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Make Your Move
“ Parkinson ’ s doesn ’ t take a day off and neither should we . I have a lot of issues with my shoulders and upper back . And these are worse when I wake up . But all of my symptoms are far less when I do aerobic exercise — when I get my heart rate up and keep it there . Still , I had to find a balance . I tended to do more aerobics and not enough other exercise . Through community and programs , I learned to build in everything else .”
Lynn Hagerbrant
Retired nurse Lynn Hagerbrant , with her trainer Ray Fructuoso , incorporates exercise into living with PD and being a care provider .
Exercise May Slow Disease Progression
Schenkman , et al ., JAMA Neurology , 2018
This study provided preliminary evidence that high-intensity ( 80 to 85 percent of max heart rate ) treadmill exercise is better than moderate intensity ( 60 to 65 percent of max heart rate ) treadmill exercise at slowing disease progression . At the time of publication , an ongoing large-scale trial ( SPARX 3 ) aims to determine if high-intensity treadmill exercise produces meaningful clinical benefits in people with early PD who are not yet taking medication .