Parkinson's Disease How the disease develops and why exercise may help with the impact

There’s been a lot of research into Parkinson’s, but so far, doctors aren’t sure of the exact cause. They do know that if you have the illness, the trouble starts in some of your brain cells.

In an area of your brain called the substantia nigra, cells that make the chemical dopamine start to die. Dopamine has an important job to do. It acts like a messenger that tells another area of your brain when you want to move a part of your body.

When the cells that make dopamine start to die, your dopamine level drops. When it gets too low, you can’t control your movements as well and you start to get Parkinson’s symptoms.

No one knows what triggers the death of those cells. Scientists think it’s your genes and environment working off each other in a way we don’t understand.

(Reference: WEBMD)

How the disease develops and how fast it develops can, to a significant degree, be impacted by the right kind of exercise.

The discovery that our brains are neuroplastic is great news for PD sufferers, because if given the right stimulus you can halt, (and in some cases, reverse) the symptoms of the disease.

What is the right stimulus?

Research suggests that high intensity exercise actually helps the nerve terminals to use the dopamine that remains more effectively.

It is also known that vigorous exercise increases the production of the protein Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor(BDNF) which facilitates the growth of new neurons and new neural pathways.

When you combine the role of exercise in protecting the dopamine you have with the ability to use it more effectively – all of which decreases the risk of neurodegeneration, you can see why exercise is highly recommended. To gain the benefits of protection and more effective use of dopamine, the exercise must be of a higher intensity than just walking or low level exercise.

(Above information taken from Parkinson’s Pro course from EAM training for exercise professionals. Course completed earlier this year. )

This is why it is so important to start an exercise program as soon as you can after diagnosis. The earlier you start regular intense exercise the greater your gains will be and the longer you will be able to halt the progression of symptoms.

It is recommended that you exercise at least 6 days a week for at least half an hour, so attending an exercise class 2-3 times a week would be highly beneficial.

A general class for those that have minor to moderate symptoms and want to to exercise at a level that elevates the heart rate for maximum benefits

This class will include a variety of equipment:

Weights
Circular Bands
whacky sticks for drumming
weighted balls
Long bands
Pilates rings
Variety of equipment for games
Functional exercises that mimic daily activities

The aim of this class will be to work on posture, balance, strength, agility, core and multi-tasking and cardio health. A good formula to encourage the brain to make new neural pathways and use the dopamine you have more effectively.

The RPE (rate of perceived exertion) scale is used so you can work out how hard you are working. The aim is to be working at a 7-8 out of 10 level for a portion of the class to achieve positive results. It may take some time to be able to work at this level, but it is a goal to set and strive for.

The class is focused on drills and activities to improve non-motor skills and movement patterns that are becoming a struggle

This class includes activities from the list below:

Walking skills – heel strike, balance, posture
Lose the shuffle and walk with confidence
Posture and balance, stand tall
Agility and multi-directional movements
Fine motor skills – brain challenges
Multi-tasking – challenges
Dancing – learning patterns
Working on bradykinesia and hypokinesia
Big moves – open up
Improve your speed of movement
Strength training using bands and weights
Core strength
Stretching to help with rigidity and inflexibility
Strategies for helping with festination and freezing
Set some achievable goals and celebrate every success
Improve your mood and your cardio health with higher intensity exercise working at 7-8 out of 10 to make gains
Feel better mentally, be more positive
Fun – social interaction

What am I offering?

Parkinson’s classes

Classes for those with early to moderate stage Parkinson’s.

The focus of these classes is to maintain and improve the skills you have, and work on the ones you are struggling with.

The classes are one hour – 40 minutes of exercise and 20 minutes of stretching and flexibility, left right brain communication skills, face and hand exercises and some voice work.

The class program changes regularly to give you variety and new challenges to master.

What Next? Book an assessment

Before you join a class I will carry out an assessment. I will get general medical information from you, and then discuss your Parkinson’s diagnosis and how it affects your daily life. I will look at your general movement patterns and give you a few exercises to do so I can see how your body moves. Learning some basic exercise techniques starts in this session. Posture is a major issue with Parkinson’s, so some easy exercises to do at home can be offered at this stage.

The assessment also gives us time to see if we can work together. Are we a good fit? When you are happy with progressing to the next stage, we can look at times for classes and get you started on your exercise journey.

Assessment will take approximately 1 hour.

Assessment is free
Classes cost $20 per session. A 5 or 10-class card in advance is the preferred way of payment. Other options available on request. Internet banking, or cash accepted.
No joining fees or contracts.