Parkinson's and Pilates

The way 59-year-old Dan Baker stretches and bends, you wouldn't know he has Parkinson's disease. "C'mon bud. That a boy."

Parkinson's, a disease of the central nervous system, has slowed this former high school football coach down, but it hasn't stopped him. Twice each week, Dan takes a special pilates class just for Parkinson's patients. It's part of a clinical trial to see if this series of taxing exercises can help participants regain flexibility, balance and strength. Dan Baker says, "I really feel energetic and feel like I can move much better and especially the day after when I've done a pilates routine in the evening, early evening, I feel really, pretty mobile and pretty flexible and feel quite good about things."

Instructor, "Breathe. One vertebra at a time." Pilates focuses on breathing, core strength, extension, flexion and torso rotation. Julie Carter, RN says, "So we saw a lot of improvement in trunkal rotation, posture and I think just general flexibility." A small pilot study done here at Oregon Health and Science University suggested that pilates helped Parkinson's patients improve their motor skills.

So the study is now being expanded. Researchers will measure whether pilates really improves the quality of life for Parkinson's patients.

The next step is to compare pilates to other exercise programs - like yoga and aerobics - to see if pilates proves to be a greater benefit to those with Parkinson's.