APDA Develops “Gold Standard” PD Training for Fitness Professionals

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We all know exercise is important and has health benefits for people of all ages and abilities. But in the past several years, the importance of exercise and physical activity for people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) has exploded. Exercise produces many multi-system benefits including increased physical functioning (motor performance, strength, endurance), improved gait and balance, cardiovascular fitness, and overall better quality of life. As such, great strides are being made to make exercise a part of the standard treatment of PD.

To further this effort, in 2017, APDA convened a panel of PD and exercise experts that included neurologists, movement disorder specialists, and physical therapists, under the leadership of Terry Ellis, PT, PhD, NCS, Boston University and Lee Dibble, PT, PhD, ATC, University of Utah, to develop a gold standard of exercise recommendations for people with PD, and is proud to announce the launch of the online APDA Parkinson’s Disease Training for Fitness Professionals. This one-of-a-kind program will train fitness professionals of all types so they may safely and effectively work with people with PD to develop exercise regimens that will support treatment of their symptoms and substantially improve their quality of life.

It is important for the fitness community to take into account a unique set of considerations to ensure that people with PD get the exercise they need in a manner that is specifically tailored to their particular symptoms and situations. With the growing number of community exercise classes specifically designed for the PD community, this online program is desperately needed to make sure that participants are safe and supported. The program will also teach fitness professionals about the signs and symptoms of PD and the important ways in which exercise can improve those symptoms, as well as how to describe common PD symptoms and clearly explain the benefits of exercise to those with PD.

APDA has once again partnered with the Office of Continuing Professional Education (OCPE) at Rutgers University in New Jersey to create this user-friendly program (APDA and Rutgers OCPE previously partnered on an online course for First Responders). The APDA Parkinson’s Disease Training for Fitness Professionals is a 1-2 hour course with instructional videos and is now available on the APDA website. All of those who complete the training course will receive a certificate of completion. Visit www.apdaparkinson.org/pd-fitness-training

We are proud to have assembled such a prestigious panel of experts to develop this important program and we’re thankful for their contributions:

Terry Ellis, PT, PhD, NCS: Co-Chair
Boston University

Lee Dibble, PT, PhD, ATC: Co-Chair
The University of Utah

Cristina Colon-Semenza, PT, MPT, NCS
University of Connecticut

Tami DeAngelis, PT, DPT, GCS
Boston University

Heather Cianci, PT, MS, GCS
Dan Aaron Parkinson’s Rehab Center

Gammon Earhart, PT, PhD
Washington University St. Louis

Chris Hass, MS, PhD
University of Florida

Jeff Hoder, PT, DPT, NCS
Duke University

Laurie A. King, PhD, PT
Oregon Health & Science University

Merrill Landers, PT, PhD
University of Nevada

Marie Saint-Hilaire, MD, FRCPC
Boston University Medical Center

Margaret Schenkman, PT, PhD, FAPTA
University of Colorado

Lisa Shulman, MD
University of Maryland

Cathi Thomas, MS, RN, CNRN
Boston University Medical Center