i don't take anecdotal evidence very seriously but there are enough clinical trials studying exercise we shall know soon. that said, i recently purchased a recumbent stationary bike. my plan has been to exercise every day and burn 10 more calories/day until i reach 200 calories/day, which should take an hr. of exercise at my selected resistance level. it's been a month, it takes about 40min to burn 150 calories.
i haven't paid attn to rpms but i'll start. you have to be in pretty good shape to go 1-1.5hrs/day, it's also very boring.

strenuous exercise makes everyone feel better, pd or not. the release of endorphins must help temporarily. building cardio helps, the person is likely losing weight, maybe eating less, sleeping better, maybe just is happier from the general benefit of exercise . but personally i have see no reduction in my pd symptoms, while what i eat or how well i sleep has a major affect.

i'll maybe modify my routine but that's a lot of work!

Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2009 Jul-Aug;23(6):600-8. Epub 2009 Jan 8.
Forced, not voluntary, exercise improves motor function in Parkinson's disease patients.

Ridgel AL, Vitek JL, Alberts JL.

Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.

BACKGROUND: Animal studies indicate forced exercise (FE) improves overall motor function in Parkinsonian rodents. Global improvements in motor function following voluntary exercise (VE) are not widely reported in human Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of VE and FE on PD symptoms, motor function, and bimanual dexterity. METHODS: Ten patients with mild to moderate PD were randomly assigned to complete 8 weeks of FE or VE. With the assistance of a trainer, patients in the FE group pedaled at a rate 30% greater than their preferred voluntary rate, whereas patients in the VE group pedaled at their preferred rate. Aerobic intensity for both groups was identical, 60% to 80% of their individualized training heart rate. RESULTS: Aerobic fitness improved for both groups. Following FE, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor scores improved 35%, whereas patients completing VE did not exhibit any improvement. The control and coordination of grasping forces during the performance of a functional bimanual dexterity task improved significantly for patients in the FE group, whereas no changes in motor performance were observed following VE. Improvements in clinical measures of rigidity and bradykinesia and biomechanical measures of bimanual dexterity were maintained 4 weeks after FE cessation. CONCLUSIONS: Aerobic fitness can be improved in PD patients following both VE and FE interventions. However, only FE results in significant improvements in motor function and bimanual dexterity. Biomechanical data indicate that FE leads to a shift in motor control strategy, from feedback to a greater reliance on feedforward processes, which suggests FE may be altering central motor control processes.

got on my recumbent bike, 80rpm is as fast as i can go and very difficult to sustain with any resistance. interesting.

Hi,

Thanks for all the info and research. Hearing even 20 anecdotal bits where people benefit...that is enough for me! So long as those anecdotes can be traced back to research or shared by someone who offers proof through longevity or shows long term benefit.

I don't know that I've ever made it 80-90 RPM on a bike; I've always preferred
running, but with the annoying, unpredictable foot cramping, it is hard to work up a sweat no matter what I'm doing.

So I guess it does not matter whether bike is stationary? I agree with you that is horrible boring, but I see myself being to keep up with a routine more with stationary.

Please keep us posted on how you do. Take it slowly and work your way up to the 80 RPM range. Also curious, are you on meds at this point? I seem to recall I got much more from my exercise when I was in an "on" state.

on a recumbent 80rpm is just crazy fast even with zero resistance.
taking sinemet, 200-400cr, 100-200regular. have to be medicated to use the bike smoothly, otherwise unpleasantly jerky, have to concentrate on every rotation.

i'll keep you posted but that regime is a real challenge. running is way too painful plus even without pd i''d rather not wear out my knees.

What is Forced Exercise? How does this work? How do you do it at home, or at the gym? What is the difference between this and voluntary exercise????

the goal set out by the researcher jay alberts is to reach a certain cadence on the bike, 80-90 rpm for at least 30minutes at a certain aerobic rate, i think 70% of your maximum rate determined by someone who knows how to determine that. you can achieve that on your own at home or at the gym. those that can't do it on their own can be "forced" to do it on a stationary tandem bike by a stronger partner, at least the cadence part. early research used rats and primates which of course have to be "forced" to exercise. a better term might be assisted exercise.

the goal is to exercise and stay in shape, which everyone should do with or without pd, research on exercise's benefits has been going on way before this tandem bike research came out, in animals vigorous forced exercise has been shown to be neuroprotective, in humans there is a benefit for some people that lasts for awhile after the exercise is stopped based on a few trials.

google PEDALING FOR PARKINSON'S. I might be off in describing the exact methods that program uses. personally, in the early years after diagnosis i played men's soccer year round for 4 years and after a game my symptoms were diminished for at least a few hours, can't say if it slowed my progression.

A few more answers for David. Forced exercise: Most people normally pedal at a cadence of 50-55. By pedaling at 80-90 rpm the person is either forcing herself or being forced to pedal at about half again their normal rate. The protocol for Pedaling for Parkinson's is three times per week, one hour each time (10 min warmup, 40 at cadence of 80-90 rpm and 10 min cool down) keeping the heart rate at 60-85% of maximum heart rate, (follow link to get heart rate). http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/0...art-rate/?_r=0

You can do this at home, at the gym, in a Pedaling for Parkinson's class (offered at several YMCAs), on a stationary or spin bike. I put my road bike on a trainer in the winter and ride on the road when the weather permits. Benefits from the few tests that have been completed show a residual effect for four weeks. Dr. Alberts is not sure why this works but there appears to be some neuroregeneration happening. After seven years since diagnosis I am still at level 1 with my doctors shaking their heads. It's the cadence that counts, and consistency. No therapy will work the same for everyone, but there is nothing to lose and much to be potentially gained through this cycling program.

Over the last three weeks I visited six PFP classes at YMCAs in Western Washington, trying my best to spin, talk and listen to the experiences of the people with Parkinson's who are doing something about taking charge of their symptoms to the best of their ability. Across all the classes was a sense of joy at having some control over their lives and bodies, joy at participating with the outstanding group of people who were in their classes, joy and gratitude to their teachers for the level of expertise and caring they brought to the program and knowledge that even though their reports were anecdotal, they uniformly, 100%, reflected positive experiences with the cycling program.

We discussed why more people aren't in the classes and why more doctors don't prescribe cycling therapy for PD. One instructor had a prescient insight. She said that after working for more than 30 years in physical fitness, she has observed that there are three types of people: those who believe in themselves, want to be in charge of their life experiences and are willing to work hard to make that happen; those who believe that they were meant to have this disease and there is no point in trying to make a difference; and those who fall somewhere in the middle...hard to convince but possibly inspired by other peoples' experiences and willing to at least give it a shot. I think her observations are all too accurate.

My hope for you in this holiday season is that you believe in yourself and you will dedicate the time and effort needed to change your life.