Balance Exercises For Parkinson’s Disease

Exercises For Parkinsons Disease

Balance exercises are important for Parkinsons patients. They can help prevent falling and improve their balance. The best way to start these exercises is to stand upright with feet shoulder-width apart. Make sure that your gaze is focused ahead. Some people benefit from dynamic balancing exercises for Parkinsons, where you can perform them with your feet further away from each other. These are ideal for people with Parkinsons disease, as they help them maintain their balance and improve their walking skills.

In order to begin, you can start with a chair. You can use a step board to stabilize yourself, and you can do the exercises with a partner. A physiotherapist will help you tailor a specific plan that will help you get the most benefit from following these exercises.

• Static Standing Balance Exercise
• Saving Steps

Walking With Parkinsons: Freezing Balance And Falls

Parkinsons disease can change the way a person walks. Movement Symptoms like stiff muscles, rigidity and slow movement make it harder to take normal steps. In fact, short, shuffling steps are a common sign of PD, as is freezing, the feeling that your feet are stuck to the floor, for people with mid-stage to advanced PD.

On their own, these changes are distressing enough. But add the fact that Parkinsons affects balance and they also become dangerous, putting people with PD at risk of falling. The good news is that with exercise and physical therapy, people with PD can improve their balance. What can you do to minimize freezing and avoid falls? Read on to find out.

The following article is based on the latest research and a Parkinsons Foundation Expert Briefings about Parkinsons-related freezing, balance and falls hosted by Fay B. Horak, PhD, PT, Professor of Neurology at the Oregon Health & Science University, a Parkinsons Foundation Center of Excellence.

Guidance From An Accredited Exercise Physiologist

Its important to contact a health professional before commencing exercise to ensure your safety. An Accredited Exercise Physiologist can assess and tailor an exercise program specific to your individual needs. They will supervise your exercises and ensure you start at a light intensity, gradually increasing your prescription based on your progress. Sometimes individuals with Parkinsons may need to be cautious during hot temperatures, around trip hazards and if they are fatigued or unwell. Your Accredited Exercise Physiologist will adapt your program and always be there to guide you.

to find an exercise physiologist near you.

Read Also: Judy Woodruff Health Problems

Parkinsons Home Exercise Program

You dont need to join a gym or purchase expensive fitness equipment to stay active with Parkinsons disease. On the contrary, there are many great exercises that you can do from the comfort of your home, regardless of which stage of the disease you are in. Take a look at some great examples in the sections below.

Data Sources And Search Strategy

Five databases were used during article selection process from February 2015 to September 2015. An electronic database search for relevant Randomized controlled trials which examined physiotherapy techniques used to treat, BD and PI among people with PD of any duration and published in international medical journals in the English language from 2005 to June 2015was conducted. We searched articles using keywords of RCTs, Parkinsons disease, physiotherapy, postural instability, balance dysfunction, Exercise, equilibrium, postural control, and rehabilitation.

The relevance of the reviewed studies was checked based on their topic, objectives, and methodology. Preliminary assessments have been made and some articles were excluded at the first step just by looking at the topic. On the second step, abstracts have been seen and were excluded if they did not match to the current study objectives. For the rest, the whole content of the articles was accessed and selected based on the independent and dependent variables under review.

Also Check: Yopd Life Expectancy

Balance Exercisescan Improve Your Mobility

Balance is an important aspect of mobility, and people with Parkinsons commonly experience balance problems when standing or moving around, the APDA notes. Dance and tai chi are two activities that can help you improve balance, and the APDA recommends performing balance-related activities two to three days a week for 20 to 30 minutes each time.

Balance training can help you prevent falls, Subramanian notes.

Posted By C-Care

Parkinsons disease is a common neurodegenerative condition, which mainly affects the motor system and can make simple physical tasks difficult over time. Since Parkinsons is degenerative, symptoms advance and change over time. Symptoms of Parkinsons include:

• Tremors
• Dementia
• Mood alterations

Parkinsons is a challenging disease both for those who suffer from it, and for their family members. When diagnosed early, there are many things you can do to minimize symptoms, including exercises, some of which well list here.

WalkingParkinsons affects your gait, often causing you to take smaller steps, as well as impeding balance. This combined with stiffness can cause falls. In order to combat these difficulties, try to walk regularly. While walking, aim to:

Swing your arms.

Take long steps.

Pay attention to the way your foot lifts and lands as you step.

Walking is also an all-around healthy way to get exercise, and should always be part of your daily routine.

Compliance And Adverse Events

The average attendance rate for the training group was 90%. In all, participants took part in 1380 training sessions, resulting in a total of 13 adverse events and an incidence rate of 0.9%. None of these events caused injury or pain that interfered with the participants ability to proceed with the balance training or other activities.

You May Like: Parkinson’s Bike Therapy

Benefits Of Exercise For People With Parkinsons Disease

Exercise has been shown to have several significant benefits for people with Parkinsons disease. These helpful effects seem to stem from two specific neurological changes that occur when you work out:

• The release of a chemical called dopamine: This positively impacts your movement, mood, and sensation of pain.
• Growth and change in the cortical striatum:This is an area of the brain that controls your voluntary movements.

These two exercise-related changes can result in many concrete advantages for people with Parkinsons, including:

• Improved balance
• Reduced sleep disruptions

The Route To Better Walking

The good news for people with PD is that with exercise and physical therapy it is possible to cope better with freezing, turn and walk more normally and improve balance. Through practice and sessions, a physical therapist can help people with PD avoid tripping by helping them learn to take larger steps. Additionally, joining an exercise class tailored to people with PD can help. If you take levodopa, be sure to exercise while it is working the drug helps your body learn and remember motor skills.

Tricks that can help overcome freezing:

• Walk to a regular beat to help prevent freezing. Try a metronome.
• Take large, voluntary marching steps.
• Step over an imaginary line or laser pointer.
• Work with a therapist to find the solution that works best for you.

People respond differently to audio, visual or sensory cues. Dr. Horak and her team are testing a device that provides sensory feedback vibration on the foot to stimulate automatic stepping.

Another consideration for people who have freezing is anxiety, a common PD symptom. People who have anxiety experience freezing more often. It is a vicious circle being anxious about freezing can trigger it. Treating anxiety may help freezing.

Don’t Miss: Does Vitamin B12 Help Parkinson’s

How To Start Exercising If Youre Living With Parkinsons

Safety is key. The first thing you need to do is talk with your neurologist and primary care doctor to make sure that the exercise regimen that you embark upon is safe for you.

Next, ask for a referral for physical therapy. A physical therapist will be able to figure out what movement challenges you may have and design a program to help you improve. There are certain physical therapists with additional training in Parkinsons. Your physical therapist will work with you for your allotted sessions, and then can help you plan your ongoing exercise regimen that is tailored to you. You can contact the APDA National Rehabilitation Resource Center for Parkinsons Disease for help finding resources in your area.

Additionally, physical therapy can help counteract the tendency for people with PD to reduce the size of their movements. The Lee Silverman Voice Technique has designed a program called LSVT-BIG which trains participants to make big movements. You can search for an LSVT-trained professional near you.

Anyone starting out on an exercise program could benefit from APDAs Be Active & Beyond exercise guide which includes clear photos with simple instructions that are easy to follow, with exercises that address all levels of fitness.

Static Standing Balance Exercises For Parkinsons

You can start by doing a static standing balance exercise. To start, stand with both feet flat on the floor, with your head and belly button level. Lift your left leg off the floor and hold it there for 30 seconds. Then slowly place it back on the ground and repeat with the opposite leg. You can also add other objects to the exercise, such as a chair or table. Try starting out with 5 repetitions on each side and gradually increasing the number of repetitions.

Don’t Miss: Cleveland Clinic Parkinson’s Bicycle Study 2017

Best Physical And Occupational Therapy Exercises

Physical therapy exercises target your areas of concern. They can help develop your strength, balance, and coordination. Youll also enhance your functional mobility by improving concentration, flexibility, and range of motion.

Occupational therapy exercises are intended to help you perform daily activities related to work, school, or home with greater ease.

Dont Miss: Physiotherapy For Parkinsons Disease

Tips Before Begin Balancing Exercise For Parkinson People

Pick an appropriate time to exercise.

well-controlled by your medication or do exercise On-Phase time of Patient.

Exercise at your own pace.

Always have a stable support procurable, to carry on to if required.

If you experience pain or issue with these exercises, stop and consult your therapist or doctor. I

Also Check: Does Sam Waterston Have Parkinsons

Tips For Getting Started

• First, be safe. Before starting an exercise program, we recommend you to see a physical therapist specializing in Parkinsons for full functional evaluation and recommendations..
• Use a pedometer and figure out how many steps you take on average each day, then build up from there. Many smartphones or smartwatches have a built-in pedometer feature or an application that can be downloaded.
• Exercise indoors and outdoors. Change your routine to stay interested and motivated.
• Again, most importantly pick an exercise you enjoy.

Seek out local PD exercise classes. Across the country, dance classes and boxing groups designed specifically for people with PD are growing in popularity. Contact the Parkinsons Foundations toll-free Helpline at 1-800-4PD-INFO or to find one near you.

Page reviewed by Dr. Bhavana Patel, Movement Disorders Fellow at the University of Florida, a Parkinsons Foundation Center of Excellence.

What Kind Of Exercise Can I Do If I Have Trouble Standing Or Walking

Even with advanced Parkinsons symptoms, you can still reap the benefits of some activities. If you have trouble walking or balancing, hold a bar or rail to exercise and stretch. If standing or getting up is tough, exercise and stretch in a chair or bed. Physical exercise performed in a seated position, such as biking on a recumbent bike can allow you to exert yourself in a safe manner.

Facial exercises may help combat difficulties speaking or swallowing:

• Chew your food longer and more vigorously.
• Exaggerate your face and lip movements when you speak.
• Make faces in the mirror.
• Sing or read out loud.

Mental exercises give your brain a workout and can improve memory. For example:

• Name as many animals as you can in 1 minute.
• Play brain games and do puzzles.
• Solve math problems in your head.

You can also add activity in small bits throughout your day:

• Park further away from stores so you walk longer distances.
• Stretch or do leg exercises while watching TV.
• Swing your arms more when you walk, and take long strides.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

You May Like: Sam Waterston Tremor

Aquatic Exercisecan Improve Your Balance

According to the APDA, exercising in water is a safe and effective way to improve balance and strength in people with Parkinsons disease. In general, the organization says, buoyancy from simply standing in the pool can help support weaker muscles and improve a persons balance and posture.

Swimming, or even performing some strength and flexibility exercises in the water with the water providing resistance enhances muscle tone, balance, and mobility with minimal stress on the body. The APDA offers a brochure with suggested aquatic exercise routines and general tips.

Apda In Your Community

APDAExercise & Parkinson’sWhat types of exercise are best for people with Parkinsons disease?

In last weeks blog, we addressed the reasons why it is vital for people with Parkinsons disease to exercise, including improving particular motor and non-motor symptoms such as impaired balance, gait disorders, depression, and cognition.

Today, we will tackle another important question what types of exercise are most beneficial to help people with Parkinsons disease improve their quality of life? Well also address several specific types of exercise designed for people with PD and some tips on how to get started with an exercise program.

Read Also: What Foods Should Be Avoided When Taking Levodopa

Balance Exercises For People With Parkinsons

People with Parkinsons often have problems with posture: some are bending forward, others may flex their trunk to one side. As the disease progresses, people also start having problems with balance, which affects walking and also increases the possibility of falling. Thus, it is important for patients to train and improve their balance as soon as the diagnosis has been made, to prevent or delay these problems.

In her video, Pascale van Uytvinck, physiotherapist and member from ParkinsonNet Luxembourg, shows exercises that can help Parkinsons patients enhance their balance when they are still in a good physical condition. The exercises can be done at home using a chair to hold on at the beginning, if needed, Pascale describes. They involve both the arms and legs and therefore can help to get an overall better body awareness. Regular repetitions help to train the sense of balance, to ensure confident movements in everyday life and to prevent falls.

In many daily situations, we need to adapt our balance: Whenever we reach out to grab something, move parts of our body or simply walk, we have to shift our body weight to maintain our equilibrium. The rotation of the head also initiates a change in balance and reactions are needed in order to stabilise the movement. A regular training can help Parkinson patients deal with these issues and improve their overall quality of life. It is an important aspect of the therapy.

What Type Of Exercise Should I Do If I Have Parkinson’s Disease

Exercise is a planned, structured, repetitive activity that is intended to improve physical fitness. There is no right exercise for people with Parkinsons. Everyones regimen will differ, depending on overall health, symptoms and previous level of activity. Any exercise helps, and a variety of exercise types may provide well-rounded benefits.

Aerobic exercise

Aerobic exercise involves activities that challenge your cardiorespiratory system such as walking, biking, running, and activities in the pool. Participating in aerobic exercise at least three days a week for 30-40 minutes may slow Parkinsons decline.

Strength training

Strength training involves using your body weight or other tools to build muscle mass and strength. Strength training two days per week, starting with low repetition and weight, may be beneficial in Parkinsons disease. A focus on extensor muscles, or muscles in the back of the body, can help with posture.

Flexibility training

Stretching two or more days per week can be beneficial to maintain range of motion and posture. Holding each stretch of major muscle groups for 30 to 60 seconds can improve muscle length.

Balance and agility training

This type of training often combines aerobic exercise, strength training, and flexibility training. Examples include:

• Dancing.
• Tai chi, yoga or Pilates.

Read Also: On And Off Phenomenon

Qualitative Analysis Of The Effect Of Physiotherapy Interventions On Different Outcomes

The effects of postural adjustment, fall prevention strategies, and balance training exercises on near falls and quality of life have been done by a study done in Southampton. The results showed that there was a tendency towards a reduction in fall events and injurious falls .

An RCT conducted in Italy brought that balance training showed significant improvements in declining PI and improving balance in patients with PD .

Another study conducted in the USA showed that Gait and step perturbation training can result in a reduction in falls and improvements in gait and dynamic balance for patients with PD .

According to a RCT conducted in Sweden, a HiBT regimen that incorporated both dual-tasking and PD-specific balance components significantly benefited balance and gait abilities when compared with usual care and showed promising transfer effects to everyday living .

Another comparative RCT done in Germany found that it is effective to use both coordinated resistance and balance training to improve balance and postural control for patients with PD .

A study done in china on the effectiveness of technology-Assisted Balance and Gait training found that the balance and gait training program assisted by technological devices reduced the number of fallers and the fall rate compared with the strength training program. It supported the clinical use of balance and gait training for reducing fall events in people with PD .

New Types Of Exercise For Parkinsons

Researchers are continually studying different types of exercise for PD and APDA works to keep you informed about these new findings.

• Karate People who participated in a study involving a 10-week karate class program noticed improvements in gait, quality of life and self-reported impression of change. We highlighted this research study at the 2019 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting.
• Golf A preliminary study was done to determine if golf is a beneficial mode of exercise for people with PD We highlighted this research at the 2021 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting.

Recommended Reading: Similar To Parkinsons