Home Exercise Strategies for Parkinson’s

‍By

Patrick LoSasso, CSCS, Personal Trainer Certified PWR! Instructor, President, Parkinson’s Community Los Angeles

and

Ziya “Z” Altug, PT, DPT, MS, DipACLM, OCS

‍

“Living Better with Every Rep, Every Step and Every Stretch.”

Exercise is one of the most powerful tools available to people with Parkinson’s (PWP). Becoming proactive in the management of your condition through exercise may be easier than you think, as there are many diverse forms and styles. Strength training, walking, boxing, Pilates, yoga, tai chi, qigong, pickleball, table tennis, fun fitness, functional fitness, nature prescription are just a few great options.

For some PWP, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) may be another beneficial option worth exploring with your healthcare team (Harpham et al., 2023; Harpham et al., 2024). You may choose to exercise in a gym, but you may be happy (or perhaps relieved) to learn that a gym is not required. With the right approach you can just as easily perform fun and effective workouts in your home or in nature.

Let’s take a closer look at home-based exercise as a practical and effective option for PWP.

‍The Basics of Home Fitness

A well-rounded home program draws from a variety of exercise categories and modalities. Think of this as your personalized exercise menu. Following these guidelines can help you make every repetition, every step, and every stretch count.

Remember, every workout or exercise session does not have to be the same. In fact, variety is the key to making it fun and improving function in daily life. The key is to include all the components throughout the week. Use a warmup and cooldown with each exercise session and vary the main workout (such as strength, aerobic, balance, flexibility, power and functional exercises) according to the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for Parkinson’s.

See the video Mini-Workout for Parkinson’s in Your Home with Patrick for a sample workout.

• Warmup

Always begin an exercise session with a 5 to 10 minute warmup. This helps prime the body and brain for exercise. A warmup could include walking, slow marching in place, or easy calisthenic-type movements (such as reaching, bending, and squatting).

• Entrenamiento de fuerza

Resistance exercises are vital for staying strong. Bodyweight exercises (such as squats or pushups), weight machines, dumbbells, Pilates, and resistance bands are all effective options. Resistance training not only improves muscle strength and power but also helps increase bone density, an important component for all populations to maintain as we age. 

• Aerobic Fitness

Cardiovascular fitness is crucial for heart health, circulation, and respiratory conditioning. Popular aerobic options in the Parkinson’s community include walking, hiking, dancing, Nordic pole walking, stationary biking, swimming, non-contact boxing, or sports like pickleball and table tennis. These activities are often available in an exercise class format that includes the added benefit of socialization and meeting new friends.

• Balance Exercises

Practicing balance can help reduce the risk of falling, a primary objective for any exercise program for PWP. Incorporate both static balance (such as single leg stance) and dynamic balance disciplines (such as tai chi, qigong, yoga, dance, table tennis, or exergaming (a mix of video games and exercise) with movements such as reaching, bending, lunges, and multidirectional stepping).

• Flexibility Exercises

Improving flexibility and increasing range of motion makes activities of daily living (ADLs) easier. A flexibility routine should include stretching for the upper body, lower body and core.

• Power Exercises

Fast marching in place, fast boxing punches (such as jabs, hooks, uppercuts), speed bag punching, or heavy bag strikes are excellent ways to build full-body power and speed of movement.

• Functional Exercises

Including exercises that mimic daily tasks helps you stay independent and safe. Examples include sit-to-stand transitions from a chair or floor, stair climbing, carrying household items, and gardening.

• Cooldown

A proper cooldown gradually lowers your heart rate and prevents blood pooling. Examples include light walking, slow marching in place, or easy calisthenic-type movements (such as reaching or bending).

Exercise Guidelines

The current exercise prescription guidelines for Parkinson’s released by the American College of Sports Medicine recommend the following (ACSM 2026): 

Aerobic Training

Entrenamiento de fuerza

Flexibility Training

Neuromotor Training

3-4 days per week

2-3 days per week

2-3 days per week, with daily being most effective

3. days per week

1. Mild to moderate PD – 80-85% maximum heart rate.

2. Deconditioned individuals or advanced PD – 60-65% maximum heart rate.

1. Beginner exercises – 30-60% of one repetition maximum.

2. Advanced exercisers – 60-80% of one repetition maximum.

Stretching exercises, including flexion, extension, and rotation movements, to the point of slight discomfort.

Not applicable

30 minutes of continuous or accumulated exercise

1-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions

Hold each static stretch for 10-30 seconds and repeat 2-4 times

30-60 minutes

Activities such as walking, cycling, swimming, rowing.

Using bodyweight activities (such as chair sit to stand), elastic resistance, dumbbells, or machines

Slow static stretches for each muscle group.

Exercise involving balance, agility and coordination such as yoga, tai chi, or multidirectional stepping activities.

‍

‍

Adapted from the American College of Sports Medicine, 2026, pages 528-529.

• PD = Parkinson’s Disease

For some PWP, reaching these guidelines may not be possible, but engaging in any amount of aerobic, strength, flexibility and neuromotor activities is beneficial.

Professional Guidance

We strongly recommend working with a physical therapist, occupational therapist, or personal fitness trainer specializing in Parkinson’s to design an individualized home exercise program tailored to your needs.

Healthcare and fitness professionals can help identify appropriate exercises, intensity, and training frequency while helping reduce common barriers to exercise such as fear of falling, lack of supervision, or limited access to equipment (Wang et al., 2023).

‍The Research Proves It Works!

A review article by Gao and colleagues (2024) in the Journal of Clinical Nursing concluded that that “home-based exercise was an effective form of therapy for alleviating motor symptoms.”

A separate study from the European Journal of Neurology demonstrated that home-based exergaming (interactive video games requiring full body movement) may help improve both walking and balance in PWP (Nuic et al., 2024).

Getting Started

To begin safely:

• Wear loose, comfortable clothing.
• Choose properly fitting athletic shoes that have a wide and stable base, roomy toe box, nonslip soles, and easy closure mechanisms.
• Keep water nearby and take sips at regular intervals to stay hydrated. 
• Learn proper techniques from a qualified instructor or therapist, ideally during in-person initial sessions.

Safety First!

Before beginning any type of exercise program, particularly for individuals with balance concerns, safety precautions should be taken:

• Obtain medical clearance from your physician before beginning an exercise program.
• Prepare your workout area by removing trip hazards such as throw rugs, electrical cords, and clutter.
• Perform exercises next to a sturdy object such as a counter or wall for balance support.
• Start with shorter sessions to prevent excessive fatigue and progress your program gradually.
• If your risk of falling is severe, only exercise with a trained assistant who understands how to spot you and keep you safe.‍

Reflexiones finales

You do not need a gym membership or expensive equipment to make meaningful progress. A thoughtful home exercise program improves your strength, balance, flexibility, and overall quality of life. 

The key is to stay consistent, start small and build gradually over time. Work with your care team to develop a fun and effective program that works for you. Every rep, every step, and every stretch counts toward living better.

Recursos útiles

• Brian Grant Foundation

https://briangrant.org

• Davis Pinney Foundation for Parkinson’s

https://davisphinneyfoundation.org

• International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society

www.movementdisorders.org

• Kirk Gibson Foundation

https://kirkgibsonfoundation.org

• Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research

www.michaeljfox.org

• Parkinson Canada

www.parkinson.ca

• Parkinson Council

https://theparkinsoncouncil.org

• Parkinson’s Foundation

https://www.parkinson.org 

• Parkinson’s Europe

https://parkinsonseurope.org

• World Parkinson Coalition

www.worldpdcoalition.org

• SmartXPD

https://www.smartxpd.com/

• Parkinson’s Self Care

https://www.linkedin.com/company/parkinsonsselfcare/about/?viewAsMember=true‍

Referencias

• American College of Sports Medicine (ACLM). Parkinson’s Disease. In: ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 12th edition. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer, 2026, pp. 520-553.

• Gao X, Zhang H, Fu X, Yang Y, Dou J. The effect of home-based exercise on motor and non-motor symptoms with Parkinson's disease patients: A systematic review and network meta-analysis. J Clin Nurs. 2024;33(7):2755-2774.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38661119/

• Harpham C, Gunn H, Marsden J, Connolly L. Co-creating a feasible, acceptable and safe Home-Based High-Intensity Interval Training programme for People with Parkinson's: The HIIT-Home4Parkinson's Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(9):5671.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37174190/

• Harpham C, Gunn H, Marsden J, Bescos Garcia R, Connolly L. Home-based high-intensity interval training for people with Parkinson's: Protocol for the HIIT-Home4Parkinson's randomized, controlled feasibility study. Health Sci Rep. 2024;7(1):e1800.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38192731/

• Nuic D, van de Weijer S, Cherif S, et al. Home-based exergaming to treat gait and balance disorders in patients with Parkinson's disease: A phase II randomized controlled trial. Eur J Neurol. 2024;31(1):e16055.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37691341/

• Wang Q, Chen Y, Li L, et al. Barriers to home exercise for patients with Parkinson's disease: a qualitative study. BMJ Open. 2023;13(2):e061932.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9923294/

Written by Patrick LoSasso, CSCS, Personal Trainer Certified PWR! Instructor, President of Parkinson’s Community Los Angeles and founder of SmartXPD® (https://www.smartxpd.com/) and Ziya “Z” Altug, PT, DPT, MS, DipACLM, OCS.