Welcome to Become a Parkinson’s Pro. This page brings together everything you need for the course in one place: your pre-course preparation, the running order for the live day, and the resources to support your learning. Have a read through before we meet online.
About this course
Become a Parkinson’s Pro gives exercise professionals, physiotherapists, and clinical physiologists the knowledge to confidently exercise a person with Parkinson’s. By the end of the course you’ll have:
- An understanding of the pathology of Parkinson’s and how it affects people living with the condition
- An understanding of the role of exercise in the optimal management of Parkinson’s symptoms
- The ability to effectively prescribe exercise for people with Parkinson’s
- The tools to help people with Parkinson’s form effective exercise habits
Your tutors
- Maria Lewis, BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy. HCPC member. CSP member. Specialist Parkinson’s Physiotherapist. Director of Reach Your Peak Online Ltd. Director of Adaptive Fitness Training Ltd. Chair of the CSP Welsh Board of Physiotherapy.
- Rachel Rutley, BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy, MSc Advanced Physiotherapy, PGCE. Parkinson’s Specialist Physiotherapist.
Who this course is for
To get the most from the course you’ll need:
- A completed course that meets the LTC professional standard or equivalent
- An Exercise Referral Level 3 qualification
- More than 1 to 2 years’ experience working with Parkinson’s clients
Professional standard: Working with people with long term conditions.
How the course runs
- 2 hours of pre-course content (self study)
- 6 hours of live, tutor-led content
- 2 hours of post-course content, including submission of a case study for review
You’ll be asked to rate your knowledge of Parkinson’s at the start and end of each live module, so you can see how far you’ve come across the day.
Before the course: your pre-course preparation
Please work through these before the live day. They’ll give you a solid foundation so we can spend the live sessions going deeper.
- Read: Osborne, J.A., Botkin, R., Colon-Semenza, C., et al. (2022). Physical therapist management of Parkinson disease: a clinical practice guideline from the American Physical Therapy Association. This guideline recommends moderate to high-intensity aerobic exercise to improve VO2, reduce motor disease severity, and improve functional outcomes in people with Parkinson’s.
- Watch: Neuroplasticity in Parkinson’s, an Adaptive Fitness Training webinar. Watch on YouTube
- Listen: Shaking It Up with Parkinson’s podcast, on the lived experience of Parkinson’s. Listen to the episode
The live day at a glance
| Time | Session | What we’ll cover |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 – 10:20 | Welcome and introductions | Getting set up on the platform, an overview of the course, and ice breaker introductions. |
| 10:20 – 11:20 | Module 1: Knowledge is Power | What to expect when you meet someone with Parkinson’s, basic neurophysiology and pathology, Parkinson’s symptoms, the diversity of people with Parkinson’s, and the effects of exercise on the brain. Q&A at the end. |
| 11:20 – 11:30 | Break | |
| 11:30 – 12:20 | Module 2: Exercise is Medicine | Exercise is medicine, general physical activity guidelines, exercise recommendations for Parkinson’s, exercise elements, energetic demand, and measuring intensity. Q&A at the end. |
| 12:20 – 12:30 | Break | |
| 12:30 – 13:15 | Practical discussion and feedback | Case study discussion on making exercise, sport, and classes Parkinson’s friendly, plus practical considerations. Small breakout rooms, then feedback to the group. |
| 13:15 – 13:45 | Lunch | Virtual lunch room available. |
| 13:45 – 14:30 | Module 3: Exercise for Life | How Parkinson’s affects motivation, tools to improve motivation, goal setting and a person-centred approach, the role of dopamine in habit forming, and practical considerations when working with people with Parkinson’s. |
| 14:30 – 14:40 | Break | |
| 14:40 – 15:25 | Practical discussion and feedback | Applying your knowledge to real-life scenarios through case study discussions, with time to feed back and discuss. |
| 15:25 – 16:00 | Close of course round-up | A learning check across the key topics, next steps and actions, a Q&A, and access to the course feedback form. |
Course resources
Everything you’ll want to hand, in one place. Slides for each module will be shared during the course.
- The Parkinson’s Exercise Framework (ACSM)
- Neuroplasticity in Parkinson’s webinar (Adaptive Fitness Training)
- Shaking It Up with Parkinson’s podcast
- Adaptive Fitness Training
Also referenced during the course: Parkinson Specific Exercise, A practical guide for people living with Parkinson’s, written by Rachel Rutley and Maria Lewis.
After the course
To complete the course you’ll spend around 2 hours on the following:
- Reflect on your learning using the What? So what? What now? framework
- Complete a knowledge evaluation
- Prepare and submit a case study for review