Exercise: the evidence
- Guest Writer
- Feb 5
- 1 min read
If certain windsurfing former Judges are to be believed, there's nothing quite like a bout of vigorous exercise for easing the symptoms of Parkinson's. But does the medical evidence support this? Cramped into their booth in the Notting Hill pub, the Movers & Shakers pick over the verifiable scientific facts behind the assumption that exercise can alleviate PD symptoms. Is it possible to fairly analyse the impact of exercise? Could the effect be more psychological than physical? And might exercise, one day, be prescribed by your neurologist? We're discussing all this (and more) with top experts and the gang.
Each week, Rory Cellan-Jones guides us between the laughs and moans in the pub. To read Rory's summary of this week's episode, click here.
Guest Biographies
Dr Yen Tai
Dr Yen Tai is a consultant neurologist with special interests in movement disorders (including Parkinson's disease), headaches and strokes, and is in fact the neurologist of Rory Cellan-Jones. He is also an Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer in the Department of Brain Sciences at Imperial College London.
Luis Diaz
Luis Diaz is an Asturian personal trainer and health consultant living in London, who also happens to work with Sir Nicholas Mostyn.
Dr Ravi Vaidyanathan
Dr Ravi Vaidyanathan is a professor in biomechatronics at Imperial College London. His research covers mechatronic design and sensor fusion for smart systems, with applications ranging from human performance, health wearables, and robotics. In 2021 his work in Parkinson's Disease and Dementia won awards from both Google and Sony for globally innovative research.
