PARKINSON’S UK is launching a series of online exercise classes and is calling for those affected by the condition to get themselves and other household members involved.

The idea behind the new course is to help people continue to manage their Parkinson’s symptoms through gentle exercise at the time when more people than ever need support and maybe feeling isolated.

Exercise can be as important as medication to help people with Parkinson’s manage their symptoms, but because of the coronavirus pandemic, nearly 2,000 Parkinson’s UK exercise programmes across the UK that would have taken place in the next three months have been stopped.

Developed by the UK Parkinson’s Excellence Network and specialist Parkinson’s physiotherapists, the new virtual classes include a mix of cardio, balance and chair-based strength and flexibility training.

The classes will be shared via Facebook Live on the Parkinson’s UK Facebook page, with the first-class having taken place this week.

The charity will also be uploading all the classes on their YouTube channel over the coming weeks so people can watch on-demand at a time that’s right for them. Classes will be accessible to people all over the world.

Katherine Crawford, Director of Services at Parkinson’s UK, said:

“We are delighted to be launching our online exercise classes so we can continue helping the Parkinson’s community to stay active at this difficult time.

“More people need us now than ever before, and we are here to help – whether that’s with our tailored exercise classes or the other critical support we provide. We are adapting by boosting our helpline capacity, building the online Parkinson’s community and making sure people who normally receive face-to-face support continue to do so in new ways, such as these exercise classes.”

Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological condition for which there is currently no cure. The condition develops when nerve cells that are responsible for producing a chemical known as dopamine die. Around 145,000 people in the UK are living with Parkinson’s.

This month, Parkinson’s UK launched an emergency appeal to deliver critical support and must raise £95,000 every week to support people with Parkinson’s over the next three months.

To support the Parkinson’s UK emergency appeal, visit: www.parkinsons.org.uk/donate