“There is only one motive … fun.” Perspectives of participants and providers of physical exercise for people with Parkinson’s disease

Abstract

Purpose To explore the perspectives of people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and exercise providers regarding facilitating factors, barriers, needs, and demands relating to physical exercise for people with PD. Materials and Methods Focus group discussions or telephone interviews of 30 people with PD (with or without an active sports history) and 13 providers were conducted and analyzed using structuring content analysis. Results Factors facilitating participation in physical exercise included motivation-enhancing elements (enjoyment, group training environment) and providers with sufficient qualifications in PD-specific training demands. Identified barriers were lack of motivation, physical limitations, poor service accessibility, and inadequate matching of intervention groups based on capability or age. Providers found it difficult to design and conduct group trainings for people with PD with varying physical limitations. Having an active sports history before PD-onset was described as generally beneficial, though a competitive mindset could lead to frustration. People with PD reported needing their physicians to provide better education regarding physical exercise. Conclusion Enjoyment of physical exercise is a key aspect of maintaining physical activity engagement, which should be considered more in research and clinical practice. Developing qualifications for providers could help to broaden and enhance the dissemination of PD-specific exercise approaches. Physicians should be trained to encourage physical exercise. Implications for rehabilitation Physicians should highlight the benefits and be knowledgeable regarding the availability of physical exercise interventions for people with PD. Additional physical exercise providers should become qualified to work with people with PD. The joyfulness of physical exercise interventions is a key aspect of maintaining physical activity engagement for people with PD.