You may remember a popular article I ran about the newest weapon--and probably the healthiest--you can use to fight Parkinson's disease: Exercise. Well, the article above provides additional confirmation of the therapeutic benefits of exercise.

However, what concerns me is that most people, especially doctors, don't tend to appreciate just how powerful exercise is.

The Exercise Drug

The way I see it: Exercise needs to be viewed like a drug. In other words, you have to be very careful with the dosage--if the dose is not high enough, it will not work.

It is important to set a goal of 60 to 90 minutes per day, every day. Obviously, depending on your current condition, you may need to work slowly up to this level. My experience is that weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, jogging, running, Nordic Track and Health Rider are better than cycling and swimming. If you have access to a health club, my favorite piece of equipment there is the elliptical machine.

It is also important to seek to include some strength training exercise in your program in addition to the cardiovascular or aerobic type training. This will complement your fitness and help provide a well rounded structural frame that will improve your overall health. I believe that aerobic fitness is a higher priority than strength training, so if you only have time for one then do the cardio exercises as that will impact your insulin levels the most. But it is important to squeeze in twice-weekly strength training sessions if at all possible.

However, one of the biggest obstacles faced by people who haven't exercised in some time is how to get started. Just the thought of starting an exercise program can be intimidating.

Therefore, whenever patients ask me what kind of activity is best to get started, my answer is always the same: Walking is a wonderful way to start exercising. It is very low impact so it is easy on the joints, and humans have been getting exercise this way for thousands of years. Most people find it is simple and enjoyable to fit a walk into their day.

Walking doesn't require much training and the only equipment needed is a good pair of walking shoes. You can walk just about anywhere and you can do it anytime.

Why the Walking Workout?

If you are starting out in poor shape, slow-paced walking will produce benefits, but if you are starting out in better condition, you will need to walk faster and/or farther to see any results. Regardless of your starting level, the more vigorous your walking pace, the more dramatic the conditioning effects will be. When walking for exercise you should walk at a steady pace that is fast enough to cause your heart rate to raise.

Note: Don't be concerned that the above article prescribes vigorous physical activity to prevent Parkinson's--as long as you are exercising everyday that is certainly enough to get started. Eventually though, you will work up to the point where you'll find you can handle a regular, vigorous exercise program.

In my experience most people increase their fitness level relatively rapidly while walking and the only way they can continue to stress themselves enough while walking is to walk on a treadmill with an incline.

You can learn more about incorporating the right exercise program into your life by reading Paul Chek's newest book, How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy! Chek's book challenges you to take control of your health and gives you the steps to designing your own individual exercise program. You will find the many descriptive "how to" illustrations both easy to follow and implement into your exercise routine.

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