Why running can be a game-changer for people with Parkinson’s
Jimmy Choi has proven that exercise isn’t just possible with Parkinson’s–it can also help slow the disease and improve quality of life
At 35, Bolingbrook, Ill.’s Jimmy Choi needed a cane to walk. Today, at 50, he has run 15 marathons, an ultra, competes in obstacle course races and has even set multiple Guinness World Records. He has proven not only that your running career can continue despite Parkinson’s, the fastest-growing brain disease in the world–it can slow or even halt the disease’s progression.
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What is Parkinson’s Disease?
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects movement. It causes neurons in the brain to become damaged and die, which affects movement and balance and can result in tremor and stiffness. Symptoms progress at various rates and can lead to difficulties with walking, talking and eating.
There is currently no cure, although some medications or surgeries can improve symptoms.
Choi’s journey
Choi was diagnosed with early-onset PD in 2003, at 27. For the first eight years, he didn’t do much to manage his symptoms, and by 2010, he was relying on a cane. “My low point came about eight years after my diagnosis,” he told Men’s Health. “I was 35 and, at 5’8”, weighed about 250 lb. One day, I fell down the stairs while carrying my 10-month-old son, Mason. He wasn’t hurt, but I will never forget the look of horror on my wife and daughter’s faces.”
That moment marked a turning point. Choi joined every clinical trial he could, including one studying the benefits of exercise on PD. “[The exercise] felt good, so I started doing more at home, working up very gradually–walking small distances at first, then running,” he said.
Choi went on to complete marathons, an ultra-marathon, more than 100 half-marathons and multiple Spartan races. He’s also advocated for PD on six seasons of American Ninja Warrior. He told Guinness World Records he hopes his world records demonstrate that those living with PD “can still thrive and accomplish things that most people thought only 100-per-cent healthy people can do.”
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Today, Choi has more than 82,000 followers on Instagram, @jcfoxninja, where he posts about the benefits of high-intensity training on PD symptoms and progression. His page is filled with videos of him lifting weights, doing muscle-ups and other stunts and educating viewers about the disease.
The athlete also sits on the patient council for the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which funds Parkinson’s research and is working towards finding a cure for the disease; he’s raised more than $240,000 for Parkinson’s research with Team Fox. Choi has also spoken at TEDx Talks to share his experience and spread education.
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Fastest marathon with Parkinson’s
Choi isn’t the only individual living with PD to find success with running. In April, Ben Karthauser of Backwell, U.K., finished the London Marathon in a blistering 3:04:49, setting a new record for fastest marathon with PD.
In 2021, at 44, Karthauser was diagnosed with early-onset PD following years of muscle spams that had impacted his runs. He raced London for U.K. charity Cure Parkinson’s.
