Winnipeg organization marks World Parkinson’s Day with open house

Thursday is World Parkinson’s Day, and one Winnipeg-based organization is sharing how to stand up against the disease.

To mark the day, dozens gathered at U-Turn Parkinsons for an open house, participating in Tai Chi, dance, and presentations on living well with the neurological condition.

Currently, the organization said there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease (PD), with more than 100,000 Canadians left to tackle it on their own, and an estimated 10 million people afflicted worldwide.

It said the number of people with the condition is expected to double by 2040.

Despite there being no cure, U-Turn’s founder, Tim Hague, said physical activity is medicinal in itself.

“Research is showing that Parkinson’s is extremely affected by exercise. Exercise is proving all but disease-modifying, and that means that it can slow down, if not stop, the disease in its tracks,” he said.

The organization said intense exercise can help train the brains of people with PD to use dopamine more efficiently, “and be able to do more with less.”

It added it can “boost energy, sharpen the mind, elevate spirits, and keep the body mobile.”

Hague said U-Turn offers programming to help people with Parkinson’s live their best life, including boxing-like workouts, high-intensity interval training, power stretch and cycling sessions, music therapy, and more.

“If you can’t make it out here physically, tune into us online. Our classes are online, (and) pre-recorded.”

The classes can be found online at uturnparkinsons.org.

“You will feel better if you exercise — and it’s not about looking better, it’s not about losing weight, it’s not about those things that are often tied to exercise,” Hague said.

“Exercise and Parkinson’s is about slowing Parkinson’s down, that’s all.”

5:26 Parkinson Awareness Month

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