Regular physical activity may help slow the decline of both memory and movement in people with Parkinson's disease, according to a new study led by the University of Cincinnati. The research, published in Neurology on 7 October, found that each additional hour of weekly exercise was associated with slightly slower deterioration in thinking and motor skills over several years.
The study followed 294 patients with mild-to-moderate Parkinson's disease, whose average age was 66. Participants reported their weekly physical activity through structured interviews covering moderate and vigorous activities at work, at home and during recreation. Moderate activity included brisk walking, light swimming, doubles tennis and household tasks such as vacuuming or mowing the lawn. Vigorous activity covered jogging, fast cycling, team sports, singles tennis and heavy lifting.
Researchers divided participants into three groups based on their weekly activity levels: up to four hours, four to eight hours, and more than eight hours. They then monitored cognitive health for up to five years and motor function for up to seven years. Each extra hour of activity per week was linked to a marginally slower decline in memory, thinking and movement, even after adjusting for age, sex, education, weight and disease severity.
Those who exercised for four to eight hours per week experienced slower declines in memory and thinking than those who did less than four hours. However, exercising for more than eight hours a week did not appear to provide additional cognitive benefits. The findings suggest a possible sweet spot for physical activity in managing the condition.
«Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder that causes movement and cognitive problems that gradually worsen, leading to disability and a loss of independence,» said study author Dong-Woo Ryu, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Cincinnati and The Catholic University of Korea. «Previous research has shown associations between physical activity and movement symptoms. Our study found physical activity may have dual benefits, with associations with slower declines in movement and cognition.»
Ryu noted that the potential benefits may depend on how long patients stay active and whether they continue exercising over time. «While our study found small differences between activity levels, these differences may become more meaningful over time,» he said.
The researchers cautioned that most participants had relatively strong thinking and memory skills at the start, so further research is needed to confirm the results. Dr Vibhash Sharma, a neurologist at UT Southwestern in Dallas who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital that the findings reinforce the importance of regular physical activity in managing Parkinson's disease. He also highlighted that following patients over several years with assessments of both motor and cognitive function was a strength of the research.
However, the study had limitations. As an observational study, it could not establish whether exercise directly slows disease progression. Participants self-reported their activity, which may be inaccurate, and all were recruited from a single location and were primarily White, limiting how widely the results can be applied. Sharma added that it is also possible that patients with inherently slower-progressing disease are more likely to remain physically active. Randomised trials are needed to confirm whether exercise directly slows cognitive or motor decline.
The study was supported by a grant from the Gardner Family Foundation and the Precision Medicine in Neurodegenerative Diseases Fund. For the growing number of people affected by Parkinson's, the message is clear: staying active may offer meaningful protection for both body and mind.