Treadmill training improves Parkinson’s
People with Parkinson’s disease should hit the treadmill rather than the pavement, a recent study has found. The study, conducted by the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Baltimore Medical Centre in America, found Parkinson’s patients who walked on a treadmill at a comfortable speed and for a longer duration, improved their mobility.
People with Parkinson’s disease should hit the treadmill rather than the pavement, a recent study has found.
The study, conducted by the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Baltimore Medical Centre in America, found Parkinson’s patients who walked on a treadmill at a comfortable speed and for a longer duration, improved mobility more than patients who walked on pavement for a shorter period of time, but at an increased incline speed.
Fifty minutes of low-intensity exercise three times a week was proven the most beneficial in helping participants improve their mobility.
The study compared 67 people with Parkinson’s disease who were randomly assigned to various exercise groups including; walking on a treadmill at low intensity for 50 minutes, higher-intensity treadmill training for 30 minutes, walking on solid ground without the use of a treadmill, and using weights including leg presses, extensions, curls and stretching exercises to improve muscle strength.
After measuring participants’ cardiovascular fitness before and after training, the Maryland research team saw positive improvements in both the low and high intensity groups, but confirmed low-intensity training showed the most consistent improvement in gait and mobility.
“Walking difficulty is one of the major causes of disability in Parkinson’s disease. These results show exercise in people with Parkinson’s disease can make a difference in their function,” Lisa Shulman, principal investigator and professor of neurology at the University of Maryland, said.
According to researchers, quality of life is best maintained through practical physical exercise which may benefit Parkinson’s patients in the long-term.
“Many patients ask us what kind of exercise they should be doing. Now we can tell them that this research shows low-intensity walking, which most people with Parkinson’s can do, combined with stretching and resistance training, may be the best option,” Dr Shulman said.
