Purpose: Bradykinesia and muscle weaknesses are common symptoms of Parkinson's Disease (PD) and are associated with impaired functional performance, increased risk of falls, and reduced quality of life. Recent studies have pointed to progressive resistance training (PRT) as an effective method to control and reduce these symptoms, increasing possibilities to treat the disease. However, few studies have focused on assessing the PRT effects in the short-term. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the short-term PRT effects on people with PD, in order to offer new parameters for a better understanding of its effects, so as an adequation and PRT use as a complementary therapy. Patients and Methods: Forty individuals diagnosed with PD from stage 1 to 3 on the Hoehn and Yahr scale took part on the study and were allocated into 2 groups; Training Group (TG) performed a 9-week RT program twice a week, and the Control Group (CG) attended disease lectures. Bradykinesia UPDRS subscale (BSS), knee extensors isokinetic strength, Ten Meters Walk Test (TMW), Timed Up&Go Test (TUG) and 30-Second Chair Stand (T30) were measured before and after the intervention period. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Results: Significant time was noted by the group interaction for all functional tests (TUG, T30, and TWM; all p < 0.01) and BSS (p < 0.01). Post hoc analyses revealed that these differences were driven by significant improvements in these dependent variables (all p < 0.01) while the CG remained unchanged (all p > 0.05). Moreover, TUG, T30, TWM, and BSS were significantly different between TG and CG in the post-training assessments (all p < 0.01). Isokinetic muscle strength was slightly increased in the TG (2.4%) and decreased in the CG (−2.2%), but statistical analyses did not reach significance for interaction but only a trend (p = 0.12). Conclusion:The results indicate that 9 weeks of PRT reduces bradykinesia and improves functional performance in patients with mild to moderate PD. These findings reinforce this mode of exercise as an important component of public health promotion programs for PD.

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Introduction: Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative and progressive disease that has a high prevalence nowadays. Characterized by motor symptoms, such as, tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia, Parkinson's disease is also associated with non-motor symptoms, such as anxiety and depression. One of the strategies recommended for non-drug treatment is physical exercise, for example, resistance training. However, some patients do not perform resistance training because they cannot remain in a standing position. On the other hand, hippotherapy has been proven as an effective treatment to increase functional performance and Health Related Quality of Life in people with neurological problems, but have not been studied in people with Parkinson's disease with mobility problems. Purpose: This study aimed to verify the effects of hippotherapy on functional performance and on Health Related Quality of Life in people with Parkinson's disease with mobility problems. Methods: It is a pre-experimental study. The sample consisted of nine volunteers, six men and three women with Parkinson's disease (n = 9), classified in level three or above in the Hoehn & Yahr scale. The functional performance tests: Timed Up and Go, Ten Meters Walk Test, Berg Balance Scale, 30-s Chair-Stand and the Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire (PDQL) were carried out and applied before and after ten weeks of training with hippotherapy to evaluate five variables: the functional mobility, the gait velocity, the balance, the functional strength of lower limbs and the Health Related Quality of Life. The Student t test for paired samples was used to verify the differences before and after the treatment, so we calculated the effect size with the Cohen's d. Results: There were identified significant improvements in balance (p = 0.044), functional mobility (p = 0.047), gait velocity (p = 0.047) and emotional functioning (p = 0.001), however, there was no difference in functional strength of lower limbs (p = 0.41). The effect size indicated effects on Health Related Quality of Life: emotional function (1.28), systemic symptoms (0.95), social function (0.89) and Parkinsonian symptoms (0.85).Conclusion: The practice of hippotherapy for 10 weeks improved significantly the balance, the functional mobility, the gait velocity and the Health Related Quality of Life of people with Parkinson's disease with mobility problems, however, it did not improve the functional strength of lower limbs.