Abstract
Healthy aging involves not only an active lifestyle, but also setting explicit goals in an attempt to maximize independence and quality of life. Although exercise prescriptions exist for nearly all populations, optimal training modalities for the elderly and those with Parkinson’s disease (PD) remains to be determined. To our knowledge, Study 1 is the first randomized control trial to compare traditional slow-velocity strength training to high-velocity power training in PD patients using pneumatic resistance machines. Studies 2 and 3 explored the impact of similar protocols in both active older and PD populations, with manipulations in the timing and placement of functional exercise days during daily undulating periodization models. Given the strong associations between cognitive health, exercise and functional independence in older adults, Study 4 compared the impact of high-speed circuit resistance training (HVCRT) to a moderate-intensity treadmill training intervention and control group, while examining potential changes across measures of executive function (EF) and aerobic power. Finally, complementary and alternative approaches to rehabilitation are becoming increasingly understood and more widely accepted in the West. Therefore, Study 5 compared the relative efficacy of yoga meditation and a proprioceptive training across indices of body awareness, balance, and functional movement among those with PD. Findings from this work suggest that both strength- and power-specific training can improve select neuromuscular variables in the elderly and persons with PD. We also found that HVCRT improved select measures of EF over steady-state aerobic training, suggesting some advantage for the use of complex resistance training and the importance of intensity when targeting domains of cognition. Further, yoga meditation, which incorporated both mentally and visually guided movements, led to significant improvements in functional gait and indices of body awareness mediated through kinesthetic feedback in those diagnosed with Parkinson's.