In today’s Health and Science section, the Washington Post explores how exercise might help to improve some of the symptoms experienced by those living with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

The article profiles both Chuck Linderman, 64, of Alexandria, Virginia, who has adopted a regimen of rowing, cycling, and weight lifting in his fight against the disease, as well as Cleveland Clinic researcher Jay Alberts, PhD, who is studying the benefits of strenuous cycling for those with PD.  While researchers are still working to understand which types of exercise are most effective against the symptoms of Parkinson’s, there is a growing consensus within the field that an active lifestyle can be advantageous.

To date, MJFF has funded nearly $3 million in studies devoted to understanding how exercise may help people with PD.  One such project based in the Netherlands, called ParkFit, is measuring the effectiveness of promoting an active lifestyle to PD patients, and how this can be beneficial in tackling the disease head-on.  ParkFit is also the first study to address whether physical activity in everyday life might be used to slow down the progression of the disease itself.  

To find out more about the growing body of evidence supporting the benefits of exercise for people with Parkinson’s, visit our webpage devoted to exercise and PD.  Here, you can:

- Listen to a hot topics call with Lisa Shulman, MD, a neurologist at the University of Maryland. MJFF has funded Shulman to study the benefits of treadmill-based training toward improving gait impairment in those with PD.

- Watch a profile of fencer Dave Wolf, of Buffalo, NY, who says that the sport has helped to ease his symptoms of PD

- Find out more about how you too can get moving on the dance floor, in the boxing ring, and beyond.