Exercise may improve Parkinson’s disease symptoms
For people with Parkinson’s disease, medication and surgical treatment for selected patients can help control symptoms and delay the disease, and regular physical activity within the limits of ability can help maintain motor function. For healthy people, consistent exercise also has a preventive effect on the disease. Exercise is good for your health, and even more so for people with Parkinson’s.
Parkinson’s disease is a disease that severely affects the motor function of patients. In addition to the familiar “hand tremors,” or resting tremors, there are also problems such as stiff muscles and joints, difficulty getting up or starting, shuffling feet, and poor balance, which can make daily life more difficult. And exercise can help by delaying or reducing these motor symptoms and improving coordination.
Experts from the Institute of Chronic Disease Control say that for patients with Parkinson’s disease, if exercise therapy is added early, it can help to slow down the progression of the disease. Moreover, exercise can also improve sleep, stabilize mood and have a positive impact on psychological state, which, when combined with medication and rehabilitation, can improve the quality of life of patients.
Notably, a study of exercise in Parkinson’s disease patients aged 40 to 80 years found that high-intensity exercise had a positive effect on slowing motor symptoms in newly diagnosed Parkinson’s disease patients who had not started medication.
Researchers concluded that exercise is positive for people with Parkinson’s disease, helping to improve gait, strengthen muscles, improve balance and reduce falls. High-intensity exercise may work better when conditions allow, but that doesn’t mean moderate-intensity exercise doesn’t work. The important thing about exercise is to develop a regular activity habit and continue to exercise at any intensity.
Dancing and tai chi may reduce the risk of the disease
Exercise also has an important role to play in the prevention of Parkinson’s disease. Experts from the Chronic Disease Institute remind that people with a family history of Parkinson’s disease should avoid long-term exposure to pesticides, insecticides, or heavy metals such as manganese and mercury, and it is best not to engage in welding, dry cleaning and mechanical maintenance work. When you must be exposed, be sure to protect yourself.
And there is growing evidence that exercise may have a neuroprotective effect, which in turn has the effect of preventing Parkinson’s disease. Dancing and tai chi not only slow down aging, but also improve postural stability and walking ability, reducing the risk of Parkinson’s disease.
Also, regular physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and is important for maintaining blood pressure, blood lipids and blood sugar at normal levels, which also has a positive effect on the prevention of Parkinson’s disease.
How do I choose to exercise? It varies from person to person
The first thing to keep in mind with exercise is safety. For people with Parkinson’s disease, in order to achieve long-term adherence, attention should be paid to choosing the type of exercise that is suitable for their own activity conditions, and if necessary, a professional doctor should be consulted before exercise to avoid sports injuries.
If the symptoms are mild and the ability allows, you can increase the intensity of exercise appropriately and choose, for example, running, cycling, playing ball and other forms of exercise. If the symptoms are aggravated, you can choose to do activities that require effort, such as brisk walking for 20 minutes, yoga, tai chi, etc. If symptoms are severe and complex, focus on activities that are difficult on a daily basis, such as practicing standing up from a chair, sitting up from bed, etc.
Experts suggest that exercise is beneficial and should not be too hard. The frequency and duration of exercise should be gradually established, do not venture into exercise, and should be accompanied by caregivers when needed. In addition, you can also choose to exercise with friends, but also to increase social contact, improve mood and cognitive function. If you do not go out much, then you should try to be active indoors, which is also very helpful.
