Parkinson’s Disease

Early intervention is vital for slowing the progression of Parkinson’s symptoms. Exercise has been proven to improve motor function, gait, and overall mobility in individuals with Parkinson’s.

Key areas we focus on include:

• Movement coordination
• Fatigue management
• Balance
• Cognition
• Core stability
• Flexibility and posture
• Gait retraining
• Pain management
• Your functional goals eg getting in/out of car, climbing stairs, walking speed or endurance

Research shows that exercise improves gait^1,5 (walking), postural stability² and balance^1,3,5, and reduces frequency of falls^1,3.  Specific exercise can assist with cognitive and dual task ability^6,7. Mental health and quality of life⁴ improvements are seen in people with Parkinson’s who exercise regularly.

1. Shen, X., Wong-Yu, I.S. and Mak, M.K., 2016. Effects of exercise on falls, balance, and gait ability in Parkinson’s disease: a meta-analysis. Neurorehabilitation and neural repair, 30(6), pp.512-527.
2. Klamroth, S., Steib, S., Devan, S. and Pfeifer, K., 2016. Effects of exercise therapy on postural instability in Parkinson disease: a meta-analysis. Journal of neurologic physical therapy, 40(1), pp.3-14.
3. Liu, H.H., Yeh, N.C., Wu, Y.F., Yang, Y.R., Wang, R.Y. and Cheng, F.Y., 2019. Effects of Tai Chi Exercise on Reducing Falls and Improving Balance Performance in Parkinson’s Disease: A Meta‐Parkinson’s Disease, 2019(1), p.9626934.
4. Chen, K., Tan, Y., Lu, Y., Wu, J., Liu, X. and Zhao, Y., 2020. Effect of exercise on quality of life in Parkinson’s disease: A systematic review and meta‐Parkinson’s disease, 2020(1), p.3257623.
5. Zhen, K., Zhang, S., Tao, X., Li, G., Lv, Y. and Yu, L., 2022. A systematic review and meta-analysis on effects of aerobic exercise in people with Parkinson’s disease. npj Parkinson’s Disease, 8(1), p.146.
6. Wong, P.L., Cheng, S.J., Yang, Y.R. and Wang, R.Y., 2023. Effects of dual task training on dual task gait performance and cognitive function in individuals with Parkinson Disease: a meta-analysis and meta-regression. Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation, 104(6), pp.950-964.
7. Li, Z., Wang, T., Liu, H., Jiang, Y., Wang, Z. and Zhuang, J., 2020. Dual-task training on gait, motor symptoms, and balance in patients with Parkinson’s disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical rehabilitation, 34(11), pp.1355-1367.