The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Parkinson’s Foundation today released new exercise recommendations to provide safe and effective guidance on physical activity to people with Parkinson’s and to certified exercise professionals working with them. The exercise recommendations came from a Parkinson’s Foundation convening in March 2020 and build upon ACSM’s science-based standards for exercise testing and prescription.
“As a leader in driving better health outcomes and quality of life for people with Parkinson’s, these exercise recommendations are an important framework to ensure the PD community is receiving safe and effective exercise programs and instruction,” said John L. Lehr, president and chief executive officer of the Parkinson’s Foundation.
Establishing early exercise habits is an important component of managing Parkinson’s disease. Research studies have found that people with Parkinson’s who exercise experience greater benefits in quality of life, improve symptoms of the disease, and improve strength and gait compared to those who do not exercise. Exercise also helps improve Parkinson’s symptoms like balance and mobility, depression, constipation and thinking skills.
“Living with Parkinson’s is an active sport in and of itself,” said Scott Rider, Aware in Care Ambassador living with Parkinson’s for the last 15 years. “Parkinson’s can be complicated because my symptoms are constantly changing. I can’t live well on medication alone. Sometimes it is challenging to know how I should be exercising. I am excited to use the new recommendations so I can be active today and in the future.”
The new exercise guidelines include recommended frequency, intensity, time, type, volume and progression of exercises that are safe and effective for people with Parkinson’s across four domains: aerobic activity, strength training, balance/agility/multitasking and stretching. In particular, the guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week for people with Parkinson’s. Because of the complexity of Parkinson’s disease, it is recommended that individuals meet with a physical therapist specializing in Parkinson’s for an evaluation and recommendations.
“We know exercising helps our health, yet starting or keeping an exercise routine can be challenging for anyone, especially those managing chronic medical conditions like Parkinson’s,” said Francis Neric, M.S., MBA, National Director of Certification for ACSM. “These recommendations offer practical, evidence-based guidelines to help even more people benefit from an active lifestyle.”
View the Parkinson’s exercise recommendations.
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About the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
ACSM is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 50,000 international, national and regional members and certified health fitness professionals are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to improve educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine. Find details at www.acsm.org.
About the Parkinson’s Foundation
The Parkinson’s Foundation makes life better for people with Parkinson’s disease by improving care and advancing research toward a cure. In everything we do, we build on the energy, experience and passion of our global Parkinson’s community. Since 1957, the Parkinson’s Foundation has invested more than $368 million in Parkinson’s research and clinical care. Connect with us on Parkinson.org, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or call (800) 4PD-INFO (473-4636).
About Parkinson’s Disease
Affecting an estimated one million Americans and 10 million worldwide, Parkinson’s disease is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s and is the 14th-leading cause of death in the United States. It is associated with a progressive loss of motor control (e.g., shaking or tremor at rest and lack of facial expression), as well as non-motor symptoms (e.g., depression and anxiety). There is no cure for Parkinson’s, and 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States alone.
