Exercise ‘can help people with Parkinson’s disease’

A new study from Australia has demonstrated the potentially substantial quality of life benefits that Parkinson's disease patients can receive through a programme of exercise.

The University of Sydney study saw 231 people with Parkinson's disease either receiving their usual care, or taking part in an exercise programme of 40 to 60 minutes of balance and leg-strengthening exercises three times a week for six months, prescribed and monitored by a physical therapist.

It was shown that those who took part in the exercises performed better on tests of ability to move around and balance, while they also had a lower fear of falls and reported better overall mood and quality of life.

The number of falls by participants who exercised was also shown to be reduced in those with less severe Parkinson's, but not in those with more advanced forms of the disease.

Study author Dr Colleen Canning of the University of Sydney said: "These results suggest that minimally supervised exercise programmes aimed at reducing falls in people with Parkinson's should be started early in the disease process."

Around one in 500 people are affected by Parkinson's disease, which means there are an estimated 127,000 people in the UK with the condition.