Weight training twice a week can reduce rigidity, slowness and tremors often seen in people with Parkinson's disease, a new study shows.
a progressive neurological disease, Parkinson's affects up to 1 million people in the US symptoms include tremors and difficulties with movement and hiking. The study shows that weight training for two years surpasses the elongation and balance exercises for these so-called motor symptoms.
The discoveries should be presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in New Orleans. / p>
In the study, 48 people with Parkinson's disease participated in a weight training program or other program intended to improve flexibility, balance and strength. Participants exercised for an hour twice a week for two years. They were 59 years old, on average, and had Parkinson for about seven years.
All saw benefits after six months, but these benefits last two years between the weight training group.
Specifically, people in the weight training group have seen an improvement of 7.3 points after two years, in a measure that combines Parkinson's symptoms in a single score. "The three cardinal signs of Parkinson's disease are slowness, trembling and stiffness, and weight training will help all of them," says researcher Daniel Corscos, PhD, from the University of Illinois, Chicago. "Our study shows weightlifting twice a week is useful and you should try to work all your muscle groups."
Weight Training Or Cardio For Fat Loss - Weight Training Improves Parkinson's Symptoms
It is always a good idea to talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise regimen.
"anyone can do it from the newly diagnosed to people with the advanced Parkinson wheelchairs. It's never too late to get started," says Corses.
People in wheelchairs may be able to exercise their ankles using resistance bands, for example.
It's not so much what you do, but you do something if you have Parkinson's disease, says Stuart Isaacson, MD. He is the director of Parkinson's disease and Raton Motion Motion Disturbance Center and an associate professor of Neurology at Florida International University, Herbert Wertheim College in Miami.
"Parkinson's disease affects mobility, and any type of exercise that helps people move can improve general mobility, so we always recommend exercising," he says. "Everyone with Parkinson should exercise." A little better than none. "
Recent studies have suggested that Tai Chi, a form of martial arts marked by slow and soft movements and deep breathing can improve some Symptoms of Parkinson's disease, such as balance.
Is Tai Chi better than weight training? It depends. "If the balance is the problem, Tai Chi may be better, but if a person is concerned mainly with mobility, stiffness and slowness, weight training can offer more benefits," says WebMD.
Some evidence suggests this exercise can make even more than boost strength and balance; It can protect the cerebral cells from degeneration and make Parkinson medications better.
Many people with Parkinson's disease are also depressed and may not be willing to exercise. It's not a choice, says Isaacson: "You have to be part of the daily routine, much like medicines, take a shower or eat."
These discoveries will be presented at a medical conference. They should be considered preliminary, since they have not yet submitted to the "peer review" process, in which external experts examine the data before publication in a medical journal.
