Parkinson's Patients Benefit from Dancing
9/2009- CHAIR ZUMBA CLASS
DELRAY BEACH, FL
Friday, March 21, 2008
Pamela Tom
OAKLAND, CA (KGO) -- There is a new therapy that is promising both physical and emotional benefits for people living with Parkinson's disease. (DANCE THERAPY)
The music from West Side Story makes anybody want to move. Friday morning at the Danspace Studio in Oakland, an unlikely group of dancers moved across the floor. These "Jets and Sharks" have Parkinson's disease. The progressive neurological disorder causes tremors, rigidity, a slowing of movement, and difficulty with balance. The best way to fight it, doctors say, is to keep moving.
Folks formed PD Active, and they've found dance delivers.
"This is a transporting exercise. When I come here, I don't have Parkinson's," says patient Joel Marsh.
The class is open to caregivers and friends. Professional dancer David Leventhal helped choreograph the idea of bringing dance to Bay Area Parkinson's patients. Leventhal is a company member of the Mark Morris Dance Group in New York and teaches people with PD in Brooklyn.
"People with Parkinson's and dancers really have the same challenge and that challenge is about finding a consciousness in movement. I think that's one of the reasons why dance, in particular, is so valuable for them because it's a road map for how to move not only that, it's a fun raod map," says Leventhal.
UCSF neurologist Dr. Alec Glass says studies suggest dance versus ordinary exercise, helps PD patients regain balance and fight depression, sometimes better than medication.
"The community formed by dancing, the music, and sort of being together, and there is even a little bit of evidence that suggests at least that those patients are happier and it may help in treating depression," says Dr. Glass.
"The tendency with Parkinson's is just to go home and watch TV all day. So it helps you get out and do something," says patient Lee J. Shapiro.
PD Active is trying to secure enough funding to offer these classes on a regular basis. With more trained teachers and enough committed space, they hope to begin offering classes by this summer.
DANCE AS THERAPY FOR THOSE WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE (click the link to read about the study)
Dance as an Alternative Form of Exercise
Dance (A ZUMBA GOLD FITNESS CLASS) may address each of the key areas that have been identified as being important for an exercise program designed for individuals with PD.
First, dance (A ZUMBA GOLD FITNESS CLASS) is an activity performed to music. The music may serve as an external cue to facilitate movement, thus addressing the first recommended component which is the use of external cues.
Dance (A ZUMBA GOLD FITNESS CLASS) also involves the teaching of specific movement strategies, which is the second recommended component of a PD-specific exercise program. For example, in Argentine tango participants can be taught a very specific strategy for walking backward. They are taught to keep the trunk over the supporting foot while reaching backward with the other foot, keeping the toe of that rear foot in contact with the floor as it slides back and shifting weight backward over the rear foot only after it is firmly planted.
Dance (A ZUMBA GOLD FITNESS CLASS) also addresses the third recommended component, balance exercises. Throughout dancing, particularly with a partner, one must control balance dynamically and respond to perturbations within the environment (e.g. being bumped by another couple). In fact, people who have danced habitually over their lives are known to have better balance and less variable gait than non-dancers. Additionally, dance-based balance training has been shown to be successful in improving balance in elderly individuals.
Dance (A ZUMBA GOLD FITNESS CLASS) also could enhance strength and/or flexibility, although these may not be specific foci of the instruction during a dance class. Finally, dance can result in improved cardiovascular functioning, a testament to the fact that, if done with sufficient intensity, dance is an excellent form of aerobic exercise.
In addition to addressing each of the key components, dance (A ZUMBA GOLD FITNESS CLASS) is an enjoyable and socially engaging activity. In fact, dance (A ZUMBA GOLD FITNESS CLASS) in a social setting may enhance motivation.
For these reasons, dance (A ZUMBA GOLD FITNESS CLASS) may be an excellent form of exercise for those with PD.
The section that follows reviews the available research to date regarding the potential benefits of dance for people with PD.
Read the rest of the story by clicking here : DANCE AS THERAPY FOR THOSE WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE
Zumba Gold Fitness classes can be taught standing and/or seated and you will receive the same positive benefits.
Contact me to schedule a Zumba Gold Fitness class for your faciity. Private lessons are also available.
Email: [email protected] or Phone: 602-708-9018
Pamela Tom
OAKLAND, CA (KGO) -- There is a new therapy that is promising both physical and emotional benefits for people living with Parkinson's disease. (DANCE THERAPY)
The music from West Side Story makes anybody want to move. Friday morning at the Danspace Studio in Oakland, an unlikely group of dancers moved across the floor. These "Jets and Sharks" have Parkinson's disease. The progressive neurological disorder causes tremors, rigidity, a slowing of movement, and difficulty with balance. The best way to fight it, doctors say, is to keep moving.
Folks formed PD Active, and they've found dance delivers.
"This is a transporting exercise. When I come here, I don't have Parkinson's," says patient Joel Marsh.
The class is open to caregivers and friends. Professional dancer David Leventhal helped choreograph the idea of bringing dance to Bay Area Parkinson's patients. Leventhal is a company member of the Mark Morris Dance Group in New York and teaches people with PD in Brooklyn.
"People with Parkinson's and dancers really have the same challenge and that challenge is about finding a consciousness in movement. I think that's one of the reasons why dance, in particular, is so valuable for them because it's a road map for how to move not only that, it's a fun raod map," says Leventhal.
UCSF neurologist Dr. Alec Glass says studies suggest dance versus ordinary exercise, helps PD patients regain balance and fight depression, sometimes better than medication.
"The community formed by dancing, the music, and sort of being together, and there is even a little bit of evidence that suggests at least that those patients are happier and it may help in treating depression," says Dr. Glass.
"The tendency with Parkinson's is just to go home and watch TV all day. So it helps you get out and do something," says patient Lee J. Shapiro.
PD Active is trying to secure enough funding to offer these classes on a regular basis. With more trained teachers and enough committed space, they hope to begin offering classes by this summer.
DANCE AS THERAPY FOR THOSE WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE (click the link to read about the study)
Dance as an Alternative Form of Exercise
Dance (A ZUMBA GOLD FITNESS CLASS) may address each of the key areas that have been identified as being important for an exercise program designed for individuals with PD.
First, dance (A ZUMBA GOLD FITNESS CLASS) is an activity performed to music. The music may serve as an external cue to facilitate movement, thus addressing the first recommended component which is the use of external cues.
Dance (A ZUMBA GOLD FITNESS CLASS) also involves the teaching of specific movement strategies, which is the second recommended component of a PD-specific exercise program. For example, in Argentine tango participants can be taught a very specific strategy for walking backward. They are taught to keep the trunk over the supporting foot while reaching backward with the other foot, keeping the toe of that rear foot in contact with the floor as it slides back and shifting weight backward over the rear foot only after it is firmly planted.
Dance (A ZUMBA GOLD FITNESS CLASS) also addresses the third recommended component, balance exercises. Throughout dancing, particularly with a partner, one must control balance dynamically and respond to perturbations within the environment (e.g. being bumped by another couple). In fact, people who have danced habitually over their lives are known to have better balance and less variable gait than non-dancers. Additionally, dance-based balance training has been shown to be successful in improving balance in elderly individuals.
Dance (A ZUMBA GOLD FITNESS CLASS) also could enhance strength and/or flexibility, although these may not be specific foci of the instruction during a dance class. Finally, dance can result in improved cardiovascular functioning, a testament to the fact that, if done with sufficient intensity, dance is an excellent form of aerobic exercise.
In addition to addressing each of the key components, dance (A ZUMBA GOLD FITNESS CLASS) is an enjoyable and socially engaging activity. In fact, dance (A ZUMBA GOLD FITNESS CLASS) in a social setting may enhance motivation.
For these reasons, dance (A ZUMBA GOLD FITNESS CLASS) may be an excellent form of exercise for those with PD.
The section that follows reviews the available research to date regarding the potential benefits of dance for people with PD.
Read the rest of the story by clicking here : DANCE AS THERAPY FOR THOSE WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE
Zumba Gold Fitness classes can be taught standing and/or seated and you will receive the same positive benefits.
Contact me to schedule a Zumba Gold Fitness class for your faciity. Private lessons are also available.
Email: [email protected] or Phone: 602-708-9018