SAVANNAH, GA - At this time of the year, health clubs and gyms get busier with people trying to make self-improvements.
The Habersham YMCA is aiming to improve its service to differently abled people in the community. WTOC took a look at a new program for Parkinson's patients, launching soon at the Y.
The new plan for the new year at the Habersham YMCA is to promote movement with movement.
"It was a perfect collaboration because we're about the community and this gives us the ability to get out in the community and reach a lot of people," said Dede Roberts, YMCA Resource Director of Healthy Living.
The Y has partnered with the Get Excited and Move Program for Parkinson's patients at the Cohen-Anderson Weightlifting Center, and will introduce a new class for people suffering from movement disorders at the end of the month. Move On - Music, Rhythm, and Movement will be yoga-based, but will incorporate dexterity activities such as walking on rope ladders.
"They have this visual of these squares they have to step through, and they will actually walk through that, shoulders back, at a faster pace because they visually see something, and possibly alone without having to hold on to somebody," Roberts said.
The concept of the program is to make movement easier for Parkinson's sufferers by having them move - and it is designed to get results.
"You see them kind of stumbling their way in, but then you see them walk their way out because they have this new sense of confidence because of working together and seeing what they truly can do with the help of the instructors that are educated in teaching them," Roberts said.
Move On will be the next move forward for the YMCA in its attention to differently abled members of the community.
"We've got Livestrong for cancer survivors, we've got pre-diabetes classes for the pre-diabetic, we've got the spinal cord program here which is amazing. What makes us different is the wellness side of what we do at the Y," said Roberts.
They'll will be doing more of it in the new year.
http://www.wtoc.com/story/34195651/good-news-new-program-helps-parkinsons-patients
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