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Science has made incredible strides forward in understanding exercise , and repeatedly proven the benefits of exercise for Parkinson ’ s . Studies show that all types of exercise — treadmill training , walking , balance exercises , dance , tai chi , you name it — are beneficial . Thanks to research , exercise is now one of doctors ’ first and strongest recommendations for life with Parkinson ’ s . And it ’ s a tool that empowers people to take action to positively influence their journey .
What Does Research Say ?
But exercise is , simply put , hard to study . It ’ s tough to strictly monitor and measure activity over long periods . It ’ s even tougher to separate the benefits of exercise from the benefits of other healthy habits that often go hand-in-hand , like eating a good diet and keeping social connections . And it ’ s hard to target exercise to one symptom or to one stage of disease . So , researchers do their best . That can mean smaller , shorter studies . Or studies focused on specific groups , like those recently diagnosed and not yet taking medication , as this gives the best chance to see if and how exercise impacts progression . It can also mean research results are hard to translate into everyday life — how do you “ dose ” exercise and stay on track without the supervision , accountability and encouragement a research study provides ?
Still , researchers continue to push toward the ultimate goal — a unique exercise prescription for every individual . Just like a medication prescription , an exercise prescription would spell out exactly what activity to do , when , for how long and how often , based on one ’ s symptoms , medications or surgeries , exercise preferences and challenges , length of disease , other medical conditions , schedule , finances , life situation and more . This is true “ precision ” or “ personalized ” medicine and it ’ s the future of Parkinson ’ s care .
Keep an eye out for research highlights throughout this publication .