Parkinson’s Disease and Exercise

Parkinson’s disease is a deteriorating condition of the nervous system. This condition is caused when the nerve cells that produce dopamine are slowly destroyed. Dopamine helps to control muscle movement, and without it the brain cannot properly send signals to the muscles. This leads to a loss of muscle function that gets worse over time. The cause of the deterioration of nerve cells that produce dopamine is not known. Some of the types of movements that may be affected by this condition are reaching and grasping skills, walking, and even breathing patterns.

In the earlier stages of this condition, you may experience some difficulties in moving your arms and legs. The symptoms may be mild at first and may only be a slight tremor or stiffness in one or both legs. You may mistake this as a temporary problem in your balance. However, this simple manifestation may progress to more evident swaying and trouble walking. The presence of tremors is also likely to increase as your condition worsens. The tremors can also directly affect your usual activities if they are severe.

One of the types of tremors you can see is resting tremors. In this type of tremor, you can see that a person with Parkinson’s disease appears to be shaking even if that person is just attempting to sit still. Resting tremors usually appear when a person’s muscles are relaxed but can be managed by keeping the muscles moving. Another symptom of Parkinson’s disease is rigidity where the muscle tone of an affected limb is always stiff and does not relax. Both of these symptoms of Parkinson’s disease can be helped and managed by performing Parkinson’s exercises.

Several fitness centers in NC have started to offer tailored programs to address specific health issues. A Greensboro gym has a program for stroke physical therapy in addition to offering both diabetic exercises and Parkinson’s exercises. The Parkinson’s exercise program has helped clients to maintain normal fitness levels for a longer period of time, manage tremors, and lead a largely normal life. Exploring your options for physical exercise to manage your health symptoms should be a priority.

There are lots of exercises that you can perform to improve the management of your tremors. One of the simplest ways of doing this is by mastering a proper breathing technique. Studies have shown this can significantly help in reducing tremors in patients with Parkinson’s disease, regardless of the stage of the disease itself. If you want to know more about the exercises you can do, consult a gym that offers exercise programs tailored to your specific illness.