Inspiration
Parkinson’s Fitness Co-founder Keith Hall’s Mission Will Continue…
Sadly, on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, a remarkably talented, funny, considerate, dedicated, courageous, compassionate, determined visionary passed away.
Parkinson’s Fitness co-founder Keith Hall has left an incredible legacy to his family and our Parkinson’s Fitness team who will continue to carry on his mission of providing empowering exercise, movement, arts and educational programs to equip individuals and families living with Parkinson’s in our local north-of-Boston, Massachusetts communities and beyond with tools for living their highest-possible quality lives.
Keith and his wife, Linda, created our local non-profit organization following Keith’s own 2007 diagnosis at age 55. As an exercise enthusiast and personal trainer during his earlier years, and later as a Navy and then commercial airlines pilot, Keith soon realized the absence of Parkinson’s programs in our local area. For those who may not know the history and mission behind Keith and Linda’s Parkinson’s vision, please click here. Information about Keith’s memorial service can be accessed through this link: William Keith Hall Obituary | Jan 8, 2025 | Salem, MA
Keith will be forever missed and remembered as a husband, father, extended family member, military veteran, friend, neighbor, and hometown volunteer. May your spirit soar, Keith, as we say farewell and thank you for everything you’ve provided for so many people.
– High Flight –
“Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings.
Sunward I’ve climbed and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds
and done a hundred things you have not dreamed of …
wheeled and soared and swung high in the sunlit silence.
Hov’ring there, I’ve chased the shouting wind along
and flung my eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace,
where never lark nor even eagle flew.
And while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
the high un-trespassed sanctity of space,
put out my hand,
and touched the face of God.”
Royal Canadian Air Force Pilot Officer John Gillespie Magee, Jr. – 1941
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It Doesn’t Happen Overnight…But Change CAN Happen!
A recent article was shared as a positive reminder of how reaching for new personal goals becomes a matter of mindfulness and practice.
What is “mindfulness”? When faced with obstacles and challenges, often “our mind takes flight, we lose touch with our body and easily become engrossed in obsessive thoughts about something that just happened or fretting about the future. And that makes us anxious”. If that feels familiar, we encourage you to read…and re-read…the following article on a web site link suggested by one of our volunteers – Why “Practice Makes Perfect” – The Center for Motivation & Change
While the article is not specific to Parkinson’s, we find the information relatable to the challenges encountered while creating ways to maintain physical and emotional resiliency. Whether you’re someone considering or already actively exercising for strength and mobility, maybe wondering why others can’t understand your need to ask lots of questions, or when your habit is to silently “retreat”, perhaps you will recognize yourself in the concepts offered in the article. Medications, while completely necessary for symptom management, are only one tool to help you re-consider an “I can’t” or “I wouldn’t-be-able-to” habit of thinking and projecting.
Consider these words from the article: “…You have to get through the emotional process of finding the bravery to try new things and tolerating not being so good at things right from the start. The process of deciding (because it is a choice) to practice in spite of these feelings is a valuable skill in managing any change process.
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January 2024: Nonprofit Parkinson’s Fitness co-founder Keith Hall’s wife, Linda, was honored by the New England Patriots Foundation as a “Patriots Difference Maker” for her tireless volunteer commitment to the Parkinson’s Fitness mission to “provide free fitness and health-based resources to residents and caregivers of Boston’s North Shore who are living with Parkinson’s disease”. Click here to read about this well-deserved recognition.
“This local man is helping Parkinson’s patients fight the disease in an unexpected way: through boxing” Click here to read The Boston Globe article.
Parkinson’s Fitness featured in Marblehead Magazine. Click here to view the article.
Keith and Linda Hall featured on Lifetime’s, The Balancing Act. Click here to watch
A Commitment to Fitness Despite Parkinson’s and Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension (NOH) – Q&A with Keith and Linda Hall
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Robert Collier was an American author of self-help books in the 20th century. The nephew of Peter Fenelon Collier, founder of Collier’s Weekly, he wrote about the practical psychology of abundance, desire, faith, confident action, and becoming your best.
“Success is the sum of small efforts – repeated day in and day out.”
“If you don’t make things happen, then things will happen to you.”
“If you procrastinate when faced with a big, difficult problem, break the problem into parts and handle one part at a time.”
We draw a parallel from his reflections with the need for visualizing the challenging Parkinson’s journey no one wants to take and continuing to create goals that provide a rewarding quality of life. Please continue reading…
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Ten Skills of Resilience -Jeremy Sutton, Ph.D.
- Problem-solving: Problem-solving is the ability to identify, analyze, and break down problems and generate potential solutions. The most effective ones are then chosen and implemented.
- Goal setting: Goal setting involves setting well-defined and achievable goals and then taking small steps toward achieving them. Working toward goals builds confidence and a sense of accomplishment, which can contribute to resilience.
- Effective communication: This involves learning to express needs and feelings clearly and assertively and actively listening to others.
- Emotional regulation and stress management: Since emotional regulation is the ability to control and manage one’s emotions in a healthy way, specific approaches can manage emotions and stress. These include practicing relaxation techniques (including mindfulness and deep breathing), cognitively reframing challenges and pressures as opportunities, and engaging in physical activity.
- Building a social support network: This involves developing and maintaining a solid network of supportive relationships with friends, family, and other trusted individuals.
- Practicing self-care: Self-care activities should promote physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing, including getting adequate sleep, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and finding time for relaxation and hobbies.
- Developing meaning and purpose in life: This involves finding purpose and meaning in life, whether in work, relationships, or other personally fulfilling activities.
- Adopting a positive outlook: Cultivating a positive outlook and a growth mindset might include practicing gratitude, focusing on the good things in life, reframing negative thoughts, and seeing setbacks as opportunities for learning and growth, while maintaining a hopeful outlook.
- Improving self-awareness: Developing self-awareness includes learning to understand thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to improve responses to stress and adversity and recognizing when to seek support.
- Adopting effective coping strategies: Healthy coping mechanisms might include positive self-talk, visualization, exercise, goal focus, social support, mindfulness, and relaxation techniques.
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“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway” – John Wayne, actor
“Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.” – Life, the Truth, and Being Free
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Words of Appreciation from Our Participants…
As the 2019 COVID outbreak and its variant strains became a global pandemic, individuals, families, businesses and organizations faced a crisis of unprecedented, life-altering proportions. Our North Shore class locations were closed for public use and our local Parkinson’s communities were without their in-person opportunities for creating healthy ways to fight back against their daily challenges. Our team collaborated on ways to continue providing weekly programs and created live online classes via ZOOM links, as well as recorded videos.
In 2023, we resumed in-person classes in four of our original locations and also continue offering the Zoom and recorded programs. Our participants have sent many messages sharing their gratitude for what we provide…and their undaunted spirit to maintain healthy lives shines in them! We are pleased to share a number of their comments with you…
“The Zoom classes saved my husband through COVID. They continue to give his days form and function. He looks forward to each meeting and tells me how they were different and what was covered…. The silver lining of COVID has been ‘bringing the mountain to Muhammed’. So many with Parkinson’s can’t get to in-person classes and ZOOM has helped them participate, too. I am so very thankful for the classes. They have been a lifeline for us.”
“The newsletters make me feel more connected. They are very helpful letting us know of other resources that are available to us and highlighting good programs, seminars, etc.”
“These ZOOM classes have been a blessing. I enjoy seeing everyone without actually being in person! These classes have helped get me through the past two difficult years.”
“All of these classes with the excellent instructors keep us moving, and all is possible because of wonderful newsletters sent in a timely basis. They (Parkinson’s Fitness) are a wonderful resource for those of us coping with this challenging disease!
“Dianna’s Balance in Motion class is excellent – great music and with just the right amount of challenge. Her classes are varied, fun, and conducted with unfailing good grace, and her enthusiasm is contagious. I feel they help me with flexibility, strength, endurance and emotional well-being.”
“The Strength with Kim class is the best workout I have found!”
“I especially like the downloads of Kim’s Strength with Kim classes, which I try to watch as often as I can. I sometimes watch them over and over again, as they really help me maintain strength and flexibility.”
“I am newly diagnosed, and Sally’s class inspires and motivates me in my effort to combat Parkinson’s disease.”
“I have participated in both live and ZOOM classes and am amazed how Dianna handles both together so well. Both are fun but I really enjoy the live class because of the interaction in person. I do like the idea of having the online option, just in case I can’t for some reason make it in person to the class.”
“Kim is so encouraging and expressive! For a long time, my computer was without sound, but I could follow Kim’s actions and visual reminders.”
“Sally’s Balance and Strength class is rejuvenating…you will laugh your way through it! Her classes have become a very important part of husband’s well-being. They help with balance, speech and sharing laughs. Sally’s energy is contagious!”
“Thank you for all the work and effort that you put into making this happen. It is really appreciated!”
“These programs are really important for my general well-being, especially as a source of actual human contact!”
These are only a small number of comments we have received. We appreciate all of the heartfelt messages that are being sent to us!
For a list of our weekly in-person and live online ZOOM classes and recorded videos, click here.
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