Every Friday afternoon at the Briargate Y, fifteen to twenty people gather in the group exercise room. But this is no ordinary exercise class. 

“Let’s get our left toes tapping and our right heels moving in and out,” Mia the instructor shouts; if that wasn’t complicated enough, attendees then started moving their arms in and out and counting to 72 by six. 

This is PEP, the Parkinson’s Exercise Program, which is designed to optimize brain recovery and repair for those with Parkinson’s. That’s where the counting and multiple movements come in. “Think of it like I-25 is shut down and you have to find a new way to get to Denver; you have to learn how to use 83 or other alternate routes. This type of exercise has proven to be extremely effective in combating the impacts of Parkinson’s by building new neural pathways.”

This class is making a difference. Participants are regaining strength and mobility which has helped some begin to walk again after using a walker or wheelchair. “Parkinson’s is one of those diseases where the best you can do is hold your own,” says Mike, who has been participating in PEP for almost 2 years, “and the exercise lets me do that.”

But PEP is about more than just exercise. According to Susan, who has been attending class regularly for almost four years, the friendships are what makes this program special. “Laughter is the best medicine and we laugh all the time in this class. We get together to just talk – about symptoms and life.”