Workout: Move It! Improve It! at Louisville Recreation Center

January 17, 2018 - By Katie Nelson

Physical and mental exercise designed for people with Parkinson's

Sandy Berman, of Lafayette, laughs during a Move it! Improve it! workout at Louisville Recreation and Senior Center in Louisville, Colorado on Jan. 10, 2018. Instructor: Nancy Hillmer is an occupational therapist with decades of experience working with people with Parkinson's disease.

(Louisville Recreation Center, 900 West Via Appia Way, Louisville, 303-666- 7400; louisvilleco.gov/government/departments/recreation)

Instructor: Nancy Hillmer is an occupational therapist with decades of experience working with people with Parkinson's disease. Her co-teacher, Anastasia Benson, is a fitness instructor and personal trainer.

What is the workout? An exercise class aimed at fighting the effects of Parkinson's disease.

With the help of props like chairs, mats, balls and plastics bags, the exercises encouraged students to maintain good posture, extend their reach further and relearn basic automatic movements.

It's not just physical. Hillmer had students interacting and using their voices during the exercises. As the class progressed she added in brain teasers and multitasking drills, such as doing the movements while reading the colors on the board or switching directions and performing the exercises backwards.

Near the end of class we used the mats and chairs to do some floor exercises, planting our feet and stepping back to get to our knees then standing back up again.

What's different? In a general sense, the major differentiator is that the class is designed for people with Parkinson's disease. Given that focus, Hillmer's extensive experience sets this class apart. She changes the class every time and includes multitasking exercises to maintain a cognitive component.

We try to incorporate thinking, voice, vision and fine motor. So it's trying to have people do multiple things at once," said Hillmer. The intent is to teach good habits in order to make up for the loss of automatic functions that facilitate basic, every day movements, like standing up and taking those first steps or changing direction while walking.

The movements in the class are simple, but you can immediately discern why they are important. If your feet aren't moving ahead of the momentum of your body then you are likely to fall. Drilling those steps, focusing on planting the feet before shifting the weight, is essential for safe movement.

"This is the most important thing they can do for themselves and so I want to make it fun and novel and interesting and challenging," said Hillmer. "Music really does help people move better than normal."

When the music came on I could see for myself that almost everybody started tapping their feet and swinging their hips. The class was interactive, social and fun.

Cost: Monthly membership for residents of the City of Louisville is $35 for adults and $19 for seniors. The daily rate for adults is $6 and for seniors $4.

Level: Anyone can take this class, however it is geared to the needs of people with Parkinson's disease. Although, I can see how this class could benefit any person dealing with mobility and cognitive difficulties.

When: Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:30-2:45 p.m.

What to prepare: Wear comfortable clothes. There is no need for workout gear, just clothes that are easy to move in and stable shoes. Be sure to bring some water.

Muscles worked: The whole body is used during class. I was twisting, stepping, kneeling, circling my arms, reaching, bending over, throwing and catching. My brain also got a workout that it wasn't fully prepared for.

What I loved: I was impressed by the level of complexity and thought that went into the class. I could immediately see how Hillmer's background as an occupational therapist informed the movements and made it more than just a workout class. Everyone was super nice, from the staff up front to the instructors and students.

This class is available at other recreation centers, including Erie and Broomfield as well as Boulder Community Health.

What I didn't like: Offering more than two class times might be beneficial.

How I felt after the class: While this wasn't a challenging class for me, it was great for my neck, which is still recovering from a minor injury. I was also really happy to see a sometimes underserved population get the assistance and social interaction they need to lead a more fulfilling and active life.

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