Sunday, 13 October 2019

Regular Home Exercise has Positive Benefits for Parkinson's Patients

As everyone knows, exercise is great for boosting the mood and health in general. However, as we get older, we may find it less appealing to hop onto that treadmill or head out for a brisk walk. New research has shown that those who suffer from Parkinson’s disease, however, should be making regular exercise at home a top priority.

Despite the fact that people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease will be faced with various physical limitations, a new study has proven that exercise helps to alleviate the many symptoms associated with the condition.

The study

The study in question is called The Park-in-Shape study, and was funded by ZonMW (Netherlands Organization for Health Research & Development). The study has many participants, and these participants were separated into two groups: the active group and the control group. Both groups were introduced to a motivational app which was designed to offer the participants rewards for exercising. The control group only performed stretching exercises, while the active intervention group underwent more strenuous exercise (30-45 minutes on a stationary bicycle at home, at least three times a week) for a period of six months.

Once the study came to an end, upon investigation, the participants from the active group were found to have a much more favourable level of cardiovascular fitness, and many noted a vast improvement in their motor disability. According to the gold standard (the MDS-UPDRS score), the cycling group scored on average 4.2 points lower than the control group.

"We were pleasantly surprised that people with Parkinson's disease were able to adhere to their exercise regimes so well. The beneficial effect on their motor disability was also large enough to be clinically relevant. As such, exercise is a very useful addition to the medication,” commented PhD candidate, Nicolien van der Kolk.

If you have an elderly relative who has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and is experiencing difficulty with the physical aspects of daily living, exercise could aid in reducing these symptoms. Now is the time to invest in a stationary bicycle and motivate your loved one to get moving!

More in this Category: