DENVER -- Looking strong and athletic, 73-year-old Paul Zeiger's physical condition belies his age, and his diagnosis of Parkinson's disease five years ago. His wife recalled watching the symptoms set in.

"He'd become stooped, his arm was rigid and didn't move, so he began really working against all those symptoms," said Carolyn Zeiger.

Paul Zeiger took the fight to the disease using yoga.

"When people tell me I'm looking good, one fairly standard response I give is, 'I'm well medicated and well exercised,'" Paul Zeiger said.

He has practiced and taught yoga for two decades, and figured the ancient exercise was the best way to combat the movement, tremor and balance issues associated with Parkinson's disease. It's part of what he calls a revolution in finding ways to slow the progression of the neurological disorder; making it a manageable disease like diabetes. The movement has gained more acceptance from the medical community over the past few years.

"It addresses exactly those impairments of the body functions that Parkinson's disease patients have," said Dr. Olga Klepitskaya, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Colorado. "It also affects the mind-body connection and helps anxiety which is unfortunately a really bad problem for many Parkinson's disease patients."

Zeiger believes yoga has had such a positive impact on his quality of life, that he and his wife, Carolyn, have made it their mission to share that success with others. One of their clients, David Walter, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease 16 years ago.

"It's definitely made things better," Walter said. "It helps your body remember what it's supposed to, or is capable of doing."

Recently, Walter recalled, he was even able to play outfield at his son's baseball practice. He said he had not run like that in about 15 years.

A retired engineer and professor, Paul Zeiger is motivated by curiosity and a desire to solve problems.

"If I can put these things to work for myself and teach them to other people, that gives me something useful to do," Zeiger said.

For Zeiger, yoga is more than twisting his body like a pretzel; it's about living a better life with Parkinson's disease, and living longer. He says other forms of exercise, like dancing and Tai Chi can also be beneficial to Parkinson's disease patients.

Currently, the apparent benefits of yoga for Parkinson's disease patients are anecdotal, however, researchers at the University of Colorado hope to find funding to conduct a clinical study on the subject.

To learn more about yoga therapy for Parkinson's disease, visit www.parkinsonsyoga.org, or www.parkinsonrockies.org.