Exercise is great — sometimes detrimental?

[Tan22]

Anyone notice that symptoms become much worse on training days or when training frequently with weights? Early onset PWP that primarily lifts weights with cardio secondarily. Also certain large muscle (squats, deadlifts) and complex (pull-ups) seem to trigger increased symptoms. Logically, increased inflammatory load associated with creation of new muscles is to blame?

[MBAnderson]

I think it's pretty common. Every time I go to the gym, it worsens my tremor for a couple hours. I save the quadricep machines for last because of that. There are papers written about it. Not to worry.

Stress worsens symptoms and often the body can't tell the difference between good stress and bad stress. Weightlifting is stressful.

[pvw2]

Seems to be true with weights related to tremor area. I have only left hand tremor. So, on the days I only do a stationary bicycle, my tremors actually lessen. Dragging feet lessons probably by breaking the habit. Pedals with foot straps force picking up feet.

[dadcor]

Same here!! That is why I replaced heavy with low weights-more repetitions (more like a cardio..) and feel perfect..

[Tan22 in reply to dadcor]

Haha but my gainz might stall?!

[dadcor in reply to Tan22]

No pain, no gain... but not valid for us

[pvw2 in reply to dadcor]

Speaking of pain people need to avoid repetitive injuries and become familiar with with causes them.

[pvw2 in reply to dadcor]

I went to lighter weights and more repetitions because of a torn muscle and hernia, before PD symptoms. We just don't have 20-year-old muscles any more. Yes, I would think that too much stress on muscles that tremor would make tremors worse. Being tired, cold, and mental stress makes tremors worse.

We are after glutathione with exercise. My guess is longer duration with elevated heart beat is better than seeking to build bigger muscles. Some articles claim the combination of weight lifting and aerobic exercise is best.

[Normanjean]

I notice exactly the same cardio and weights tremor worse during but long term is better so happy to continue

I have found that my tremor stiffens the muscles so I consciously relax the whole arm and take control it works for me

[AaronS]

I still power lift, i definitely still shake a bit but its not to bad. I'm still deadlifting 190 kgs and squatting upwards of 150kgs, my bench has suffered In strength but overall I just try to relax, I know I'm still going to shake, I believe the muscular strain and stress from the weights is what exacerbate the tremors but it's not a bad thing from my research. One thing I increased was my core exercises, this has been crucial in building up lost strength and to reinforce my body to deal with gait issues and dyskinesia. I certainly feel for me bang for buck has a better effect on my symptoms over mass cardio. And if it's true it utilises more or rather demands more from your central nervous system, which is a big part of PD

[pvw2 in reply to AaronS]

Just be safe and make sure someone is around in case you have trouble, especially benching. Some will not clamp the weight on the bar so they can dump the weigh off the end, but you're lifting so much weight dumping half the bar could be dangerous.

[AlpacaGal]

I'm not a weightlifter but in the course of my daily life I sometimes have to deal with heavy tasks. This week it was chaining up my pickup and atv for plowing snow from my mile long steep driveway. Most times my tremor is mild and only on the left. While performing heavy tasks I experience entire body shakes! Fortunately the shaking stops almost immediately when I stop straining.

[Tan22]

Another point is that I read somewhere intense exercise uses up glutathione in order to combat the oxidation. One could consider whether it should be used up for this regard instead of being used to combat neural inflammation of course I’m not a doctor

[bjmettler]

I am boxing with a Rock Steady group. I tend to overachieve - hitting the heavy bag hard about 1200 times a week. My ulnar nerve has been inflamed for the last 3 months so I am now stepping away from the bag for a few weeks. Nerve inflammation seems to be a side effect of arthritis. ‘Cause I needed another disease!

[amykp]

My trainer says it is totally normal for PD symptoms to increase transiently after exercise. Look at it this way: exercise is good for blood pressure, blood sugar, and heart rate, right? And all of those things go up right after! But long term, exercise lowers them.

She says you can think about tremors the same way--they go up right after, but improve long term.

And (per glutathione etc) watch ALL the heavy lifters. They all shake. I don't think it's just PD.

[hindle1245]

Yes it happens to me I sometimes get real bad fetige after a good weight lifting session and the next day I feel a bit week, but I do like the results.

[OREOLU]

Not many studies has been done in exercises and PD,if not ,by now,we should have specific exercise prescriptions for particular stage or phenotype of PD. Some exercises might be detrimental to a particular type or stage of PD. I learnt this the hard way,last month,when I developed severe migraine headache ,after doing aerobics on bicycle,elliptical and treadmill,and quads and hams lifts x 150 pds x 50 reps, first time attempts. I had previously done 150 pds lifts for quads and hams x 20 reps with no incidence 2 days earlier. I guess, I did too much by jumping to 50 reps from 20 reps with the lifts. I wanted to follow the adage, "strenuous exercise helps to slow down PD". This may be true,but exercise has got to be tailored according to the individual Pwp tolerance or ability. After researching migraine causes/triggers,I found out that I might have had all conditions that could trigger Migraine headaches, e.g excessive burst of new exercises like increased repetitions,dehydration,which is a symptom of PD, fasting before exercise,which I was guilty of,because I took c/l on an empty stomach, stress which I try to fight everyday due to PD, and insomnia ,which is part of PD.

We are fond of talking about the benefits of exercise in PD,what about the detriments,like increased muscle pain, muscle and ligament injuries, falls due to imbalance,dizziness and vertigo. Yes,exercise could be sometimes detrimental for Pwp,a word of caution,best to work with an expert.Thanks for noting this Tan22.

[Tan22 in reply to OREOLU]

Totally agree. My symptoms flare up for days sometimes due to intense weightlifting