Exercise
Vital for effective management of Parkinson's disease
In PD exercise is necessary to maintain balance, mobility, flexibility, strength and independence in daily activities.
The Parkinson's Outcomes Project demonstrated slowed decline in quality of life for the PD patients who began exercising earlier in their disease course.
Goal: find something you enjoy doing and spend a minimum of 2.5 hours per week in exercise. If you are not used to regular exercise and that amount of time sounds daunting try breaking it into manageable blocks of 10 minutes until exercise becomes easier.
Benefits:
Exercise is the only intervention proven to slow progression of Parkinson's disease.
Exercise helps to increase your body's production of dopamine and improves efficacy of the medications used to manage this condition.
Exercise can improve balance, mobility, independence, fatigue, constipation, mood, overall health and outlook on life.
Balance
What type of exercise is best?
The good news is all types of exercises studied have improved health in PD.
The key is to find something you enjoy and stick with it!
Resources:
The Northwest Parkinson's Foundation Class Listings: nwpf.org/find-a-class-in-washington/
American Parkinson's Disease Association Classes: https://www.apdaparkinson.org/upcoming-events/
Great local classes:
The Parkinson's Fitness Project| theparkinsonsfitnessproject.com/
Rock Steady Boxing| www.facebook.com/RSBSKC/
Pedaling for Parkinson's| www.seattleymca.org/programs-for-health/reclaiming-your-health/pedaling-for-parkinsons
Dance for PD | www.danceforparkinsons.org
Senior Center Classes| https://www.maplevalleycc.org/health-wellness
soundgenerations.org/senior-centers/
https://soundgenerations.org/wp-content/uploads/Fall-Resources-South-King.pdf
Online Classes can be another great way to get started:
Power for Parkinson's is a great online program utilizing a PT techniques to increase the power of voice and movement. www.youtube.com/c/PowerforParkinsons/videos
At Maple Valley Movement Neurology our goal is to educate, support and empower patients so they can maintain an active and full life.
Maple Valley Movement Neurology
Dr. Jennie Davis