New exercise group set up for people living with Parkinson’s

A new exercise and activity group has been set up for people from Bournemouth and the surrounding areas, who are living with Parkinson’s.

BH Live and Parkinson’s UK have collaborated to put on the sessions at Littledown Centre, with classes beginning from this month, in the hope that it will allow more people with Parkinson’s to get active.

The Physical Activity Grants programme, run by Parkinson’s UK, awarded BH Live with a £1,500 funding boost to allow them to start the classes.

Philip Lindley, the Physical Activity Communications Officer for Parkinson’s UK, said: “It’s been really beneficial to team up with all our activity providers and grant recipients across the UK in recent years.

“The feedback from the Parkinson’s community is that money can be one of the biggest barriers to participation, and having local physical activity providers that are free or low cost can make a significant difference.

“We hope that BH Live will be another one of our many physical success stories.”

Recent research has shown that moderate to high intensity exercise is particularly good for people with Parkinson’s, having a positive impact on the health and helping the development of neurons in the brain.

The exercise classes will be run by specifically trained BH Live Active instructors, and the sessions have been designed to challenge many of the problem areas associated with Parkinson’s, including balance, muscle strength and coordination.

Viv Galpin, Health and Wellbeing Manager for BH Live, said: “As a condition, Parkinson’s can affect people in many different ways, but with our support and guidance, we aim to help people manage and, in some cases, reduce the impact of their symptoms.

“We also hope that the new sessions will allow more people living locally to meet others who are sharing the same experience of living with Parkinson’s and allow them to get active in a fun and engaging way.”

The first session will be free to join, with subsequent classes charged at a rate of £2.50 per person.

To find out more, or register for a class, contact: communityclasses@bhlive.org.uk