Mayo Clinic Newsletter, October 2013:

“Drugs are the cornerstone of treatment for Parkinson’s disease. But accumulating evidence suggests that regular exercise can also be important when it comes to maintaining health and independence with Parkinson’s.

In a Mayo Clinic review of research published in the July 19, 2011 issue of Neurology, it was noted that exercise appears to reduce Parkinson’s disease risk. In one cited study, those who had been physically active at midlife or in the previous 10 years had a 35 percent or greater reduced risk of developing Parkinson’s compared with inactive people.

There’s accumulating, indirect evidence that this protective effect may extend to slowing disease progression in those who continue to exercise. Exercise appears to improve cognitive and motor skills — and increase longevity — in those with Parkinson’s. …In addition, exercise reduces the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. It may even improve cognition in those who have dementia. This may be important, as many people with Parkinson’s are at higher risk of dementia.

Mayo Clinic experts strongly recommend stretching, exercise and physical fitness as key for Parkinson’s management. Effective minimum exercise levels appear to consist of about 150 minutes a week – or 30 minutes a day, five days a week — of exercise that increases the heart rate and is roughly equivalent in intensity to brisk walking. If you balance have problems, pool exercises or a stationary bike might help.”

If you have balance issues, using hiking poles can help you stay on your feet and also add a good upper body and core workout.