Benefits of Weight Training in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) Population

The chemical called Dopamine takes part in a huge role in our body as it carries signals between cells to create movement. Dopamine is produced in nerve cells or neurons from this particular part of brain called substantia nigra which is in basal ganglia, however, these dopaminergic neurons becomes dysfunctional due mostly to environmental factors (exposure to chemicals, head trauma, etc.) thereby leading to Parkinson’s Disease (PD) (Roeder et al., 2015). Generally, the exact causes of PD are unknown but most experts agree that genetics participate insignificantly in inducing PD compared to environmental factors. People with PD, due to the insufficient amount of dopamine in the brain, end up with several motor symptoms which include: 

• slowness of movement (bradykinesia), 
• tremor at rest, 
• stiffness of the body, 
• and impaired balance (Roeder et al., 2015). 

These symptoms regarding muscular control can be improved in several ways and weight training together with flexibility and balance training is known to be one of the most effective ways to improve the movement pattern and physical capability of people with PD (Roeder et al., 2015). 

The weight training most effective for PD is not your average type.  It must be done in a specific speed ratio and resistance factor to be most effective.  Working with an experienced professional is essential here.

...As physical exercise improves physical performance and activities in daily living of people with PD, a lot of medical professionals consider weight training as important component of the treatment. Studies show that resistance training promotes functional improvement in gait ability including stride length and walking velocity when compared with pre-treatment status (Scandalis et al., 2001). After the participants were done with the exercise program from the research, follow-up assessment was done and the result implies that the retention period is significantly long. The benefits acquired from many months of weight training can last up to 2 years (Mann, 2012). Furthermore, the benefits in postural corrections were noted as well after 8 weeks of resistance training in the study (Hass et al., 2012) which is likely due to the postural corrections from the instructors during the participating period.

...Furthermore, positive transfer of skill occurs when one skill induces improvement in another skill and skill transferability is decided by the amount of positive transfer that an individual achieves in between skills (Tuijinman, 1996). Since positive transfer happens with the similarity of the movements, it is very likely that there will be a higher transferability of motor skills from weight training program to daily activities if it includes exercises that mimics the

movements used in daily activities. Squat and deadlift would be great examples since during the day when you are sitting down or bend over to reach something, you are applying similar movement patterns from squat and deadlift. This means practicing these exercises will help with the quality of the specific movements, which would be more evident in PD patients. Thus, after assessing physical capability of a patient, designing an exercise program that targets specific movement patterns would be the ideal next step to take for best results.

...Weight training program would be even more effective if other type of training such as balance, flexibility, and mobility trainings are incorporated into the program since difference type of exercise will bring different benefits to PD, which may be complementary to each other. Improving Range of Motion (ROM) through flexibility and mobility will improve the form of the individual while performing the exercise and therefore achieving higher quality of movement. Balance training will accustom the body to activate required muscle groups for variety of form while moving thereby keeping the body stable throughout. For an example, if you practice one leg standing as balance training, it will activate and strengthen Gluteus Medius and TFL (Tensor Fascia Latae) as these are the muscles that holds your outer hip in right position preventing it from collapsing. Although it’s a balance training, it complements the performance of walking lunges or other type of single leg movement. Thus, practicing various types of training regularly is as important as weight training as they will improve on ROM and stability of the body thereby complementing exercise program.

Overall, there are enough evidence supporting that weight training improves several motor and physical symptoms from PD remarkably, although the rate of improvement will vary according to the severity of the condition and possibly other factors such as quality of the instruction, training volume and intensity, and others. Individualized training program with proper guidance (effective cueing, providing clear instructions, so on) or coaching would play crucial role during exercise to aid in postural correction and performance in daily movement patterns. 

Additionally, performing exercise is a great way to manage metabolism and promote healthier physical fitness as it increases the daily energy expenditure and physical capability of a person with PD. For the workout routine to be effective, the person needs to be specific with the goals, keep the intensity 2x per week try to perform the 'basic' (homework) routine daily.

 written by the Team at the BODiWORKS Institute

www.healthisfreedom.net