Several Factors Affect the Success of Community Exercise Program for People With Parkinson Disease

Disease-specific community-based exercise programs are a feasible and enjoyable way for people with Parkinson disease to participate in aerobic exercise, according to study findings published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine.

“With the growing body of literature that supports exercise in mitigating disease symptoms and potentially altering the disease trajectory, it is critical to identify exercise attitudes, motivators, and barriers to exercise in this disease population,” wrote a research team from the Cleveland Clinic.

For the study, researchers surveyed 40 people with Parkinson disease who took part in the year-round community-based cycling program, Pedaling for Parkinson’s, at 5 community-based sites. The program currently runs at sites throughout the United States.

Survey results revealed specific aspects of personal beliefs, disability, environment, and the program itself are important elements for success.

Participants indicated under the Personal Beliefs and Knowledge survey subdomain that their Parkinson disease diagnosis was a motivator for exercise and attending the cycling classes. They also believed exercise to be beneficial to their physical and mental well-being.

Under the Health and Disability subdomain, participants generally disagreed that Parkinson disease symptoms limited their ability to participate in the class. Responses on the Fitness Environment subdomain showed that program cost, parking and transportation, proximity to home, and ease of gym navigation were important considerations.

Finally, feedback on the program subdomain revealed that participants considered the cycling protocol to be attainable, and that cycling with their peers and instructors was motivating.

“The successful translation of an effective laboratory-based exercise protocol into a Pedaling for Parkinson’s program currently run at over 150 community-based sites is encouraging,” researchers wrote, “and can be used to inform future disease-specific community-based exercise programs.”

Reference:
Rosenfeldt AB, Koop MM, Penko AL, Zimmerman E, Miller DM, Alberts JL. Components of a successful community-based exercise program for individuals with Parkinson’s disease: results from a participant survey. Complement Ther Med. Published online August 5, 2022. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2022.102867