While the material presented to this point has focused on the front end of education and understanding, the next topics move from knowledge into action.
Building your care team and establishing a consistent exercise routine are vital to your long-term health, independence, and quality of life. These are not secondary considerations or “later” steps—they are foundational elements of living well with Parkinson’s.
In the sections that follow, we’ll focus on how to put support structures in place and how purposeful movement becomes one of the most powerful tools you have—not just to manage symptoms, but to protect function, confidence, and control as Parkinson’s evolves.
What Matters Most
Comes Next
Support structures and daily movement form the backbone of long-term health and independence.
Build Your Parkinson’s Care Team—Early
Building the right care team today, creates options for tomorrow.
At this point, the number one priority is to build your Parkinson’s care team—early, intentionally, and around you.
Building your team early creates stability, confidence, and control. It allows you to be proactive rather than reactive, to learn and adapt at your own pace, and to make thoughtful decisions from a position of strength.
Early team-building helps:
This isn’t about planning for the worst. It’s about building the foundation that lets you live well now, and stay ahead of what comes next.
- Before symptoms dictate decisions.
- Before routines are disrupted.
- Before options narrow.
Building your team early creates stability, confidence, and control. It allows you to be proactive rather than reactive, to learn and adapt at your own pace, and to make thoughtful decisions from a position of strength.
Early team-building helps:
- Establish trusted medical relationships before urgency sets in
- Create routines that support long-term independence
- Identify resources and support before they’re needed
- Reduce stress for both you and your care partners
- Preserve quality of life as Parkinson’s evolves—not after it declines
This isn’t about planning for the worst. It’s about building the foundation that lets you live well now, and stay ahead of what comes next.
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Building Your Parkinson’s Care Team
A BetterChance guide to support, structure, and strength.
Parkinson’s disease affects far more than movement. It can influence sleep, mood, thinking, energy, digestion, communication, and daily routines. That’s why the most effective approach isn’t a single doctor or treatment—it’s a care team, thoughtfully assembled and coordinated.
At the center of that team is one constant: you are in the driver’s seat.
Your goals, priorities, and definition of a good life guide every decision.
A strong Parkinson’s care team blends medical expertise, therapy, emotional support, practical planning, and—if meaningful to you—spiritual care, working together to help you maintain independence, safety, and quality of life.
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Movement Disorder Specialist (Neurologist)
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Your primary Parkinson’s doctor.
A movement disorder specialist is a neurologist with advanced training in Parkinson’s and related conditions. Because Parkinson’s often makes up a significant portion of their practice, they are deeply familiar with medication options, timing strategies, side effects, and emerging therapies.
Seeing a specialist early—even once or twice a year—can help:
If travel or access is difficult, many people combine periodic specialist visits with more frequent follow-ups from a local neurologist or primary care physician, sometimes using telemedicine.
A movement disorder specialist is a neurologist with advanced training in Parkinson’s and related conditions. Because Parkinson’s often makes up a significant portion of their practice, they are deeply familiar with medication options, timing strategies, side effects, and emerging therapies.
Seeing a specialist early—even once or twice a year—can help:
- Optimize medications
- Anticipate future changes
- Coordinate the broader care team
- Identify appropriate clinical trials
If travel or access is difficult, many people combine periodic specialist visits with more frequent follow-ups from a local neurologist or primary care physician, sometimes using telemedicine.
Core Medical & Therapy Team Members
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Primary Care Physician (PCP)
Parkinson’s does not exist in isolation. It interacts with nearly every system in the body—cardiovascular health, sleep, digestion, bone health, mental health, and more. Your primary care physician plays a critical role in keeping those systems aligned while Parkinson’s care continues to evolve.
A strong PCP helps:
Just as important, your PCP often serves as the continuity anchor—the clinician who knows your full medical history.
A strong PCP helps:
- Manage non-Parkinson’s conditions that can quietly influence symptoms and energy
- Monitor medication interactions and side effects as treatments are added or adjusted
- Track long-term health trends such as blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, and sleep
- Coordinate care across specialists so nothing falls through the cracks
Just as important, your PCP often serves as the continuity anchor—the clinician who knows your full medical history.
Core Medical & Therapy Team Members
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Physical Therapist (pt):
Movement, balance, strength, and fall prevention.
A physical therapist experienced with Parkinson’s focuses on helping you move better, move safer, and keep moving longer.
Rather than generic exercise, a PT designs personalized, progressive routines tailored to your symptoms, fitness level, and daily demands.
A Parkinson’s-trained PT helps with:
Just as important, a PT helps you translate movement into real-world function — getting up from a chair, navigating crowds, turning safely, and recovering when balance is challenged.
A physical therapist experienced with Parkinson’s focuses on helping you move better, move safer, and keep moving longer.
Rather than generic exercise, a PT designs personalized, progressive routines tailored to your symptoms, fitness level, and daily demands.
A Parkinson’s-trained PT helps with:
- Improving gait, posture, and stride length
- Building strength and flexibility to support everyday movement
- Addressing balance challenges and reducing fall risk
- Managing freezing episodes and teaching practical strategies to break them
- Maintaining endurance and confidence in walking and transitions
Just as important, a PT helps you translate movement into real-world function — getting up from a chair, navigating crowds, turning safely, and recovering when balance is challenged.
Core Medical & Therapy Team Members
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occupational therapist (OT)
Daily living and safety.
An occupational therapist focuses on helping you do the things that fill your day more safely, more efficiently, and with less effort.
Rather than asking you to push harder, an OT helps you work smarter by adapting how tasks are done and how environments are set up to match your current abilities.
An OT can help with:
The goal of occupational therapy isn’t to change who you are or what you value—it’s to remove unnecessary obstacles so you can keep doing what matters, longer.
An occupational therapist focuses on helping you do the things that fill your day more safely, more efficiently, and with less effort.
Rather than asking you to push harder, an OT helps you work smarter by adapting how tasks are done and how environments are set up to match your current abilities.
An OT can help with:
- Practical strategies for dressing, eating, writing, typing, and working
- Techniques to manage fatigue, slowness, tremor, and fine-motor challenges
- Home safety modifications to reduce fall risk and simplify daily movement
The goal of occupational therapy isn’t to change who you are or what you value—it’s to remove unnecessary obstacles so you can keep doing what matters, longer.
Core Medical & Therapy Team Members
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Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP)
Voice, communication, and swallowing.
A speech-language pathologist helps protect two things that are easy to take for granted: being understood and swallowing/eating safely.
Parkinson’s can affect voice volume, speech clarity, facial expression, and swallowing—often gradually and without obvious warning signs.
An SLP can help with:
Soft, monotone, or fading speech that makes communication harder
SLPs may also use evidence-based therapy programs, such as LSVT® LOUD and SPEAK OUT!®, which are specifically designed for people with Parkinson’s.
A speech-language pathologist helps protect two things that are easy to take for granted: being understood and swallowing/eating safely.
Parkinson’s can affect voice volume, speech clarity, facial expression, and swallowing—often gradually and without obvious warning signs.
An SLP can help with:
Soft, monotone, or fading speech that makes communication harder
- Slurred or unclear words that affect being understood
- Changes in facial expression and speech timing
- Swallowing difficulties that can increase choking or aspiration risk
SLPs may also use evidence-based therapy programs, such as LSVT® LOUD and SPEAK OUT!®, which are specifically designed for people with Parkinson’s.
Core Medical & Therapy Team Members
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Psychologist, Counselor, or Spiritual Advisor
Mental health, meaning, and navigation support.
Parkinson’s affects emotional health as much as physical function. These professionals help you manage depression, anxiety, apathy, stress, and the ongoing adjustments that come with a chronic condition.
Depending on your needs, they may help with:
For those who find strength in faith or spirituality, a clergy member or spiritual advisor can also play a meaningful role—offering grounding, perspective, and support during periods of uncertainty, for both you and your care partners.
This role looks different for everyone.
What matters most is having someone who helps steady the emotional and human side of the journey, so the rest of the care plan can work.
Parkinson’s affects emotional health as much as physical function. These professionals help you manage depression, anxiety, apathy, stress, and the ongoing adjustments that come with a chronic condition.
Depending on your needs, they may help with:
- Emotional support and coping strategies
- Navigating major life and identity changes
- Insurance, disability, housing, or workplace questions
- Connecting to community, financial, and support resources
For those who find strength in faith or spirituality, a clergy member or spiritual advisor can also play a meaningful role—offering grounding, perspective, and support during periods of uncertainty, for both you and your care partners.
This role looks different for everyone.
What matters most is having someone who helps steady the emotional and human side of the journey, so the rest of the care plan can work.
Emotional, Practical, and Personal Support
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Nutritionist/Dietitian
Fueling your body well.
Nutrition quietly influences almost every part of living with Parkinson’s—energy levels, digestion, strength, weight, and even how well medications are absorbed and tolerated.
A dietitian experienced with Parkinson’s helps you make realistic, sustainable food choices that support daily function, not perfection.
A dietitian can help with:
Just as important, a dietitian helps cut through conflicting advice and focus on what actually works for you, your routines, and your preferences.
Nutrition quietly influences almost every part of living with Parkinson’s—energy levels, digestion, strength, weight, and even how well medications are absorbed and tolerated.
A dietitian experienced with Parkinson’s helps you make realistic, sustainable food choices that support daily function, not perfection.
A dietitian can help with:
- Managing constipation, dehydration, and digestive slow-downs
- Addressing unintended weight loss or weight gain
- Adapting meals for chewing or swallowing challenges
- Timing meals to support medication effectiveness
- Planning simple, practical meals that support strength and energy
Just as important, a dietitian helps cut through conflicting advice and focus on what actually works for you, your routines, and your preferences.
Emotional, Practical, and Personal Support
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Other Specialists (As Needed)
Parkinson’s care is not static. As symptoms evolve, your needs may change—and your care team can expand accordingly.
Depending on your journey, additional specialists may become part of your team, either temporarily or long term, including:
- Sleep specialists, to evaluate and manage issues such as insomnia, REM sleep behavior disorder, or excessive daytime sleepiness
- Neurosurgeons and neuropsychologists, particularly when evaluating advanced therapies such as deep brain stimulation (DBS), which requires careful medical and cognitive assessment
- Sexual health or erectile dysfunction (ED) specialists, to address intimacy, performance, and quality-of-life concerns that are common but often under-discussed in Parkinson’s
- Complementary or integrative therapists, such as massage, yoga, mindfulness, acupuncture, dry needling, or structured stretching and mobility therapies, when used thoughtfully alongside, not in place, of—medical care
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Care Team partners
For many people living with Parkinson’s, a spouse, family member, or close friend naturally becomes a care partner. This role often develops gradually, shaped by trust, shared routines, and the realities of daily life.
Care partners may help with:
Care partners are not required to be medical experts. What matters most is partnership—a shared understanding of how much help is wanted, when it’s needed, and how roles may change over time.
Just as important: care partners need care, too.
Care partners may help with:
- Attending medical appointments, taking notes, and helping track symptoms or changes
- Managing medication schedules and daily routines
- Handling household responsibilities and logistical tasks
- Providing steady emotional support, encouragement, and perspective
Care partners are not required to be medical experts. What matters most is partnership—a shared understanding of how much help is wanted, when it’s needed, and how roles may change over time.
Just as important: care partners need care, too.
next-gen Therapies/Treatment in development
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You: The Center of the Team
You are not a passive recipient of care.
You are an active leader of your care team.
Parkinson’s may shape parts of your life, but it does not remove your voice, your agency, or your ability to direct what matters most. Every effective care plan starts with your priorities—how you want to live, what you want to protect, and what tradeoffs you are or aren’t willing to make.
Being at the center of the team means:
Strong care plans are not static. They change as Parkinson’s changes—and as you change.
You are an active leader of your care team.
Parkinson’s may shape parts of your life, but it does not remove your voice, your agency, or your ability to direct what matters most. Every effective care plan starts with your priorities—how you want to live, what you want to protect, and what tradeoffs you are or aren’t willing to make.
Being at the center of the team means:
- Educating yourself about Parkinson’s disease and how it can affect both movement and non-movement symptoms
- Communicating clearly what matters most to you—independence, work, family, mobility, clarity, or comfort
- Choosing providers who listen, explain, and respect your goals rather than dictate them
- Asking questions and revisiting decisions as circumstances change
- Adjusting your care approach over time as your needs, routines, and priorities evolve
Strong care plans are not static. They change as Parkinson’s changes—and as you change.
Emotional, Practical, and Personal Support
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As we've have learned, Parkinson’s affects movement, balance, posture, speech, and confidence. Medication helps — but it does not do the work alone.
Research is clear:
Regular exercise (especially exercise that raises the heart rate) helps people with Parkinson’s move better, feel better, and stay independent longer. This isn’t theory. It’s been shown repeatedly in clinical studies.
Parkinson’s, Exercise,
and the Elevated Heart
Why Exercise Works
Exercise helps Parkinson’s because it changes how the brain functions, not just how the body moves.
Movement strengthens brain pathways by increasing blood flow and releasing brain-supporting chemicals like BDNF (BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Often called “fertilizer for the brain”) dopamine, and growth factors that drive learning and Neuroplasticity.
, and builds long-term physical and brain reserve.
Where This Evidence Comes From
This information comes from:
What Kind of Exercise Helps Most
The greatest benefits come from aerobic exercise — movement that keeps you moving continuously and raises your heart rate.
Common examples include:
What “Elevated Heart Rate” Really MeansWhy This Zone Matters
Most Parkinson’s exercise studies showing real benefit land squarely in the “talk but not sing” range—sometimes pushing slightly harder for short periods.
This is the zone where:
You may see studies describe this as:
“Exercise at 80–85% of maximum heart rate.” That sounds technical. In real life, it simply means this:
The Talk Test Translation
If you’re breathing hard enough that:
You’re right where the research wants you to be!
Exercise helps Parkinson’s because it changes how the brain functions, not just how the body moves.
Movement strengthens brain pathways by increasing blood flow and releasing brain-supporting chemicals like BDNF (BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Often called “fertilizer for the brain”) dopamine, and growth factors that drive learning and Neuroplasticity.
, and builds long-term physical and brain reserve.
Where This Evidence Comes From
This information comes from:
- Carefully designed clinical studies
- Long-term studies following people with Parkinson’s
- Reviews combining results from many exercise trials
- Across all of this research, the message is the same:
- Exercise works best when it’s done regularly, over time.
What Kind of Exercise Helps Most
The greatest benefits come from aerobic exercise — movement that keeps you moving continuously and raises your heart rate.
Common examples include:
- Brisk walking (outside or on a treadmill)
- Biking (stationary or outdoor)
- Swimming or water walking
- Dancing
- Elliptical or stair climbing
- Fast-paced yard or household work
What “Elevated Heart Rate” Really MeansWhy This Zone Matters
Most Parkinson’s exercise studies showing real benefit land squarely in the “talk but not sing” range—sometimes pushing slightly harder for short periods.
This is the zone where:
- The heart is challenged
- The lungs are fully engaged
- The brain receives the kind of stimulation linked to protective effects
You may see studies describe this as:
“Exercise at 80–85% of maximum heart rate.” That sounds technical. In real life, it simply means this:
The Talk Test Translation
If you’re breathing hard enough that:
- Conversation is possible, but brief
- Full sentences feel uncomfortable
- Singing is off the table
You’re right where the research wants you to be!
Why Exercise Works for Parkinson’s
Exercise has been shown to:
These benefits build with consistent, ongoing movement, not occasional workouts.
- Improve walking, balance, and motor symptoms
- Help the brain use dopamine more efficiently
- Support the brain’s ability to adapt reorganize and rewire itself (Neuroplasticity)
- Improve endurance, posture, and reaction time
- Slow functional decline over time
These benefits build with consistent, ongoing movement, not occasional workouts.
Minimum vs. Targeted Exercise
you might be wondering...
The Minimum (The Floor)
This is the minimum effective dose supported by large studies.
The Target (The Goal)
Many Parkinson’s specialists encourage more — when safe and sustainable.
The target helps you stay ahead.
Build Up Over Time
Exercise works best when it is built gradually and maintained consistently. You don’t need to do everything at once, and you don’t need long or perfect sessions to see benefit.
Along with aerobic exercise, most Parkinson’s specialists recommend adding strength and balance work. Strength training 2–3 days per week helps support the legs, core, and posture muscles, while balance work most days — even just 5 minutes — helps with stability and confidence. When combined with aerobic movement, this approach is linked to better walking, better endurance, and slower functional decline.
Building up over time means being intentional and patient. Increase time or effort — not both at once. Some days will feel easier, and some will feel harder. That’s normal. Bad days do not erase good weeks.
Exercise should feel purposeful, challenging, and safe. If you feel dizzy, unstable, or scared, it’s okay to dial it back. Staying consistent matters more than pushing harder.
This is the minimum effective dose supported by large studies.
- 3–4 days per week
- 20–30 minutes per session
- Aerobic movement that raises breathing and heart rate
- Better walking
- Better balance
- Better quality of life
The Target (The Goal)
Many Parkinson’s specialists encourage more — when safe and sustainable.
- 5–6 days per week
- 30+ minutes per day (sessions can be split)
- Some time spent feeling challenged
- Strength training 2–3 days per week
- Balance work most days (even 5 minutes)
- Slower functional decline
- Better endurance and posture
- Greater long-term independence
The target helps you stay ahead.
Build Up Over Time
Exercise works best when it is built gradually and maintained consistently. You don’t need to do everything at once, and you don’t need long or perfect sessions to see benefit.
Along with aerobic exercise, most Parkinson’s specialists recommend adding strength and balance work. Strength training 2–3 days per week helps support the legs, core, and posture muscles, while balance work most days — even just 5 minutes — helps with stability and confidence. When combined with aerobic movement, this approach is linked to better walking, better endurance, and slower functional decline.
Building up over time means being intentional and patient. Increase time or effort — not both at once. Some days will feel easier, and some will feel harder. That’s normal. Bad days do not erase good weeks.
Exercise should feel purposeful, challenging, and safe. If you feel dizzy, unstable, or scared, it’s okay to dial it back. Staying consistent matters more than pushing harder.
Important Safety Note
Before starting or significantly increasing an exercise routine, consult your care team, including your primary care provider (PCP), neurologist, or physical therapist — to ensure your plan is appropriate and safe for you.
