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
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
On this New Year’s Eve 2014, we look back over what’s been accomplished through our fitness classes and forward to the opportunities waiting in 2015.
We’ve welcomed curious and (mostly!) committed new friends in Marblehead, Danvers, and Gloucester as they take to heart the advice to find ways of maintaining their motivation to keep physically moving, regardless of the changes taking place in their mobility levels.
We were saddened by the passing of members and miss those who have moved away, as well as the friends who are unable to continue attending classes due to unexpected and disabling medical conditions.
It’s always a treat (and sometimes a challenge!) each time we meet to see the smiles, share the moans and groans, and watch one another share words of encouragement and good-natured teasing. All of it leads us toward emphasizing the seriousness and importance of personal goal making, whether in class or at home.
January 1, 2015 offers the opportunity to look both backward to where we’ve been and how we got there with all of its lessons learned, AND forward to hope, goals, and renewed motivation.
Keith, Linda, Dianna, Sue, and Marilyn all look forward to all we can accomplish together in 2015!
Instructors Linda and Keith were warmly welcomed at the Danvers Senior Center on Wednesday (July 16th), where they explained, demonstrated, and led a number of exercises for a new group of curious friends.
We’re happy to report that the Parkinson’s Fitness program will now be offered weekly on Wednesday mornings at the center beginning August 13th from 10:30 to 11:30 AM. If you live or travel in the Danvers vicinity and have been wanting to find an exercise program geared toward maintaining mobility in spite of Parkinson’s challenges, we’re here to welcome you!
Danvers offers- as does both our Marblehead and Gloucester exercise locations – a busy community center with lots of programs…and Parkinson’s Fitness is proud to be among them! If you want to be part of an upbeat, ability-based, goal-oriented Parkinson’s exercise program, we’re here for you on Wednesday mornings. Come on in and join us!
March 14, 2014
Ongoing Parkinson’s studies at Boston University Medical Center include examining the effects of vision on perception, cognition and gait. Vision is closely associated with balance, which of course is one of the major Parkinson’s challenges. For more information about the study and, hopefully, to interest you or someone you know to participate, visit the APDA web site at http://www.bumc.bu.edu/parkinsonsdisease/files/2011/05/PCG-Flyer.pdf
