About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of high-intensity exercise on the brains of individuals with Parkinson's disease, featuring insights from experts and personal experiences.

In this episode of the CrossFit Podcast, host Jocelyn Rylee sits down with Michelle Hespeler and Dr. Sule Tinaz of Yale School of Medicine to explore the science and lived experience behind high-intensity exercise for Parkinson’s disease. Hespeler was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at age 40. A former physical education teacher, she began experimenting with structured, high-effort training long before exercise was widely discussed as part of Parkinson’s care. Tinaz is a neuroscientist and movement disorders specialist whose research focuses on how exercise affects the brain itself. Together, they share results from a pilot study using MRI and PET imaging that showed increased dopaminergic signals after six months of high-intensity exercise. They unpack what those brain changes may mean, why effort matters more than perfection, and how exercise can improve movement, cognition, independence, and quality of life. Topics Covered High-intensity exercise as a disease-modifying strategy for Parkinson’s Brain imaging evidence of exercise-driven neuroprotection Why effort and self-efficacy change outcomes in chronic disease How exercise compares to medication in Parkinson’s treatment Early…

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