Exercise

This presentation explains some concepts regarding exercise for Parkinson's Disease, explaining how exercise intensity is measured and why it matters, and the concepts of vigorous intensity exercise and forced exercise ...

(Author's Note: Oops, I pressed the button to publish this article and video compilation before it was complete. Please consider it a work in progress.) Balance Training is not a Parkinson's specific issue, it is an issue for everyone as they age. Selecting the appropriate balance exercises will depend on how good your balance currently is. There are many factors that affect balance, and it can be argued that all leg strengthening and core strengthening and flexibility exercises are, in a way, balance exercises. I've highlighted a few videos that provide ideas to consider when selecting balance exercises. If you ...

Muscle weakness is an almost universal symptom in Parkinson’s Disease. Or is it? This is actually a topic of some debate. People with Parkinson's certainly perceive muscle weakness, which is attributed to low levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. However you look at it, the motor related symptoms of PD lead to decreased muscle usage, which compounds the problem, resulting in decreased muscle mass. Strength training exercises for all major muscle groups is a common sense strategy to counter the effects of PD. Grip strength, in particular, has been singled out as a primary indicator of PD progression. (See "The Association ...

Most of us have tremors in our lower arm and wrist. In this video, we discuss strength training exercises targeting the forearm, wrist and grip ... simple low intensity exercises that are a great way to start the day. The equipment used in this video: TheraBand FlexBar - https://www.amazon.com/TheraBand-Tendonitis-Strength-Resistance-Tendinitis/dp/B000KGOMBC/ Grip Strengthener: https://www.amazon.com/ADMA-Strengthener-Adjustable-Resistance-Rehabilitation/dp/B07DB2QL6M/ Bowflex SelectTech Adjustable Dumbbells - https://www.amazon.com/Bowflex-SelectTech-Adjustable-Dumbbells-Pair/dp/B001ARYU58/ ...

A recent study reminds us that exercise does more than just improve motor symptoms of Parkinson's Disease, such as tremor, gait disturbances, and postural instability. Exercise can improve non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease, specifically mental and cognitive function. According to this study: Up to 57% of patients suffering from PD develop mild cognitive impairment within five years of their initial diagnosis, and if they survive more than ten years, the majority will eventually develop dementia. This study reviewed earlier studies of exercise and Parkinson's Disease. They found 5 studies that had significant group size and included cognitive testing. There was ...

In a research study published in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease, researchers from Northwestern University determined that that people who exercised regularly had significantly slower declines in HRQL (health related quality of life) and mobility over a two-year period ...

Since being diagnosed with PD in 2014, I've had the pleasure to meet individuals who have lived with Parkinson's for 10 to 20 years, and even longer. The common theme for living well with PD is regular exercise and staying active. PD may be a life sentence, but it is far from being a death sentence. Think of exercise as your most important prescription, something that you need to make time for almost every day. Exercise is more important than any medication, but medication is often necessary or helpful to maximize your ability to exercise ...

At the recent World Parkinson Congress 2016, the main theme that I noticed is that exercise is the best medicine for PD. It may not be as effective at treating PD symptoms as l-dopa, but all the research and anecdotal evidence clearly shows that collectively, those who exercise regularly enjoy a far better quality of life with PD, for a longer period of time, as compared to those who do not. While medical research continues to be important, the best thing that can be done for the growing number of People with Parkinson's (PwP) today is to encourage exercise. There is a ...

For the past 5 months, I've been participating in a Kickboxing for Parkinson's Disease class at Rip Tide MMA in Bluffton/Hilton Head, South Carolina (now a Rock Steady Boxing affiliate). It has pushed me to exercise harder, helped me get stronger, and improved my hand/eye coordination (or as we call it the mind muscle connection). To put it simply, this is the best thing that I've done for myself all year. I made this video to help others understand what these classes are about. If you have Parkinson's, then you owe it to yourself to find a class like this ...

While there are great anecdotal reports and TV stories about boxing programs for Parkinson's Disease,particularly Rock Steady Boxing, I thought it would be interesting to learn whether or not these results have been quantitatively measured. Stephanie Combs-Miller, a professor at the University of Indianapolis Krannert School of Physical Therapy and director of research for the University’s College of Health Sciences, has been studying the effectiveness of boxing programs for Parkinson's Disease for 9 years. In 2011, her team published a study in the Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association titled "Boxing Training for Patients With Parkinson Disease: A Case ...

Neil Sligar's story is worth checking out. Diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1998, he began a vigorous exercise program in 2000. He wrote about his experience after 10+ years. There are at least 3 articles and 2 interviews worth viewing. A write-up after 8 years describes his approach: http://katekelsall.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/09/lifting-the-wei.html Setting small targets has been critical to my improved performances. Focus on tiny gains in the near future rather than big goals in the long term. You can surprise yourself how far you reach. To mark 10 years of intense exercise, he wrote a follow-up article at http://katekelsall.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/01/parkinsons-disease-and-intense-exercise-neil-sligars-10-year-experience.html Here are a few ...

I've been working hard to regain the strength in my right arm that Parkinson's took away from me. I'm making progress. Weight training is a key ingredient in these efforts. It is important to stress that vigorous exercise is not all about cardio, in fact, weight training is a key component. More specifically, I'm referring to weight training as a progressive resistance exercise. This is a strength training method in which the load is gradually increased to allow muscles to adapt. The body adapts to exercise and needs to be constantly challenged in order to continue to grow and change ...

I've started this topic to collect references to studies that explore the neuroprotective benefits of vigorous exercise to slow the progression of Parkinson's Disease. Let's start with a few quotes from the National Parkinson Foundation ... Research has shown that exercise can improve gait, balance, tremor, flexibility, grip strength and motor coordination. ... There is a strong consensus among physicians and physical therapists that improved mobility decreases the risk of falls and some other complications of Parkinson’s. ... Beyond this, we know that people who exercise vigorously, for example by doing things like running or riding a bicycle, have fewer ...

I first stumbled across Dr. David H. Blatt's website http://www.exerciseforparkinsons.com when I was searching for information about skiing and Parkinson's. He has a number of interesting videos on his YouTube channel. But, this video is on a YouTube Channel of his friend Mark Smith. Check it out: David has posted additional commentary on his website: ...