RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) – People living with Parkinson’s disease are finding a way to fight the progressive disorder by lifting weights together a couple times a week.
Jen Walker is among those hard at work. She and everyone else in the class have Parkinson’s disease, a progressive brain disorder affecting movement over time.
Walker was diagnosed in 2015, forcing her to quit her job as a midwife. She said the disease quickly took a toll on her life.
“I was failing. I was going downhill so quickly,” Walker said.
That changed when she started exercising, joining the class a couple years ago.
“My coordination is better, my strength is better, my mobility. I still fall all the time but I sleep better, everything is better,” Walker said.
The free sessions are run out of RVA Performance Training by a group called LiftPD. A few different classes meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week.
“Our exercise classes are specific towards the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, so trying to counteract rigidity and balance issues, and anything that comes with the neuro disease,” said Lauran Martyn, executive director of LiftPD.
Participants exercising during class designed for people with Parkinson’s disease(Phoenix Keil)
Martyn said the training helps both mentally and physically.
“A lot of people increase their bone density, their muscle mass, and their strength over time and also maintain their independence,” Martyn said.
John Poma is another participant. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2022.
“I was never really much of a gym goer but exercise has now become the focus of my daily life and in many ways I feel like I’m healthier now than I was before,” Poma said. “I work in health care so I made a commitment really early on that I don’t want to be defined by the symptoms of Parkinson’s.”
That attitude of determination is found among everyone there lifting.
“I just want to stay independent as long as I can, I want to be able to drive, I want to be able to get out of bed, I want to be able to take care of myself,” Walker said.
Joined together in their battle against Parkinson’s, participants said it’s more than just an exercise class, it’s a community.
“It keeps me going. This is my tribe, my people,” Walker said.
LiftPD is hosting it’s fourth annual Lift Off on May 17th as a fundraising event for the program.
Screenshot(LiftPD)
Participants will try to lift the most weight they can in the Clean while raising money from donations. This fundraiser helps pay for the Parkinson’s exercise program.
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