OBJECTIVES: The aims of the study were to assess the effectiveness of long-term exercise therapy (>= 12 wks) for patients with Parkinson disease and to derive specific suggestions on how the motor symptom improvements can be optimized by exercise type and exercise dose. DESIGN: The PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register, Embase, Scopus, and CNKI databases were searched up to January 2021 for randomized controlled trials focusing on the effects of long-term exercise for Parkinson disease. Two researchers independently evaluated the quality of papers using the PEDro scale. Twenty-six studies with a total of 1,243 participants were included. RESULTS: Tai Chi, resistance training, and dance provide significant improvements in physical function and functional mobility. Furthermore, Tai Chi and dance result in balance benefits. However, walking capacity outcomes did not improve after Tai Chi and resistance training but did improve after dance. With an increase in the intervention duration or length of each session, the effect sizes of exercise on these outcomes increased; higher benefits of exercise on these outcomes were observed at a frequency of 2 times per week. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term exercise therapy is an effective treatment for improving motor symptoms, with dance being an ideal exercise choice.

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