Motivating through Movement for Parkinson's: The Challenges of Exercise

Presented by Heather Cianci

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Video Runtime: 70 Minutes; Learning Assessment Runtime: 38 Minutes

Have you ever had difficulty getting your patient with Parkinson’s disease to stay active and continue with their home exercise program? You are not alone! This course is designed to help you develop creative and practical treatment options to keep your patient motivated. Research on exercise, self-efficacy, and creativity will be presented as well as demonstrations of actual exercise programs and techniques that you can use.

Meet your instructor

Heather Cianci

Heather Cianci, PT, MS, GCS, is the outpatient neurological team leader and founding therapist of the Dan Aaron Parkinson’s Rehabilitation Center (Penn Therapy & Fitness) at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, PA—part of the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Heather received her bachelor’s in physical therapy from…

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Chapters & learning objectives

The Challenge of Staying Active and Motivated

1. The Challenge of Staying Active and Motivated

This chapter will discuss how the challenges of movement/cognitive dysfunction in Parkinson’s impacts quality of life, physical activity levels, and motivation to exercise. It will also discuss barriers to exercise and how to increase motivation and exercise adherence.

Exercise Options for One-on-One Treatment Sessions

2. Exercise Options for One-on-One Treatment Sessions

This chapter will discuss how to use creative, evidence-based treatment options in the clinic. We will discuss the research that supports using dance, music, and virtual reality treatment options. Additionally, we will describe the research that supports using Rock Steady Boxing and LSVT® BIG and design a functional fitness program for patients in mid to later stages of PD.

Discussion on Motivating Through Movement

3. Discussion on Motivating Through Movement

The course will conclude with a discussion on motivating through movement, including a recap of the techniques covered by the lecture material and questions and answers by a clinician.