effectiveness of Exercise Interventions for People with Parkinson's 
Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Victoria A. Goodwin, Suzanne 
H. Richards, Rod S. Taylor, Adrian H. Taylor, and John L. Campbell, Movement 
Disorders, Vol. 23, No. 5, 2008, pp. 631-640.

Rayilyn Brown
Director AZNPF
Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation
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