Exercise is non-negotiable

The research is pretty clear that to manage your Parkinson’s well, exercise is non-negotiable. Ask any PD Warrior and they will tell you the healthiest and happiest people with Parkinson’s tend to be the ones who have higher levels of activity.

Two recently published studies worth mentioning at this time of year are the Systematic Review (SR) update by Gamborg and colleagues and the paper by Johannson and colleagues.

Systematic reviews are interesting because they critically appraise all relevant research on the topic. Given this particular SR only looked at randomised clinical trials, we can be pretty confident of the summary. This SR looked at the results of three different types of exercise and their expected outcomes across multiple different papers; resistance training, endurance training and other intensive exercise modalities (OITM). This paper was able to show that resistance training had a positive impact on muscle strength, functional capacity and quality of life. Endurance training had a positive impact on cardiorespiratory fitness, functional capacity and a potentially positive impact on both “on and off” motor function. The paper found that although the results were stronger for the first two exercise groups and ‘other’ is a catch-all group, the OITM exercise category was also found to be safe, feasible and a beneficial adjunct.

The second paper is very exciting as it is one of the first to show structural changes in the Parkinson’s brain as a result of exercise. The authors of this study were able to demonstrate that aerobic exercise is associated with enhanced connectivity within the brain (re-wiring) and reduced global brain atrophy (shrinkage). This paper shows what has long been thought… that exercise drives change at the cellular level and it is proportional to the fitness improvements.

So what does this mean for you? Pick your activity and get out there and get moving! The 10 Week Challenge is an excellent starting point. At the end of the challenge you should expect to be in peak physical and cognitive condition and able to resume or start an activity that will keep you moving long term. New year, new you!

Follow the links below to view the full article:

  1. Parkinson’s disease and intensive exercise therapy — An updated systematic review and meta-analysis
  2. Aerobic Exercise Alters Brain Function and Structure in Parkinson’s Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Related Articles

September – Stephen Knox

Stephen attends our ARC clinic weekly for PD Warrior group sessions and you will also recognise him from our Thursday online gym sessions.
He is tenacious in his commitment to exercise and fighting Parkinson’s and does an outstanding job putting into words his Relationship with Parkinson’s…
.
Past, Present and Future, by Stephen Knox:
.
“Writing a story about something that occupies your past, present and future…

June – John Lake

Looking back, some indicators of PD had been there for maybe up to two years before my diagnosis in April 2019. Principally my hand writing (I am R hand dominant) was becoming more and more laboured. Some eight months earlier I had decided to learn the violin, so the clincher became that I could not bow smoothly with my right arm, which became increasingly frustrating for me and my teacher. My father was afflicted with Parkinson’s late in his life, so all added up, the diagnosis was just a confirmation of what I already suspected.

Responses

Tracker

Tracker

The tracker is designed to help you track the amount of time you spend in scheduled exercise each day. Scheduled exercise is activity you have prioritised in your day for health and to help slow your Parkinson’s down. This might include PD Warrior exercise, fast walking, golfing, going to the gym etc. It does not include incidental activity such as housework & gardening (although we hope this increases too). The aim of the tracker is to help you build an exercise habit and to keep you accountable, so try and enter something each day.
At the end of the 10 Week Challenge you can download and review your overall performance.

Tribe 365 Community Guidelines

Overview

The goal of the Tribe 365 community is to share relevant Parkinson’s Disease information and resources, and support fellow members through the highs and lows of their journey with Parkinson’s Disease.

In order to meet the goals of this community, it’s important for members to feel like they are in a safe place that is populated by people with shared interests. As such, we request that you read and adhere to the guidelines that follow.

Guidelines:

  • Respect the privacy and personal information of other members
  • Communicate with courtesy and respect
  • Treat others online as you would treat them in real life
  • Be tolerant towards other’s viewpoints; respectfully disagree when opinions do not align

Please do not:

  • Sell or promote any products or services without the administrator’s prior permission
  • Make personal attacks on other community members
  • Use defamatory remarks or make false statements against others
  • Post prejudiced comments or profanity
  • Bully or make inflammatory remarks to other community members

Consequences:
We will take action when we see someone violating these guidelines. We request that all community members report behaviour that violates our guidelines to a member of the PD Warrior Team.

Agreement:
By logging onto the community and activating your profile, you are considered to be in agreement with the terms and conditions listed above.