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April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, as it is the birth month of Dr. James Parkinson, the London physician who was the first to describe Parkinson’s disease (PD) in 1817. This month is used as an opportunity to support those living with PD, increase awareness, and scientific research. This year, the Parkinson’s Foundation’s theme is #Take6forPD, in light of their new incidence study which indicates that a person receives a Parkinson’s disease (PD) diagnosis every six minutes. The goal of this campaign is to raise awareness for the growing number of people living with Parkinson’s by encouraging the PD community to #Take6 (minutes) to take action.
Physical activity plays a vital role in improving the overall health and well-being of individuals with Parkinson’s disease. Regular exercise can help to improve mood, balance, sleep and increase mobility. Aerobic Exercise Aerobic exercise is cardiovascular exercise, or any activity that increases heart rate and breathing rate. Aerobic exercises can be high-intensity or low-intensity in varying amounts of time. Strength Training Strength training exercises involve using weights or resistance bands to build muscle strength. Strength training exercises can include bicep curls, leg presses, squats, and shoulder presses. Flexibility and Balance Flexibility and balance exercises help to improve overall mobility, reduce risk of falls, and hospitalizations. |
