Dr. Giselle Petzinger Artwork

Yoga With Jake Podcast

My name is Jake Panasevich, and I’m a yoga teacher with a focus on teaching men and athletes - from your everyday dad to professional athletes. And I’m also a lifestyle science journalist and I link my yoga practice and habits to evidence based medicine, outcomes and research. Which honestly, often gets lost in a yoga practice. I want to provide you, my audience with as much value as possible and that’s why I started this: the Yoga with Jake podcast, where I tap into my access to world-renown experts, elite athletes and other world-class performers to give you the tools, tips and perspective that make them the best in their field, and could help you be better too.

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Yoga With Jake Podcast

Dr. Giselle Petzinger

January 17, 2021 • Jake Panasevich • Season 1 • Episode 2

Dr. Giselle Petzinger is a neurologist at University of Southern California who specializes in Parkinson's Disease. She unpacks the topic of exercise-induced neuroplasticity. How exercise, both aerobic and skill-based, bolsters circuitry in the brain to help prevent Parkinson's and slow disease progression.

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Intro

What is Parkinson's Disease?

When should someone seek out help for Parkinson's?

What lifestyle habits help with warding off PD?

Aerobic and skill-based exercise help with PD.

Exercise is a big game-changer for brain benefit.

Developing resilience: function.

Maintaining cellular connections or synapses hearty.

The brain benefit of skill-based exercises like yoga.

The importance of variance and quality exercise.

Generalizing movement to help in real world practice.

Puzzles, luminosity aren’t as effective as exercise and movement in space.

Variability in exercise helps reach a broader fluency in motor function.

Goal setting and community.

Self belief and self efficacy.

The power of choice.

Blend of aerobic and skill-based exercise is most beneficial in PD.

Intense aerobic exercise extensively studied in the field of aging, especially involving memory and Alzheimer’s.

150 minutes of intense aerobic exercise a week to see brain benefits.

Skill in exercise and movement also matters, especially in PD.

What is skill training?

Research has shown yoga is efficacious as a skill based exercise in PD.

Exercise as a preventative measure and treatment.

Aspects of an exercise class should be present for the most brain benefit.

We need to challenge ourselves to some degree to see results on a neurological level.

Empowering to take our health, and how we age into our own hands.

The brain is engaged during exercise. It’s not a passive recipient.

Markers that show you are working hard enough to get brain benefit.

Physical movement is more beneficial than cognitive tasks like puzzles, reading and luminosity.

Ruminating or daydreaming during exercise.

How to workout from home to optimize brain health.

You need to challenge yourself.

As you reach new levels of fitness, you have to push beyond what is now your comfort threshold.

How hard to push yourself physically.

Be in community.

Future of exercise and movement therapy as a prescribed treatment for PD.

Find the exercise class and community that resonates with you.

Importance of medication in PD.

Try new things.

Attitude matters. It’s about feeling good, not looking good.

Educating the general public on these topics is crucial.

The research and data backs it up. It’s undeniable.