book a class

Exercise Works Like Medication

By Neuro Heroes

Why High Intensity Exercise for Parkinson’s Is So Powerful

Bas Bloem Professor of Neurology and Editor in Chief of the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease says: 

“If you have Parkinson’s, exercise works like a medication. It is continually proven by research that exercise suppresses symptoms of Parkinson’s. It is currently believed that if anything can slow the progression of Parkinson’s, it’s regular exercise.”

Neuro Heroes physiotherapists are PD Warrior trained and use high intensity, variety, power training and multitasking to help you get the most benefit out of every single exercise session.

High intensity exercise for Parkinson’s or vigorous exercise, has been shown to be the most effective at slowing down the progression of Parkinson’s and stabilising symptoms. Moderate intensity exercise and other movement like stretching is also beneficial for people with Parkinson’s, but they have a lesser impact on symptoms and quality of life.

What is vigorous intensity exercise and can I manage it?

  • Moderate aerobic activity will make you breathe faster than normal, make you warm, and increase your heart rate
  • Vigorous aerobic activity will make you warm and sweaty, and you’ll be unlikely to say more than a few words before pausing for breath
  • Moderate and vigorous activity looks different for everyone – someone who has done no exercise for years and an olympic athlete can both work at a vigorous intensity, but the sessions will look very different! And that’s ok! Learning to work at the right intensity for you at your current fitness is part of the Neuro Heroes experience
  • People can work vigorously in a chair if needed, or doing movements that are selected to be safe for them – it’s about pushing yourself to work harder than normal, knowing you will recover. You will need to slowly build up how much vigorous activity you are able to do in one go.
  • Higher intensity exercise releases higher levels of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in the brain, which is associated with improved nerve function and growth and development of new neurons – vital in a condition like Parkinson’s where the death of neurons causes an array of symptoms
  • High intensity interval training (HIIT) has been shown to increase dopamine production and improve motor control during and after exercise