Exercise is beneficial for everyone, but it can be especially important for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Exercise can help manage symptoms, slow disease progression, and improve overall health. Recent studies promote exercise as an essential therapy for Parkinson’s (1, 2). Exercise not only can significantly improve both the motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s, but it also increases medication uptake and is the only thing currently shown to slow progression (3). Exercise can also help with balance, constipation, heart and lung function, memory, and mood.

Additional benefits of exercise

  • Exercise may help brain cells stay healthy and protect the brain.
  • Exercise can be an active way to stay social and avoid isolation.
  • Exercise is a great way to keep the entire family healthy.
  • Exercise can increase energy levels.

How to exercise with PD

  • It’s important to start slowly and gradually increase your activity level.
  • Make sure you plan to exercise when your meds are ‘on’.
  • It is recommended that you do not start a new exercise routine without advice from a health professional.
  • A physical therapist or exercise physiologist can help you create an exercise prescription and determine what’s safe for you.
  • Try to find an activity that challenges you and keeps you motivated. Do exercises you enjoy, and you are more likely to stick with it.
  • Schedule regular times and activities to exercise with others. The more consistently you exercise, the more benefits you’ll see.
  • Exercising with friends and family can make it easier to commit, make it more enjoyable and help you avoid isolation.

Exercising when busy

When you are working and caring for children, exercising can seem near impossible – and become its own form of stress. It can help to integrate exercise into daily life – for example:

  • Exercise on your way places – riding to work a couple of times a week or riding to the shops. Get off the bus a few stops earlier to walk the remaining distance. Walking at lunch or doing walking meetings can also help get more movement into your workday.
  • Exercise with friends or family – Walk the dog with a friend instead of a coffee catch up or kick the soccer ball with the kids in the park.
  • Exercise in bite-sized snacks. If you can’t get out for a full 30 minutes break it up into 10-minute exercise snacks throughout the day.
  • Celebrate what you have done rather than what you should be doing – anything is better than nothing. The more you do it, the easier it will be.

What types of exercise should I do?

A combination of aerobic, resistance, flexibility, and neuromotor exercises is widely recommended to manage Parkinson’s symptoms effectively. It may seem like a lot fo different things to do, but you can get the benefits of different types of exercise in one activity.

  • Aerobic exercises like walking, cycling, or swimming.
  • Resistance exercises like resistance bands, yoga/pilates with resistance elements.
  • Flexibility exercises like stretching, yoga and pilates.
  • Neuromotor exercises like Tai Chi, yoga, dance, boxing.

Read more at: Types of exercise recommended for Parkinson’s. Parkinson’s Australia webpage kindly reviewed by ESSA.

Where to find an EP: Find an exercise physiologist near you through the Exercise & Sports Science Australia search here.

Where to find a PT: Find a physiotherapist through the Australian Physiotherapy Association search here.

References: 

  1. Corcos, D. M., Lamotte, G., Luthra, N. S., & McKee, K. E. (2024). Advice to People with Parkinson’s in My Clinic: Exercise. Journal of Parkinson’s disease, 14(3), 609–617. https://doi.org/10.3233/JPD-230277
  2. Oliveira de Carvalho, A., Filho, A. S. S., Murillo-Rodriguez, E., Rocha, N. B., Carta, M. G., & Machado, S. (2018). Physical Exercise For Parkinson’s Disease: Clinical And Experimental Evidence. Clinical practice and epidemiology in mental health : CP & EMH, 14, 89–98. https://doi.org/10.2174/1745017901814010089
  3. Tsukita, K., Sakamaki-Tsukita, H., & Takahashi, R. (2022). Long-term Effect of Regular Physical Activity and Exercise Habits in Patients With Early Parkinson Disease. Neurology, 98(8), e859–e871. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000013218

MJFF Podcast: Your Top Questions on Parkinson’s and Exercise Answered (Ask the MD Podcast)

YOPX Exercise Playlist on YouTube: Exercise Playlist

 

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