Taiwan researchers find exercise delays Parkinson's symptoms

台灣研究人員發現運動有助延緩帕金森氏症症狀。

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese researchers said regular exercise can help delay the onset and progression of Parkinson’s disease, a message highlighted at a symposium held by the Taiwan Movement Disorder Society on Sunday.

The society concluded its annual academic symposium with discussions on how exercise and music therapy can help an estimated 80,000 Parkinson’s patients in Taiwan improve mobility and quality of life, per UDN.

TMDS Director Chen Rou-shayn (陳柔賢) said exercise is essential for Parkinson’s patients, emphasizing that consistency is more important than intensity or duration. He added that rehabilitation exercises can be made more engaging through music, which has been shown to improve gait and walking ability.

Chen said exercise programs should include four core components: aerobic activity, balance training, stretching, and strength training.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, and there are currently no medications or treatments proven to slow its progression, Chen said. He likened the condition to a gambler playing against a casino dealer, explaining that patients need sufficient “capital” to stay competitive.

“At present, the only way we know to increase this capital is exercise,” he said, adding that it does not require strict rules or high intensity, but regular practice.

Chen said daily exercise is especially important and should begin as early as possible after diagnosis. Because many patients reduce physical activity after leaving the workforce, everyday activities such as shopping, socializing, hiking, or walking in department stores become increasingly important.

He recommended patients exercise for about 30 minutes in both the morning and afternoon, including a fixed 20 minutes of walking. Addressing complaints from patients who say they lack the strength to walk, Chen said continuous walking is not required, and rest should be taken as needed.

Chen advised patients to take longer strides while walking, landing heel-first and extending each step beyond the toes of the opposite foot. Exercises should remain simple rather than overly complex, he said, as excessive difficulty may discourage continued participation.

As an example, Chen suggested getting off the MRT two stops early and walking daily. Such habits can gradually produce noticeable improvements, he said.

Exercise helps slow the degenerative mechanisms of Parkinson’s disease by reducing neuroinflammation, increasing neurotrophic factors and promoting synaptic neuron activity, all of which strengthen neurological responses, Chen said. If rehabilitation becomes monotonous, music therapy can be introduced to increase enjoyment and gradually raise walking speed.

Wei Cheng-you (魏誠佑), director of the Department of Neurology at Show Chwan Memorial Hospital, said his latest research shows Parkinson’s patients who walk 15 to 30 minutes (about 1,500 to 3,000 steps) at least three days a week can reduce their risk of developing dementia by 38%. If walking alone is insufficient, stair climbing and other exercises can be added, he said.

Liu Yu-hsuan, executive director of the Music Therapy Association of Taiwan, said music therapy is more than simply playing music. Musical rhythm, she said, functions as a neurological treatment that can improve gait, cognitive function, and fine motor skills and even help patients regain speech.