Does exercise help Pd ?

[Danny2401]

The benefits of exercise for reducing disability in people with Parkinson disease (PD)

are becoming more evident.

Optimal benefit, however, requires regular and sustained participation.

The benefits of exercise for people with PD are well documented.

People with PD who participate in exercise programs have reported

better quality of life.

and demonstrated better walking ability,

balance, strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness,

compared with those who did not exercise.

Exercise does help with long-term management of PD.

So the old saying "use it or lose it."

Get exercising,

[landman]

I agree. And it does not have to be strenuous. As for me I exercise 5 days a week.

I start off with stretching with a stretchy rope. This promotes good balance.

Then I use 2.5 pound weights to tone muscles in arms, legs, & chest.

Then I use an inversion machine to stretch and use 2.5 weights to further develop my arm strength.

And last but not least I use hand grips to do squeezes to develop hand strength. When I started, I could do 5 on each hand. Now I do 35 each hand.

Merry Christmas,

Landman

[Pete-1 in reply to landman]

How do you keep up interest in your exercise proramme? I have often found I get rather bored and my mind wanders. And because of this in the longer term my efforts become less and less enthusiastic, until eventually the come to a complete halt.

[judam9 in reply to Pete-1]

i exercise 6 days a week, try not to think of it as boredom, but a way to help myself. and not get worse. keep hope alive. i also have neck exercises. so i can turn my head without pain.

[dbean]

I belong to a boxing program in Indianapolis, In. Rock Steady Boxing and I box three times a week. We have 3 trainers and our workout routine is quite active, we are living examples of the benefit we rec.from regular activity.The closeness we all feel and the help we rec. is to great to give up. We have a web.sight Rock Steady.org. read what we do it is wonderful

[Danny2401 in reply to dbean]

Hi dbean, My family have boxing in their blood, my brother Barney Wilson. boxed all his life, sadly he died 2009 age 67, he had Pd. He was heavyweight Champion of Ireland for years. then he became a referee. My dad boxed. Bernard [Barney] also.

but I can just see all Pd people getting fit, it must be good for you.

[ozepook47 in reply to dbean]

I agree with you. I am in Sydney, Australia and I have written previously about boxing and PD but in summary, I started boxing when I was 50, for fitness,as I also got bored with usual gym work, 8 years before Dx of PD. On diagnosis, I increased my sessions, both in number and intensity. Now, 8 years after Dx I have very little physical signs of PD, walking, gross and fine motor skills excellent (sometimes need a hand doing up a sleeve button), driving, playing bridge, playing piano etc. Sometimes minor speech impairment which passes once the medication kicks in. However, do have down days which annoy me, when exercising, have to ensure Madopar is taken a bit earlier than usual so l-dopa effect doesn't wear off during exercise. I do sparring with the young people at the gym and give them a run for their money (I do not advocate sparring for you, in fact, warn against any hard contact sports---stick to the training methods only as in Rock Steady). Vigorous exercise is being shown in research to be neuro-protective in PD and MS etc. I am very impressed watching the videos on Rock Steady by the change in attitude of PD sufferers, such as becoming more sociable, mood elevation etc. I am proud to say that my neurologist always tells me after our consults that I make his day, as I am pretty stable, not deteriorating (as quickly) as many of his other PD patients and to keep doing whatever I'm doing. He has also come around to espouse the benefits of vigorous exercise.

[jonroberts]

I am an advocate for exercise. The Munson Senior Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico has Enhanced Fitness classes 3x a week $1 per session. We do aerobics and movement exercises. I've noticed improvement. Especially an increase in my stamina. I've been diagnosed 9 years and started regular exercise the last 6 years I also participated in an 8 week clinical trial in 2011 with the Cleveland Clinic in Las Vegas.

[PatV]

You're all great examples! I'm in a wonderful PD program started by my neurologist. I take classes 3 days a week. 4 when it starts up again. It's only $5 a class so affordable for most. I take Movement (taught by a professional dancer with PD), ALexander Technique, and N.I.A. (google it) . The 4th will be a walking class to prepare us for the Parkinson's Walk in April. We have a team: Join Team: BOLD MOVES!!! Also take a class with an aerobics teacher, but she's been ill.

I have trouble sticking to a routine during the hiatus. So you all are inspiring!

[PatV in reply to PatV]

p.s. this is in New York City if anyone is interested!

[etterus]

I'm a news junkie so I perform my stretching and stationary bike listening to the news. Sometimes I substitute a movie or comedy.

[judam9 in reply to etterus]

sounds like a great idea. just so i concentrate on what i'm doing.

[EuropeanCentre]

As Bas Bloem says Excercise is the only "medicine" that actually effects the disease of Parkinson's by slowing it down. We focus on this at the Centre online and offline, but it must be accompanied by education, motivation, reset of your values, anti stress. There are 4 pillars of Parkinson's treatment and excercise is just one of them. A BIG one, I'll give you that but if you are not motivated (Apathy) it's a problem!!!!

God Bless

Alex

[Cinnamon8 in reply to EuropeanCentre]

Can we delay going on PD drugs like levadopa and try to remain active. Sometimes your neurologist may push you to start taking it by pitching for it,during your visits. How do you handle that situation as you feel pressured.

[NyracNosnilmot in reply to Cinnamon8]

I agree. Doctors sometimes only know how to prescribe drugs. I too have decided to be off the drugs for as long as possible. I've been taking MacuDopa mucuna pruriens which is a natural bean high in levodopa and it has worked for me very well. I also take a good multivitamin and try to exercise daily. Do you take anything else?

[Juliegrace in reply to NyracNosnilmot]

Please be transparent about who you are: one of the co-directors of the company that manufactures macudopa.

[Cinnamon8 in reply to NyracNosnilmot]

Other meds not related to PD, however careful with diet and also take B12,plus try to be active . May I ask how long since you were diagnosed?