Another randomized controlled trial found that high-intensity exercise (30 minutes per day, 3x per week for 6 months) in addition to standard care treatment (levodopa) slows disease progression for Parkinson’s disease compared to levodopa alone.

The evidence for intense exercise as an adjunct treatment for Parkinson’s disease continues to stack up. Nothing else has been shown to slow disease progression. While the standard of care treatment (levodopa) helps dampen some symptoms it does not slow disease progression. The earlier a person with Parkinson’s starts an exercise program, the better the effects.