Our dedicated team of instructors are available in Danvers, Gloucester, Hamilton and Marblehead to lead regular weekly ability-and-study-based exercise programs throughout the summer months, as well as boxing in Salem.
We encourage you to continue building resources and to remain physically active this summer. Goal-setting is a good concept to try! Click here to look at our Class Times and Locations page on this site and along with your regular weekly class, why not make one of your goals an additional visit to one of our other locations in a different town. It’s a great way to build physical strength, to meet new people who share similar challenges, and to learn different movement techniques from each of our instructors.
Make it a point to ask a friend or family member to join you in any kind of safe activity that puts Parkinson’s where it belongs more often…taking a “back seat” to whatever provides you with a sense of accomplishment, wonder, and lighthearted joy. Balance your summer days between relaxing and keeping active!
Parkinson’s Fitness ability-based exercise and arts programs include classes in movement and dance in a fun, welcoming, and safe environment. Instructors Dianna Daly and Lisa Vincent are trained in the Dance for PD curriculum, in collaboration with the Mark Morris Dance Group and the Brooklyn Parkinson’s Group.
Class members are guided through exercises designed to enhance and maintain mobility, flexibility, balance, coordination, and strength. All movements are easily modifiable for various levels of capability. Our instructors support and encourage participants to meet their mobility goals by incorporating a variety of music, storytelling, and movement styles from around the world. In this social, creative outlet, participants can discover or rediscover the joy of movement.
Care providers, family members, or supporting friends are welcome to attend, although not required. All are welcome; no previous dance experience required!
Click on our Class Times and Locations page on the web site…and then set a new goal and visit a class soon!
Salem News staff writer Arianna MacNeill did a wonderful…and accurate!…job of presenting our programs to a wide North Shore audience. She and staff photographer Ken Yuszkus captured not only the physical faces of some of our class members, but also created a window for the public to glance through and gain better awareness about life with Parkinson’s disease.
If you haven’t seen the article, please visit this Salem News site:
http://www.salemnews.com/news/local_news/fitness-movement/article_6bfc6310-912d-590c-9023-fc63a389d232.html
Thank you, Arianna, Ken, and the Salem News for helping us share opportunities for empowering people with Parkinson’s to keep this G.O.A.L. = Go On Actively Living!
WOW! It was exciting to have 10 people join us at our first additional weekly class in Danvers on Friday, January 8th, from 1:00 to 2:00 PM! That’s right…we now offer two classes each week in the COA building!
Our Wednesday class members (10:30 to 11:30 AM) have become good friends with one another. The room is alive with our wide variety of recorded rhythms, good-natured teasing and laughter, coupled with the focused silence of people practicing balance control, stretching, strength-building endurance exercises, and cognitive awareness.
Recognizing that some people aren’t always available on Wednesdays and that others want to participate more than once a week, the Danvers COA welcomed the concept of a second class…and now the room buzzes with activity on Fridays, too!
Mark the days and times on your calendars and plan to stop by…both you and we will be glad you did!
We have two more exercise and movement opportunities to announce!
In addition to our weekly classes currently offered in Marblehead, Danvers and Gloucester, beginning on January 8th, a second Danvers class will be available on Friday afternoons at the Danvers Senior Center. And starting on Tuesday, January 12th, a new class will open in Hamilton at their senior center. Participants challenge themselves and other members to increase endurance, strength, coordination, balance, self-confidence, and cognitive awareness using seated and standing exercises, aided by a variety of manual equipment items. Incorporating music during sessions enhances rhythmic body movement, while singing and practicing different kinds of speech patterns aids voice projection and breathing and helps lessen the expressionless facial appearance (referred to as “masking”) often associated with Parkinson’s.
In the words of 20th century inspirational self-help author Robert Collier: “Success is the result of small efforts repeated day in and day out.” We are pleased to provide North Shore locations where training against a tough opponent like Parkinson’s motivates so many North Shore residents to stay in the fight!
Class locations and times
Hamilton: Tuesdays – 10:00 to 11:00 AM
Hamilton Council on Aging, 299 Bay Road, South Hamilton
Danvers: Wednesdays – 10:30 to 11:30 AM and Fridays – 1:00 to 2:00 PM
Danvers Senior Center, 25 Stone Street, Danvers
Marblehead: Wednesdays – 1:00 to 2:00 PM
Marblehead Council on Aging, 10 Pleasant Street
Gloucester: Thursdays – 2:00 to 3:00 PM
Rose Baker Senior Center, 6 Manuel F. Lewis Street
Parkinson’s Fitness co-founders Keith and Linda Hall are excited to announce a pioneering six-week drumming class for people on the North Shore living with Parkinson’s disease, beginning Tuesday, January 26th, from 10:30 to 11:30 AM. This pilot program is part of the ongoing ability-based Parkinson’s Fitness exercise, arts and movement programs available weekly in Danvers, Gloucester, Hamilton and Marblehead.
Why choose drumming? A recent Parkinson’s forum included an article titled “Drum Therapy Program Helping Parkinson’s Patients.” One music therapist working at a rehab center in Washington State offered this explanation for the success of drumming therapy for patients with Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases: “Playing music actually increases serotonin and dopamine production in the brain, which decreases through the progression of Parkinson’s. Clients have found that drumming therapy can tone muscles, decrease anxiety and depression, increase energy, stimulate the brain, and even reduce fatigue.” Drumming is also a great way to have fun and socialize!
Instructor Lauren Caso is a board certified music therapist and music educator from the Boston area, who graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s of Music degree from Berklee College of Music in 2002. She has been teaching music professionally for over 13 years in public schools, community settings and privately. Lauren has traveled to Ghana, Senegal and India to study music and dance. During her stay in Ghana, West Africa, she was able to study drumming and dancing in depth with master teachers. Currently, Lauren is on the faculty at The Community Music Center of Boston (Tufts University) as an African drumming teacher. She teaches private guitar, piano, violin, and theory lessons, and also plays violin in the Melrose Symphony Orchestra. Her high energy and ability to adapt to other’s needs make her an effective and invaluable teacher. Lauren is thrilled to collaborate locally with Parkinson’s Fitness to introduce and lead this newest innovative arts and movement program.
Drumming space will be generously provided by CareOne at Peabody (formerly Peabody Glen) at 199 Andover Street (Route 114) in Peabody, directly opposite the North Shore shopping mall. Class size will be limited to 12 participants who actually have Parkinson’s for the initial six-week session.
Register now to join as a pioneering member! Various types of drums will be provided.
There is a nominal charge of $30 for the six-week class to reimburse the instructor for teaching, travel, and the use of her equipment. Payment should be made to Parkinson’s Fitness, 46 Brittania Circle, Salem, MA 01970 prior to the first class session in order to hold space.
Contact: Linda or Keith Hall
Email: parkinsonsfitness@gmail.com or Lindajhall53@gmail.com
Phone: 781-572-5918
We are proud to announce that the American Parkinson’s Disease Association, Massachusetts Chapter, has awarded Parkinson’s Fitness a recent financial grant in support of our efforts to expand our exercise classes, activities and resources in North Shore communities. We currently welcome class members on a weekly basis in Marblehead, Danvers, and Gloucester, and schedules are being arranged with the goal of starting programs in Hamilton and Peabody in the very near future.
Openings in the two new locations will be announced as plans are finalized. A grateful thank you to the APDA grant committee for helping us build programming, community and camaraderie in our local areas.
We’re excited to share that our very first fundraiser will be held on Tuesday, November 3rd, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM at the lovely Hawthorne Hotel in Salem!
A really nice evening is planned that includes wine, appetizers, and special silent auctions featuring paintings created by sought-after local artists Anthony Padula and Charlie Allen. The proceeds from the suggested $65 ticket price will help us expand the programs, activities and resources we provide in our ability-based exercise classes in Marblehead, Danvers, Gloucester and soon, as schedules allow, in Hamilton and Peabody.
Our fundraising evening promises to become another example of the welcoming community and camaraderie our class members enjoy. To offer your support, whether in person or in spirit, please contact Linda and Keith Hall at either parkinsonsfitness@gmail.com or lindajhall53@gmail.com, or by phone at 781-572-5918. We hope you can join us!
Keith, Linda and Marilyn were welcomed this week by Beverly support group facilitator Ray James, curious and motivated members of the group, and Beverly COA activities coordinator Annie Wright.
To their credit, many group members entered into the spirit of the exercise demonstration and ended the session by harmonizing their voices in song! Thank you, all! Your interest in exercise is an important step in continuing to find ways to create the best quality of life possible. We hope our program will become one of your building blocks!
The APDA Mass. Chapter (that’s the American Parkinson’s Disease Association Massachusetts Chapter in Boston at www.apdama.org) asked Parkinson’s Fitness and the Marblehead Parkinson’s support group to collaborate with them in offering an art class event for the North Shore as a trial program. It is part of The Art Cart therapy program based in Norwood, MA. To read more about The Art Cart visit: http://www.projectcontagious.com/the-art-cart.html
We’re delighted that the Danvers COA has volunteered their beautiful art room for our use! It can accommodate 9 people and 3 have already signed up since receiving word on Wednesday…notices just went out this week to our Marblehead, Danvers, and Gloucester classes!
The reserved date and time is Tuesday, August 4th, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. The address is the Danvers Council on Aging building, 25 Stone Street.
The APDA has generously funded the trial program, which enables us to offer it at no charge! If you are interested in reserving a space, please call or email soon, as the available space requires a first-come-first-served limitation at this time.
Linda Hall at:
781-572-5918
lindajhall53@gmail.com
parkinsonsfitness@gmail.com
