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Make Your Move
Physical Activity Can Improve Life Quality
Rafferty , et al ., Journal of Parkinson ’ s Disease , 2017
Using data from the National Parkinson Foundation Quality Improvement Initiative ( NPF-QII ), researchers found that increasing physical activity ( general movement throughout the day , not specific to exercise ) to at least two and a half hours ( 150 minutes ) a week can slow decline in quality of life with PD . The results from this and other studies were used to develop the American College of Sports Medicine ’ s guidelines for exercise in PD .
Parkinson ’ s disease advocates Denise Coley , who lives with PD , and her husband Bernard Coley approach PD through engagement and an active lifestyle .
How hard to work : Learn to measure intensity
How hard you work during exercise is the intensity . There are three levels — low , moderate and vigorous . For most benefit , aim for moderate to vigorous , remembering that higher intensity may not always be possible and any movement is good . The best intensity for you depends on your health , fitness and exercise goals .
Let ’ s practice . Say you are 75 years old , not taking blood pressure medication and have a resting heart rate of 70 beats per minute . Your :
+ Maximum heart rate is 145 . This is 220 minus your age ( 75 ).
+ Heart rate reserve is 75 . This is maximum heart rate ( 145 ) minus resting heart rate ( 70 ).
+ Target heart rate range for moderate to vigorous exercise is 115 to 134 . This is [ heart rate reserve x desired exercise intensity ] + resting heart rate , with 60 percent and 85 percent as lower and upper limits of desired intensity for moderate to vigorous exercise . That ’ s [ 75 x 0.6 ] + 70 = 115 and [ 75 x 0.85 ] + 70 = 134 .
Be clear on what you want to get out of exercise : Set goals
A goal is something you want to achieve through exercise . It could be specific to the exercise itself — I want to ride my bike three times a week or I ’ d like to run for 40 minutes without stopping . Or it could be related to