RICHMOND, Va. — A Richmond-based nonprofit is helping people with Parkinson's disease fight back against their symptoms through specialized exercise programs that are making a significant difference in their quality of life.
LiftPD offers free workouts tailored specifically for people with Parkinson's, focusing on movements that help reduce rigidity, stiffness, and other symptoms that come with the progressive neurological condition.
"Exercise helps reduce the Parkinson symptoms. So things like rigidity, stiffness, slowness of movement. It helps with their resting tremor and brain fog. Exercise gives them a boost of dopamine and helps them with their symptoms in everyday life," said Lauran Martyn, Executive Director at LiftPD.
According to the Parkinson's Foundation, exercise is one of the most effective non-pharmaceutical tools in managing the disease, which affects 1 million Americans—a number that continues to rise.
Tom Oxenham, a 74-year-old retired trial lawyer and former rugby player, has been living with Parkinson's for 20 years.
"I come here for a simple reason… I'm trying to put off the ravages of Parkinson's disease as long as I can," Oxenham said.
The daily challenges of Parkinson's can be unpredictable and difficult to manage.
"I'll be standing around in the kitchen and I'm just turning to get something off one of the other counters and get spinning like a top and go down and catch a floor," Oxenham said.
For 70-year-old Pearl Ball, another LiftPD participant, the symptoms vary day by day.
"Every day Parkinson's is a different story," Ball said.
"Hard day looks like when I stand up, I get woozy. My gait is like erratic, and I can hardly walk. And it's like stuttering. My husband has to hold me up to walk from here to the bathroom," she said.
Martyn, who leads the program, has developed a deep connection to helping those with the condition.
"This disease has just kind of stolen a piece of my heart as an exercise professional," Martyn said.
For many participants, the emotional impact of Parkinson's can be as challenging as the physical symptoms. Oxenham recalls his initial diagnosis.
"When I found out that it's an incurable disease, I was really kind of devastating. But then I decided I would do what I hope I would always do in any type of crisis. I'd fight back as hard as I could," he said.
The program provides more than just physical benefits—it creates a supportive community where participants don't have to hide their symptoms or feel self-conscious.
"Coming here is so refreshing. It really is. Everybody's encouraging. You can't imagine that's the medicine, really, more than exercise. Is that encouragement that they give you, and the laughter and the young people being so kind, the only thing I disagree with is some of the music they play," Ball said with a laugh.
For Ball, LiftPD offers a rare space of acceptance.
"This is the one place I come to and I don't have to hide anything. I will be self conscious about anything. Actually, I could feel good about myself when I'm doing this," she said.
Oxenham finds that the program improves his overall well-being and family relationships.
"When I go home, I feel better about myself. That makes me feel better about my home life and my wife and taking care of me when I've been a little bit on the wobbly side, and I try to do whatever I can to not be a burden to her or the rest of my family," Oxenham said.
He draws inspiration from a quote by tennis legend Arthur Ashe that's printed on his t-shirt: "Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can do."
"That's a great philosophy that Arthur had to pass on the rest of us. That's what I try to live up to," Oxenham said.
LiftPD currently serves over 40 athletes each week. On average, participants show a 12% improvement in mobility and flexibility after just eight weeks.
LiftPD is hosting its "LiftPD LiftOff" fundraiser on Sunday from 12:30 to 5 p.m. at Virago Spirits in Richmond. They're aiming to raise $40,000 to fund free classes and reduce the program's wait list.
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