Hi Laura,

I would guess that an upright stationary bike would be preferred, if only that it is closer to a road bike so when you are strong enough to switch back and forth it would be easier on your joints. Just guessing. I just returned from a 19 mile ride (one way into a headwind) and that reminded me of an important part of my experience. Whenever I feel miserable, tired, achy, upset stomach, just down for any reason and I'm SURE I cannot possibly get on my bike, within 3-5 minutes after starting to pedal, I'm fine. One day I felt so awful I was crying on the phone to my husband. His response: Get on your bike. I did and it was, and always is, like putting a plug into a socket and getting recharged. I can't explain it, but it always happens.

We just returned from a week at Whistler. Last year when we left I wondered if I would be able to ski again. I was stronger than ever and skied for 5 days, even with new powder. (No Lindsey Vonn mind you!) We also stayed up late because of the Olympics. BTW, I'm 64, female, and was never an outstanding athlete. My whole family was amazed.

Hi, Nan & Laura,
I've also been following the discussion on 23andMe and actually posted there, too. I have some experience with the biking thing. A couple of years before PD diagnosis, we got a recumbent stationary bike, but I think the angle or something about it caused me to develop serious pain in my hip or S/I joint, feels like sciatica or periformis pain, is still here, has never gone away. I've always had trouble with my joints anyway.

Now I'm in a local PD group that has gotten a motorized upright Theracycle to use on trial for a few weeks. I've done 3 X week, 45-50 minutes, for a couple of weeks, at the recommended pace, no real miracles yet in terms of PD symptoms, but I'm still hopeful & realize it may take a while longer to see results. But like all exercise, I certainly feel immediate improvement in mood & many physical benefits. I think the upright position does seems less stressful on my messed up joints, but not sure yet.

I read about the Cleveland Clinic bike program long ago & have been following with interest, but when I've attempted to maintain the 80+ RPM pace for 45 minutes (even for more than a few minutes), I find it's impossible. I'm also 64, female, diagnosed 3 years ago, but convinced I had symptoms for years, possibly decades earlier. Take supplements, estrogen patch, calcium channel blocker, vitamins, etc. and only started meds (carb/levo) last month, no miracles there yet, either. But I'm doing pretty well, except for a big ol' huge tremor.

have upped rpms to >80 which i can maintain for 15min. will gradually increase and report my results. using a recumbent. it's an uncomfortable pace, requires a lot of concentration and setting the resistence low. but it's certainly a more vigorous workout even with half the resistence i was using.
as an aside, my pd symptoms accelerated after i stopped playing/coaching soccer.

did the cleveland study really show brain changes via MRI?

soccer in seattle

I've seen the MRI slides that Jay has taken of people in his studies. Normal people have a lighted up area in the part of the brain affected by PD. Prior to cycling PD patients have almost no lighted area there. After doing the forced cycling, the PD patients' MRIs look nearly normal. I just about fell off my seat.

I would be interested in hearing results from the Theracycle users.

Peony, I wonder what would happen if you alternated using the Theracycle and pedaling on your own, trying to get to the point where you could go it alone. Good to hear you're having other benefits.

Nan, any reports on how this effects executive function? I'm not yet diagnosed, but following all this closely as it seems to me it would pay off to do the best I can regardless. I've never been a real go getter, so now I'm just a little slower, a little stiffer, and a little twitchier! But the part that has gotten me down the most is the struggle to focus and process information, to the point where I've modified my role at work!

As far as a feeling of general unwellness, I notice after 30-40 minutes of yoga, I'm good to go-at least for several hours. So I can definitely see the benefits of regular exercise of some kind.

Thanks for your post! Very informative thread!

Hi Coachmomlu,

Before cycling, I was loathe to go to parties, meetings, any gathering where there might be multiple conversations that I would need to process before responding. I had difficulty speaking in complete sentences, much less paragraphs, and/or sequencing my thoughts. My ability to understand spatial relationships was severely compromised (and still is to some extent) which is one reason I took up quilting to force myself to think mathematically. I stopped reading books for nearly a year because, although I could decode words, I couldn't keep track of the train of thought. Insightful discussions were out of the question. I felt like I was losing my mind, and I probably was.

During RAGBRAI, the great ride across Iowa, Jay asked me to join him to answer questions from one audience and to speak with a TV reporter on another occasion. My husband told me the only advice he would give next time is to smile more and to stand up straighter. Content was just fine.

Now I'm working with people here to set up a tandem program at a local hospital and hopefully to work with YMCAs and health clubs to add PD programs to their spin classes. This involves developing a mission statement, goals, objectives, timelines and multiple resources, all things I did before retirement, but which I could not have dreamed of doing in the PD period before cycling. Although I can tell that I'm not functioning at as high a level as I used to, I'm much closer to normal than a year ago.

Fascinating, Nan! Thank you for sharing your story with me. It sure sounds like the cycling is worth pursuing. Think I'm a candidate for a stationary bike. Hmmm, another thing to campaign for! I just asked my hubby to get me...uh, I can't remember! haha!