Physical activity is beneficial for people with Parkinson’s disease, Elizabeth Tracey reports

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:03 — 1.4MB)

Subscribe: RSS

If you’ve just learned that you have Parkinson’s disease and you’re not already a physically active person, you might want to take up a few forms of exercise to slow down disease progression. Johns Hopkins neurologist Liana Rosenthal says the data are clear.

Rosenthal: Physical activity results in less death from Parkinson's disease. Most active people with PD are 30% less likely to die than the least active people. What exercise should people do? Anything is better than nothing. Tai chi for balance, bike riding for gait, pool walking for endurance. Essentially do something that you will enjoy, that you'll do almost every day at least 30 to 45 minutes. Balance, gait training and cardiovascular endurance. More intense exercise may be even better than less intense exercise.   :31

Rosenthal says that those who are already exercising should continue and perhaps add these other types, or step up how vigorously they are doing so. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.