Parkinson's and Exercise

Why is regular exercise important?
Although exercising will not stop the progression of Parkinson’s, it will help you manage its symptoms more effectively and provide the following benefits,

1. Improving muscle and joint stiffness

2. Keeping muscle strong

3. Promoting good posture

4. Helping to improve your balance

5. Improving flexibility and mobility

6. Improving your cardiac and respiratory function

7. Providing increased energy level

8.  Helping in constipation relief

9. Decreasing rate of bone loss.

10. Helping symptoms of depression

When should I start exercising?
If you don’t exercise already, it is best to start as soon as possible. Discuss this with your physician who may refer you to a physiotherapist.

Getting to know your Physiotherapist

Physiotherapist is an expert in physical therapy and exercises. He/she may recommend certain exercises to help your condition and may tell you exercises you should avoid. Physiotherapist can also advise you on how hard you should be exercising and how long you should generally exercise for.

What are some basics of exercising?
Following are the different types of exercises,

Aerobic exercises involve the cardiac and respiratory systems. These usually need to be continuous and should last around ten to twenty minutes in order to be effective.

Passive exercises are for those people who have a hard time moving by themselves. Someone has to move their limbs for them.

Resistance exercises include imposing external resistance against muscles such as lifting weights.

Getting started

Exercise can be as simple as gardening, walking and swimming. On top of these activities, you should consider joining an exercise program in which you should exercise at least 3 days a week for about thirty minutes at a time.

It’s best to exercise when you are not fatigued and your medications have your symptoms under control. This is usually at the same time everyday.

When you first start exercising, start slowly, exercise only for 10 – 15 minutes at a time. You may increase the duration to 30 minutes once you have built up your endurance.

It is important to have a warm up period before you start to exercise and to also have a cool down period after you are done. In these periods, you need to stretch to warm up your muscles. Also, regularly drink water while exercising to keep you well hydrated. Many people enjoy their exercise more when they are not alone and they are more likely to continue exercising on a regular basis. Lastly, you should stop exercising if you feel fatigued, hurt or sick.

What exercises should I do?
The kind of exercises you do will depend on your physical ability. In general, as you get older, you lose strength in your muscles. Therefore, if you are an older person, resistance exercises such as lifting weights will be more helpful in slowing down the loss of muscle strength and improving your balance and mobility. For your abdominal muscles, sit-ups will be beneficial if you are able to do them. If you have knee or hip arthritis, regular exercise will help you deal with it.  If you have diminished shoulder motion (also known as frozen shoulder), arm and shoulder exercises will be effective. Posture problems such as scoliosis are helped with exercises that focus on strength and back flexibility.  Pelvic and lower abdominal exercises are beneficial for constipation and urinary dysfunction commonly associated with Parkinson’s. If you have advanced Parkinson’s or other health related issues such as heart disease or diabetes these will have an effect on what kind of exercises you can do, therefore you should consult with your physiotherapist to find exercises most suitable for your needs and abilities.

This information should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your physician.

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