Early and Mid-Stage Parkinson’s Fitness

          PosstEx program focuses on the early and mid-stage population diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects predominately dopamine-producing (“dopaminergic”) neurons in a specific area of the brain called the substantia nigra. Symptoms generally develop slowly over years. The progression of symptoms is often a bit different from one person to another due to the diversity of the disease (The Parkinson's Foundation, n.d.). Dopamine is one of the brain’s neurotransmitters—a chemical that ferries information between neurons. Dopamine is heavily involved in the motor system helping regulate movement, attention, learning, and emotional responses. The primary treatment for Parkinson’s disease, therefore, is a drug called L-dopa, which spurs the production of dopamine (Psychology Today, n.d.).

          Because PD is a chronic and progressive disease ongoing exercise is likely necessary. Exercise helps to combat declines in strength, flexibility, and balance and their functional consequences (Schenkman, et al., 2012). PD clients participating in the supervised gym or home programs can benefit from exercise to up dopamine levels naturally. The important distinction between exercise from physical activity is when stimulating the release of dopamine.  Note that exercise is a purposefully directed activity that stimulates the body to produce a positive adaptation in one’s level of fitness and health. Physical activity in general, while yielding the potential to produce certain adaptations in one’s fitness and health, can unfortunately also undermine one’s health (McGuff & Little, 2009). General physical activity does not challenge the muscular and cardiovascular stimulate physical change.

          PosstEx is dedicated to educating PD patients and their families on the benefit of adhering to long-term exercise protocol in the early or mid-stage to increase dopamine levels. Early intervention can maintain quality motor function. Exercise is key to a healthy and productive life. For people with Parkinson’s, exercise has reported benefits for controlling motor and non-motor symptoms alongside the use of pharmacological intervention. The research shows improvements in motor symptoms using varied exercise styles generate strength and power through resistance training. These gains are associated with better balance and gait, functional ability, and quality of life. Also, non-motor symptoms are associated with improved sleep, fatigue, mood, reduced constipation, depression, anxiety, and apathy (Ramaswamy, Jones, & Carroll, 2018).

 Parkinson’s Disease (PD)

• Early & mid-stage
• Improve Dopamine Response 

References

McGuff, D. M., & Little, J. (2009). Body by Science. In D. M. McGuff, & J. Little, A Research-based program for strength training (p. 3). Northern River: McGraw-Hill.

Psychology Today. (n.d.). Dopamine. Retrieved from Psychology today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/dopamine

Ramaswamy, B., Jones, J., & Carroll, C. (2018). Exercise for people with Parkinson's: a practical approach. Pract Neurol, 2-4.

Schenkman, M., Hall, D. A., Baron, A. E., Schwartz, R. S., Mettler, P., & Kohrt, W. M. (2012). Exercise for People in Early- or Mid-Stage Parkinson Disease: Physical Therapy, 2-3.

The Parkinson's Foundation. (n.d.). What is Parkinson's? Retrieved from Parkinson Foundation: https://www.parkinson.org/understanding-parkinsons/what-is-parkinsons