SARASOTA – Parkinson’s Disease can be devastating. But now, getting your feet wet might help with symptoms.
Two Suncoast organizations team up to develop a new program. It combines cycling with a twist.
The bike is called a Hydro-rider. Parkinson Place members are riding the bikes in Sarasota’s Save Our Y indoor pool. As there are when riding on the open road, there are definite benefits:
“It helps people that have Dyskinesia or shakiness, whether it’s symptoms of Parkinson’s or the medication,” said Parkinson Place CEO, Alix Redmonde. It helps them be able to move, as if they were on land, as if they didn’t have many of those symptoms, so it’s unbelievable. They can do things that they may not be able to do on the land.”
The routine helps with balance.
“So, anybody with a neurological disorder struggling with balance issues,” said Save Our Y Interim President, Jim Purdy. “You have the buoyancy to help them with that and kind of overcome some fears of falling things like that.”
Andrea Slesinger, a Parkinson Place member, took part in the first class. Since diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, she has not been able to dance or exercise. She says biking is hard, but spinning in the water is fun.
“It was the first time I’ve had some real exercise in a long time, like really like working the muscles,” said Andrea Slesinger.
Not only is this a physical workout, it also gives those with the disease an escape from thinking about the struggle of moving.
“Very often if you do something that exercises the mind in a different way as with any kind of workout, but particularly for Parkinson’s disease, it opens up another opportunity to move well,” said Redmonde.
Slesinger says while this disease is devastating, it’s not the end of the world.
“If you do the things that I do, its not devastating,” said Slesinger. “Because you know I can get better. I’m amazed at how so much better I am than when I first got notified that I had Parkinson’s.”
“When we can help someone, when we can actually be a tool in making someone’s life better, you can’t buy that,” said Purdy.
The hope is to make a big spash and make this available to everyone with Parkinson disease. Reporting in Sarasota,
They plan to host more hydro classes in the future.
For more information, you can call Save Our Y or Parkinson Place.
