Weekly Exercise Linked to Slower Memory and Movement Decline in Parkinson's Patients
A new University of Cincinnati study of 294 patients finds that four to eight hours of physical activity per week is associated with slower cognitive and motor decline, though researchers caution the observational findings need confirmation.
Moderate physical activity may help slow the loss of memory, thinking and movement skills in people with Parkinson's disease, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Cincinnati. The findings, published Oct. 7 in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, suggest that regular exercise could offer a dual benefit for patients facing a progressive brain disorder that gradually erodes both cognition and mobility.
The research followed 294 patients with mild-to-moderate Parkinson's disease for up to five years to track cognitive health and up to seven years to monitor motor function. Participants, whose average age was 66, 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 washing windows, vacuuming or mowing the lawn. Vigorous activity covered jogging, fast bicycling, team sports, singles tennis, shoveling and carrying heavy loads.
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. Each additional hour of physical activity per week was linked to slightly slower declines in memory, thinking and movement abilities over time, even after accounting for age, sex, education, weight and disease severity. Patients who were active for four to eight hours per week experienced slower declines in memory and thinking than those who exercised less than four hours. However, exercising more than eight hours per week did not appear to provide additional cognitive benefits.
«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.
Dr. Vibhash Sharma, a neurologist at UT Southwestern in Dallas who specializes in Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders and was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital that the findings reinforce the value of regular exercise. «Exercise has well-established benefits for physical fitness and mobility, along with potential benefits for brain health through mechanisms that are not yet fully understood,» Sharma said. «These findings further emphasize the importance of regular physical activity in managing Parkinson's disease.» He added that a key strength of the study was its multiyear follow-up with assessments of both motor and cognitive function.
The researchers acknowledged several limitations. Because the study was observational, it could not establish whether exercise directly slows disease progression. Participants self-reported their activity, which may have introduced recall inaccuracies. The group was drawn from a single location and was primarily White, limiting how broadly the results can be generalized. Most participants also had relatively strong thinking and memory skills at the start, so further research is needed to confirm the findings. Sharma noted that it is also possible patients with inherently slower-progressing disease are more likely to remain physically active. Randomized studies are needed to determine whether exercise directly slows cognitive or motor decline, the researchers said.
The study was supported by a grant from the Gardner Family Foundation and the Precision Medicine in Neurodegenerative Diseases Fund.
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