photo by: Earl Richardson/LMH Health

An LMH Health Parkinson’s Fitness and Wellness Class plays baseball after their workout.

“Hey batter, batter, swing!” may not be a surprising chant to hear at Sports Pavilion Lawrence, but hearing it echo off the walls of a Parkinson’s Wellness class might be less expected. It’s a taunt Chris Long cheered out as her fellow group member, and Parkinson’s patient, readied their bat to swing.

Suzie Craig, an LMH Health physical therapist, oversees the Parkinson’s Wellness classes each week. While much remains unknown about Parkinson’s, research consistently shows exercise in any form improves motor symptoms and may slow disease progression.

“Misconceptions are that those with Parkinson’s can’t improve and that access to exercise or wellness is limited, but there are helpful resources available,” said Craig.

Promoting accurate information and available support options to those battling and treating Parkinson’s is especially pertinent right now, as April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month.

Aside from the physical benefits, member Roy James said he appreciates the group’s camaraderie, calling it a “quasi-family.” He said it can feel isolating after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s, but being around other people who can relate to each other’s experiences with the disease has made him feel less alone.

Craig echoed the importance of emotional impact and makes a point to start every class by asking each person how they’re feeling. Parkinson’s reduces the brain’s production of dopamine, creating emotional effects both separate from and in tandem with the physical ones. Because of how heavily dopamine can alter their perception, Craig expressed that those with the disease can struggle to gauge how they actually feel.

Parkinson’s Wellness Recovery! (PWR!), a research-based exercise program designed to specifically treat those with Parkinson’s offers training in using exercise to support patients living with the disease. She is passionate about educating others about these specialized approaches and is hosting a two-and-a-half-hour workshop this month designed for physical therapists.

Each class begins with an emotional check-in, followed by a mix of stretches and exercises. One of LMH Health’s four PWR!-certified trainers – Craig, physical therapists Renee Rettele and Carol Steele, and exercise physiologist Susie Wilson – leads the group in a way somewhat reminiscent of an 80s aerobics instructor, while others step in to assist participants in their individual needs. The moves performed focus on strategies to improve the main impairments of Parkinson’s by moving with high amplitude and intensity, while making it salient and functional. Some classes include a sports activity, with boxing being a favorite among participants.

“If I were just by myself at home, I wouldn’t exercise anywhere near as well as I do here,” said James and adding with a chuckle, “not that I do it very well.”

Actor Michael J. Fox has used his platform to support Parkinson’s research and representation. Long explained that the swaying, or dyskinesia, that’s become associated with Fox, is a result of a medication combination of carbidopa/levodopa, not Parkinson’s itself. James agreed and emphasized the individuality of the disease.

“It’s a strange disease. Some days you wake up and feel pretty normal, other days you wake up and feel like somebody’s hit you with a truck,” he said.

Since its creation in 2017, LMH Health’s Parkinson’s Fitness and Wellness Classes have grown and are now offered to meet the needs and capabilities of those at different stages of the disease. Classes are offered in eight-week sessions and held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

For more information about Parkinson’s and Parkinson’s Awareness Month, please visit the Parkinson’s Foundation website at www.parkinson.org. Questions about Parkinson’s classes at LMH Health may be sent to wellness4parkinsons@lmh.org.

FIND OUT MORE

The Lawrence Parkinson’s Support Group provides support, information and socialization for people living with Parkinson’s and their families. The group meets from 2 to 3 p.m. on the third Tuesday of every month at First Presbyterian Church, 2415 Clinton Parkway. Learn more at lawrenceparkinsonssupportgroup.com/.

Gabe Carter is a junior at the University of Kansas and an intern with LMH Health Marketing & Communications.