Study: Exercise may slow Parkinson’s disease progression

Four hours a week recommended to reap the benefit

For people with earlystage Parkinson’s disease, four hours a week of moderate exercise may help slow the progression of the disease. Symptoms of Parkinson’s, which is a movement disorder, generally start gradually but worsen over time. But research published in the journal Neurology found that those who were regularly active for at least that amount of time whether with traditional exercise or such physical activity as walking, gardening or dancing - had less decline in balance and walking ability, were better able to maintain daily activities and did better on cognitive tests five years later than those who exercised less.

The researchers noted that the key to achieving these benefits was maintaining regular exercise over time, rather than how active people had been when their disease started. Parkinson’s, which is more common in men than women, usually begins about age 60 as nerve cells in the brain (neurons) become weak or damaged. Symptoms may include trembling or shaking (tremor), muscle stiffness (rigidity), slow movement (bradykinesia) and poor balance and coordination. As symptoms get worse, people may have trouble walking, talking or continuing to do routine daily activities.

Although no cure exists for Parkinson’s, treatment — medication, surgery or electrical stimulation — can sometimes help ease some symptoms for a while. The researchers wrote, however, that “there is still no disease-modifying treatment to slow the disease’s progression.”

Data for their study came from 237 people with Parkinson’s who were tracked for about six years while participating in a large, long-term international study investigating how the disease progresses. As one of the researchers said, the findings “suggest it may never be too late for someone with Parkinson’s to start an exercise program to improve the course of their disease.”