Quick Info

• Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a progressively degenerative disease of the Basal Ganglia located in the brain. It causes a loss of a substance called Dopamine which has an effect on a persons physical movements.
• The most common symptoms are: tremor, stiffness of muscles and joints (rigidity), freezing, and a slowness of movement in general (bradykinesia)
• The average age of onset is ~50-60yrs old

Exercise Benefits

There is now overwhelming evidence to support the strong need for exercise rehab in those with PD. In fact, research is showing that appropriate exercise can not only help you manage your symptoms, but it can slow down the rate of disease progression. This is because of a phenomena known as “neuroplasticity” which has shown researches that the human brain can adapt and change with regular and consistent stimuli.

Types of Exercise

Research has shown that the exercise must target the persons specific issues so it is important to get along side a trained physiotherapist or exercise physiologist to help you make the most of your rehab. The following are a few of the common approaches to PD exercise rehab:

• High intensity interval training (HIIT) ie stationary bike intervals, treadmill running intervals
• Balance work
• Flexibility and stretches through movement
• High effort resistance work through movement ie cables, reformers, therabands

If this sounds like your next step don’t hesitate any longer!