Parkinson's Disease and Exercise
Parkinson's Disease and ExerciseSkip to the navigationTopic OverviewExercise is an important part of home treatment for people
with
Parkinson's disease. It has benefits in both early and
advanced stages of the disease. Regular exercise can help you: - Keep and improve
muscle strength and endurance.
- Control your weight and improve your cardiovascular fitness.
- Improve your balance, coordination,
flexibility, and range of motion.
- Reduce the likelihood of
becoming constipated.
- Reduce your fear of falling and improve your quality of life.
Exercise can promote a sense of well-being and improve
your mood. For those who have mild Parkinson's symptoms, exercise can also reduce the chance of falling. A
physical therapist can help you learn exercises and
stretches to do at home to improve posture, strength, flexibility, and
endurance. A physical or occupational therapist can also help you
to: - Plan more efficient movements for daily living
activities (such as bathing and dressing) so that these activities are easier
and less tiring.
- Improve balance and walking.
- Use
walking aids (such as canes or walkers) correctly.
ReferencesOther Works Consulted- Canning C, et al. (2015). Exercise for falls prevention in Parkinson disease. Neurology, 84(3): 304-312. DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000001155. Accessed January 28, 2015.
CreditsByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical ReviewerAnne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine
E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Martin J. Gabica, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical ReviewerG. Frederick Wooten, MD - Neurology Current as ofOctober 14, 2016 Current as of:
October 14, 2016 Last modified on: 8 September 2017
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