Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with a progressive decline in mobility, which predicts decreased health-related quality of life (HRQoL). An early sign of impaired mobility is decreased walking activity. Many previous studies show that supervised exercise interventions are associated with increased HRQoL and functional mobility. However, the effect of regular exercise outside of supervised interventions remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the association between exercise habits, HRQoL and functional mobility.
In conclusion, consistent exercising or starting to exercise regularly after baseline were both associated with small but significant protective effects on HRQoL and functional mobility over 2 years. The greater benefit of exercise on HRQoL in advanced PD suggests that physicians should encourage participation in all stages of PD.
> From: Rafferty et al., J Parkinsons Dis 7 (2017-05-15 07:18:55) 193-202 . All rights reserved to IOS Press and the authors.. Click here for the online summary.