Individuals With Parkinson Disease Are Adherent to a High-Intensity Community-Based Cycling Exercise Program

Background and Purpose: Parkinson disease is a progressive neurological disorder with no known cure or proven method of slowing progression. High-intensity, laboratory-based aerobic exercise interventions are currently being pursued as candidates for altering disease progression. The aim of this project was to evaluate the translation of a laboratory-based intervention to the community by monitoring exercise adherence (eg, attendance) and intensity (eg, heart rate [HR] and cadence) in 5 established Pedaling for Parkinson's exercise classes. A secondary aim was to determine the impact of disease severity and demographics variables on exercise adherence. Methods: A 12-month pragmatic design was utilized to monitor attendance, HR, and cadence during each Pedaling for Parkinson's class session. Over the course of 1 year, approximately 130 sessions were offered. Forty-nine (n = 30 males) persons with mild to moderate Parkinson disease from 5 community fitness facilities participated. Results: Out of the approximately 130 cycling sessions offered at each site over 12 months, 37% of the participants attended greater than 2 classes per week (80-130 total sessions), 47% attended 1 to 1.9 classes per week (40-79 total sessions), and less than 17% attended less than 1 class per week (<40 total sessions). Average pedaling cadence was 74.1 +/- 9.6 rpms while average percentage of HR maximum was 68.9 +/- 12.0%. There were no significant differences between cycling adherence and intensity variables based on disease severity, age, or sex. Discussion and Conclusions: Consistent attendance and exercise performance at moderate to high intensities are feasible in the context of a community-based Pedaling for Parkinson's class. Consistency and intensity of aerobic exercise have been proposed as critical features to elicit potential disease modification benefits associated with exercise. Community-based fitness programs that bring laboratory protocols to the real world are a feasible intervention to augment current Parkinson disease treatment approaches.

Automated summary

The aim of this study was to evaluate the implementation of a laboratory-based exercise intervention in the community for individuals with Parkinson's disease. The results showed that consistent attendance and exercise intensity were achievable in a community-based exercise program. There were no significant differences in adherence and intensity variables based on disease severity, age, or sex.