Increasing daily walking activity was associated with statistically significant improvements in constipation symptoms and overall disease severity among patients with Parkinson’s disease in a small pre–post study.
The study included 16 patients with Parkinson’s disease who completed a 6-month protocol consisting of baseline monitoring, a 3-month walking intervention, and a 3-month follow-up period. During the intervention phase, participants were encouraged to increase their daily step counts by 3,000 steps above their individual baseline levels, although not all participants achieved this target.
Daily step counts were tracked using wearable fitness devices. Constipation symptoms were evaluated using the Patient Assessment of Constipation Symptoms questionnaire, and disease severity was assessed using the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale.
Constipation scores improved following the walking program. Average Patient Assessment of Constipation Symptoms scores were lower immediately after the intervention and remained improved at the 3-month follow-up. Improvements in rectal and stool-related symptoms were sustained at follow-up, whereas improvements in abdominal symptoms were not maintained.
Improvements were also observed in overall Parkinson’s disease severity. Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale total scores declined following the walking intervention and remained lower at follow-up. Improvements in nonmotor and activities-of-daily-living domains were observed immediately after the intervention, while motor improvements were more evident at follow-up.
Correlation analyses suggested that greater increases in daily step counts may be associated with larger improvements in constipation symptoms and disease severity, although not all associations reached statistical significance.
Constipation affects a large proportion of patients with Parkinson’s disease and may precede motor symptoms by years. Limited mobility, reduced fluid intake, and disease-related changes in gastrointestinal function can contribute to the condition.
The findings suggest that walking may offer a practical self-management strategy for addressing both gastrointestinal symptoms and broader disease burden in Parkinson’s disease. However, the small sample size and lack of a control group limit causal interpretation, and larger randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings.
The researchers reported no competing interests.
