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t L have four grandsons, Gpa-Jack. I was diagnosed as having Parkinson's about nine years ago. My speech and handwriting were particularly affected and I soon found myself obliged to retire from my job as teacher of biochemistry in the University of Dundee, Scotland. I have now reached a stage where Parkinson's is beginning to bite. I have always been physically fairly active and proud of my level of physical fitness but about a year ago I began to have particular problems with walking properly and I also started to fall. All this was not unexpected but the decreased physical activity meant that I was becoming unfit. Not liking the thought of that and feeling that a good level of physical fitness should leave me better equipped to cope with Parkinson's I borrowed an exercise bicycle from a friend and started to go to work on that. Which brings me to my question. I have been using the bicycle now for a few months and my cardiovascular system is presumably no worse for it. But I am less sure about the absence of an effect on Parkinson's. I feeI I have deteriorated recently more rapidly than previously and that this deterioration has paralleled the use of the bicycle. So my question is- "What is known about possible factors which speed up the deterioration arising from Parkinson's and is fairly strenuous exercise likely to be one of these?" I shall be very pleased to hear from anybody who can relate to this one. Jack Tibbs([log in to unmask])