Top 10 Reasons Why Exercise is Medicine

Exercise has many health benefits for everyone, but exercise is a vital part of treatment for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Research shows that exercise is more powerful at improving PD symptoms than medication alone. To date, exercise is the single BEST intervention for PD!

Here are my Top 10 Reasons Why Exercise is Medicine:  

10. Improves bone health

Weight-bearing exercises help build bone density and lower the rate of bone loss. Too little bone density can lead to osteoporosis which increases your risk of bones breaking from certain impacts like a fall.

9. Improves muscle health

By our 80s approximately 50% of our muscle mass is lost. This age-related reduction in muscle mass is referred to as sarcopenia. You can prevent this steep decline in muscle mass by strength training. Building muscle mass is possible at any age, but it becomes more challenging as we age. The sooner you can start the better!

8. Improves heart health

Exercise can prevent or improve major risk factors that contribute to heart disease, including high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and unhealthy cholesterol levels. 

7. Improves cognitive function 

Exercise boosts cognitive functions like memory, attention, and problem-solving skills. Additionally, around 20-50% of people with Parkinson’s experience mild cognitive impairment. Regular exercise, particularly aerobic exercise plays a protective role to minimize the progression of mild cognitive impairment and the risk of developing dementia.

6. Improves posture

Stooped-over posture is a common symptom of PD. This can contribute to pain, difficulty with breathing, eating issues, and even throw off your balance. Exercise can improve your posture so these do not become issues or major issues for you.  

5. Improves balance

Falling is not a normal process of aging, I repeat falling is not a normal process of aging. Exercise can improve your balance to lower your risk of falling.      

4. Improves mood

Research supports that exercise improves depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns. Physiologically PD can impact mood through the chemical changes within the brain. Exercise helps to improve some of those chemical imbalances in dopamine and serotonin. 

3. Improves pain

Up to 80% of people with PD experience pain. Pain in your back, neck, and shoulders are common areas where people experience pain. Pain in these areas is often related to stiffness, a symptom known as rigidity. I have seen many times how exercise helps people reduce or take away their pain and even avoid unnecessary orthopedic surgeries like spine surgery. 

2. Improves function and mobility

From helping you play with your grandkids with more ease to returning to hiking to getting out of bed with more ease, exercise helps improve your daily function. When your function and mobility improve it aids in increased independence. 

1. Promotes Neuroplasticity 

Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to change by creating new neural pathways and modifying existing ones in response to behavioral and environmental changes. Your brain is plastic and can learn new things and/or relearn things at any time in your life. How cool is that!

BONUS: Provides Neuroprotection 

Research shows that exercise helps protect nerve cells from damage or death. This has the potential to slow neurodegeneration in PD. Neuroprotection occurs with high-intensity aerobic exercise. Click here to learn more about the benefits of aerobic exercise and how to get started.

How often to exercise:   

Research supports that exercising 3 days/a week is the minimum to see the benefits. Every day after that adds tremendous benefits for people with PD. If you are new to exercise, I recommend you start slow and work with a physical therapist to help you figure out what exercise is best for you. For best results, your physical therapist should be knowledgeable about PD and ideally be a PD-trained physical therapist. Click here to learn more about why this is important.