Objective

Assess the efficiency of a program of physical activities including Nordic walking in patients with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Material/patients and methods

PD patients practiced Nordic walking sessions of 45 minutes supervised by a sports instructor twice a week for eight weeks. This activity was associated with physical therapy targeting work on posture, walking and balance. A qualitative and quantitative assessment of walking and balance were performed before and after the program. Participant’s satisfaction and the impact on their quality of life were also assessed.

Results

Twenty-nine patients participated in the study between January 2013 and September 2015. Involvement and tolerance was excellent since all the subjects except one have completed the entire program. Satisfaction was at least 8/10 for 76 % of them. The results show a significant improvement in the walking test of 2 minutes and the timed up and go test. It was not noted significant improvement in the quality of life of the PDQ-39.

Discussion–conclusion

Several recent studies have shown the interest of exercise in PD. Implementation of physical activities program including Nordic walking shows in PD patients motor performance improvement, a high level of satisfaction and good tolerance.