The next presentation in the Fort Hill Wellness Series will take place on Wednesday, May 26 at 7PM live via Zoom, focusing on Parkinson’s disease, its progression and ways to relieve symptoms or even slow the disease progression.
The speaker is Mitra Afshari, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of Neurology at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago. In addition to seeing patients, she researches Parkinson’s disease and interventional therapies for movement disorders.
“We are excited to welcome Dr. Afshari to the Wellness Series to share her medical expertise about Parkinson’s disease,” said Kristina McGrath, fitness manager at Fort Hill Fitness. “Approximately 60,000 Americans are newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s every year, and we are seeing a growing interest in the fitness classes that we offer for those living with Parkinson’s.”
The webinar is free for Fort Hill Fitness members and $5 for others. Each attendee must register through the Naperville Park District. Fitness members must register in person at Fort Hill Activity Center, located at 20 Fort Hill Drive, or call (630) 995-8900. Nonmembers may register online at www.napervilleparks.org by clicking the “online registration” tab and searching for “wellness.”
In 2020, Naperville Park District introduced “BIG Moves,” a virtual fitness class for individuals with Parkinson’s disease, and recently added in-person TRX classes for Parkinson’s participants. According to fitness instructor Maura Connor, regular exercise has been shown to reduce symptoms and delay the continuation of the disease. Participants have confirmed this in their own experience as explained in a 2020 ParkTalk podcast episode, “BIG Moves.”
