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A physician living with PD and an avid marathoner , Joyce Chu , MD , raises money and awareness for PD .
“ When I learned that exercise was the best option for slowing the disease progression , it was like a blessing . I now had something that gave me control of my destiny and that is an opportunity I won ’ t pass up .”
Remind Me Why I Should Exercise
Exercise has more immediate and noticeable benefits for Parkinson ’ s , too . It can :
Parkinson ’ s community member
+ Ease motor and non-motor symptoms , like constipation , sleep changes or mood troubles ;
+ Lessen balance changes or falls , which medications and surgeries can ’ t yet fully treat ; and
+ Help medication work better by helping the brain use dopamine ( the chemical that decreases in PD ) better .
That may be motivation enough to get or stay active . But there ’ s even more reason . Exercise supports mental , emotional and spiritual well-being — a key , but sometimes overlooked , part of overall health . As Brock Chisholm , MD , psychiatrist and initial Director-General of the World Health Organization , said , “ Without mental health , there can be no true physical health .” Physical and mental health go handin-hand . How we feel impacts how we behave , move , sleep and manage stress , and vice versa . Feeling well
Exercise Changes the Brain
Johansson , et al ., Annals of Neurology , 2021
In the Park-in-Shape trial , people with PD were randomly assigned to either an aerobic exercise ( stationary bike at home ) or a stretching program for six months . Aerobic exercise , but not stretching , increased brain pathways ( functional connectivity ) in certain regions and reduced brain shrinkage ( atrophy ). Aerobic exercise also improved memory and thinking ( cognitive ) performance .