A 62-person randomized trial from Columbia University found that home high-intensity aerobic exercise on a stationary bike outperformed home balance training for people with cerebellar ataxia over 12 months. Participants doing aerobic training improved their ataxia severity score (SARA) by about 1.5 points more than the balance group, also seeing large gains in aerobic fitness and fatigue. Crucially, those in the aerobic group who kept exercising after study support ended at 6 months maintained their benefits at one year, while those who stopped saw scores drift back toward baseline. This is among the first large trials to show aerobic exercise may do more than compensate for deficits — it may slow disease progression in this population.
