Exercise Guide | Page 18

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Make Your Move

Now that you ’ re ( hopefully !) enthused about exercise , you may be thinking , That ’ s great information , but how do I put it into practice ? In this section , you ’ ll find answers to that question and much more — recommendations on what exercises to do and how often , how hard to work and how to measure how hard you work , and how to set and meet exercise goals .

More than Cardio
As Little as 10 Minutes of Exercise Helps
Saint-Maurice , et al ., JAMA Internal Medicine , 2022
In an observational study among U . S . adults with and without PD , researchers found that increasing moderate to vigorous activity by just 10 minutes a day from any level could have significant benefit in terms of mortality . These results were observed for men and women and people of different racial backgrounds .
When it comes to exercise , many of us think mainly of “ cardio ” or aerobic exercise , like running or using the elliptical . But there are other types of exercise that are just as important . These include strength , flexibility and balance . Each works different body systems and supports different functions , like standing or keeping balance , to keep us moving through daily life .
This amount of exercise — and the time to do it — may seem overwhelming . But there are ways to fit more exercise in less time . Some activities , such as non-contact boxing and dancing , involve multiple types of exercise . So one class could count as both aerobic and balance exercise . And you can combine activities , doing jumping jacks ( aerobics ) between weightlifting ( strength ) sets , for example . A physical and / or occupational therapist can help you build a plan that fits the time you have .