Pd and Exercise

[Mark Hirsch <mhirsch@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This note is in response to Don Biggs who, on Wed Jan 25, 1995, asked
if "exercise will help hold back some of the symptoms from progressing
as fast."

The only information I have on this comes from a Japanese study on
physical activity level and mortality in persons with PD. The authors
followed patients who were either sedentary or those who exercised for
an extended period of time. In a nut-shell: Those who exercised
remained independent longer than persons who remained sedentary and
persons who exercised outlived persons who had a low physical activity
level or were sedentary.

What kind of exercise would be best? We are conducting experiments at
the Florida State University on the benefits of a variety of exercise
programs for PD. It seems very much like in healthy adults, exercise
has much the same effect on some of the cardinal signs and symptoms in
PD. For example, persons with PD often have problems with their
equilibrium. Balance and strength training can lead to a significant
reduction in falling in persons with PD.

A significant number of data points to a high correlation between a
persons physical activity level and their ability to stay independent
and autonomous. Even at an age of 84 it is not too late to start
strength and balance training.

Mark Hirsch (mhirsch@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
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