Let’s Keep Moving with APDA: Pep in Your Step – Getting the Most out of Your Walking
Walking is an important part of staying active with Parkinson’s. Join physical therapists Sara Zoeller and Teresa Baker to explore how you can safely add more speed and intensity to your routine, and why adding speed and intensity to your walking is important for people with PD. Our presenters will explore strategies for making your walking brisker.
In this episode, you will learn:
- Why walking speed and intensity matter for people with Parkinson’s
- Different ways to measure walking intensity, including heart rate, steps per minute, and total steps
- What cueing strategies are, and how they can support your walking
Presenter
Dr. Sara Zoeller
Dr. Zoeller is a physical therapist at Boston University’s Center for Neurorehabilitation where she provides clinical care to people with neurologic conditions with a focus in Parkinson disease. In her role at Boston University, she also participates in research, teaching, and mentoring within the neurologic physical therapy residency program. Before working at the Center for Neurorehabilitation, she worked for 10 years at Spaulding Rehabilitation outpatient center in Medford, where she treated patients with varied neurologic conditions and enjoyed leading exercise and adaptive sports groups. She earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Boston University in 2012, completed the Boston University Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency from 2012 to 2013, and became a board-certified neurologic clinical specialist in 2014 (recertified in 2024). Sara is currently the secretary and education coordinator of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Degenerative Diseases Special Interest Group.
Dr. Teresa Baker
Dr. Baker is a physical therapist at the Center for Neurorehabilitation where she provides clinical care and participates in research and educational activities with persons with Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders. She was previously an Advanced Physical Therapist at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital’s Outpatient Center in Medford, MA, an outpatient center within the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital network. She has worked in the Spaulding system as a Physical Therapist since 2007, providing clinical care to outpatients treating a variety of diagnoses. She specializes in neurology with a special interest in vestibular rehab. Teresa has completed the American Physical Therapy Association Vestibular Rehabilitation competency course. Teresa is a lab instructor at MGH Institute of Health Professions for courses Clinical Management of Neuromuscular Disorders I and II. Teresa received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from MGH Institute of Health Professions in 2007. She is also a board certified specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy and a member of the American Physical Therapy Association. Teresa enjoys traveling and yoga.