Abstract

Parkinson’s Disease (PD), the second most common adult-onset neurodegenerative syndrome, is characterized by four cardinal features: bradykinesia, rigidity, rest tremor, and postural instability. Exercise is an inexpensive, safe adjunct treatment that could be incorporated into the care of patients with PD. Different forms of exercises could be utilized, including aerobic exercise, strength training, flexibility training, and balance training. Stretching could help posture, stiffness, range of motion, and pain in PD, balance training could help postural stability, and aerobic exercises improve bone health, reduce cardiovascular disease incidence, and lower mortality [1]. Gait-specific training improves gait function more than a general exercise regimen [2]. Exercise is thought to modulate dopamine and glutamate neurotransmission, increase cerebral blood flow, and alter synaptogenesis, with different types of exercises having regional effects on brain circuitry [3]. Animal models have shown increased dopamine D2R protein expression and binding in the dorsolateral striatum after intensive exercise training for four weeks [4,5]. Exercise is also associated with increased hippocampal neurogenesis and improved memory [3].