Background Information
Dr. Nina Mosier is a retired Internist with a special interest in geriatric medicine. She received her B.A. at Northwestern University and her medical degree at Hahnemann University in Philadelphia. She practiced in both Chicago and Austin for 10 years.
After taking time off to raise her children in Austin, she found her passion was to help improve the lives of people with Parkinson’s disease. Meshing her medical background with her personal experience with her father, who has struggled with the disease, she collaborated with her friend Susan Stahl to bring a free fitness program to Austin’s Parkinson’s community. Having several years of fundraising experience as a major organizer for the Annual Cars for Dystonia & Parkinson’s, she felt confident she could help raise enough funds to get the project off the ground.
Nina has been an avid runner and fitness enthusiast for many years. In addition to working on Power for Parkinson’s, she enjoys family time, travel, reading, social networking, and Mah Jongg. She is married to David Mosier, also a physician, and they have two adult children.
Five Questions
How did Power for Parkinson’s (PfP) come about?
Power for Parkinson’s is a true labor of love and friendship. In 2012, after much encouragement, my father went through a complete six-week course of LSVT Big therapy. He made a noticeable improvement in his strength and balance, but when I inquired about his follow up he said he was supposed to continue with eight exercises at home which he wasn’t inclined to do. While I was living in Austin and he in Philadelphia, I started meeting with him virtually twice a week to do the exercises together. It was remarkable how he progressed and how his mood improved. However, working via Skype proved tricky to keep up and I started a deep search into other resources for him. In a large city like Philadelphia, there were only three classes in the greater Philadelphia area, all too far for routine participation. Upon further research, I discovered several studies confirming how important exercise is for someone with Parkinson’s but that there was a paucity of services throughout the U.S.
This recognition couldn’t have occurred at a better time in my life as I had been doing some soul searching to pursue a new career path as my last child was about to go to college. It felt like the perfect way to mesh my medical background as an internist with a geriatric focus with my personal experience with Parkinson’s. The timing coincided with a long term friend who was also at a similar transition point, Susan Stahl, whose father also had PD, to collaborate and develop Power for Parkinson’s, a free fitness program initially for the Austin Parkinson’s community and now offered around the world.
Tell us more about PfP. What do you do, and why? Please include information on the library of videos as well as live-streaming classes.
We are a non-profit based in Austin, Texas offering free exercise, dance, and singing classes to anyone with Parkinson’s Disease and their caregiver. Our program is evidence-based and internationally recognized. Using the most current research available, we offer a unique approach to addressing Parkinson’s disease. Our classes specifically address symptoms of Parkinson’s to help delay the disease progression and regain motor activity affected by the disease. What makes us different and stand out, aside from the fact that all our classes are free; is that our classes are inclusive and open to anyone, regardless of the progression of the disease, fitness level, or mobility. All classes are taught by certified exercise instructors well versed in the symptoms of PD. We include cognitive elements in all classes to address brain function, focus, and memory. We also offer social opportunities to build bonds within our community to help fend off depression and isolation.
With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have transitioned to offer robust virtual programming through our daily live-streamed classes. Additionally, we offer an intensive circuit training class for the YOPD (young-onset) population and a Zoom dance class. This has allowed us the opportunity to reach an even larger global audience with over 70,000 views monthly. Associated with each class is a chat feature allowing us to connect with participants and continue to ease some of the isolation. Classes remain available for streaming for one week and there is an extensive library of pre-recorded videos that are accessible 24/7.
You can learn more about us and see samples of our classes on our YouTube channel.
What are the more significant challenges for those who have Parkinson’s, and how does regular exercise help with meeting these challenges?
As your audience is well aware, the challenges people with PD can face are multi-faceted. Balance, slowness of movement, and cognitive processing, rigidity, a softening voice, depression, and isolation are the primary issues we address. For someone with PD, many of these symptoms can decrease or in some cases even be reversed through exercise. All instructors teach with a focus on symptoms and each class format addresses them from a different angle. For example, our Move & Shout® class works on movement, vocal power, and cognition. By progressively adding on exercises in a sequence, participants have a chance to master each new routine. Many of our participants exercise with us 2-7 times a week and notice significant changes. They feel stronger, can manage more activities of daily living with confidence, have improved balance, and notice significant improvements in their mood and overall well-being. We have had many people who once relied on assistive devices to walk now leave class without their canes or walkers. They feel that much better! Most feel exercise is essential in managing their PD and is as important as taking their medication, and they rarely miss a class.
What has surprised you most about working with those who have Parkinson’s?
When we started Power for Parkinson’s we were told by numerous people in the field that our model wouldn’t work because people won’t come if you offer classes for free. These claims have been completely disproven. People come to free in-person classes and now virtual classes, making PfP an essential part of their daily routine, even scheduling doctor appointments and other engagements so they can be present for class.
When we held in-person classes (which I can’t believe I’m saying that after doing so for over seven years) the most surprising and exciting experience was to see a room with 50-60 people with Parkinson’s following very complex sequences in unison. I can say with certainty that everyone can participate and be successful. Not everyone may reach completely over their head or touch their toes, but they can do it their way and it works! From the most compromised to the highest functioning person with PD, each has found they can benefit from our classes.
What wisdom would you offer someone who asks how best to live with this disease?
Be sure to find some sort of physical activity you enjoy and do it every day, stay connected with people, and never give up hope!
What class formats do you offer?
We aim to offer a wide variety of classes in hopes everyone can find at least a couple of formats that appeal to them. Each one is Parkinson’s symptom directed but is presented in varying ways depending on the instructor’s expertise. Our classes are all taught with the use of a chair and instructors offer modifications for standing sections so everyone can participate. Classes include Strength & Balance, Move & Shout®, Brain & Body, Rhythm & Moves, Parkinson’s Vocal Exercise, and Reset and Relax. We do not ability-group our classes. The one exception is our high-intensity Young Onset Circuit Training class that requires the ability to get up and down from the floor easily and stand for one hour.
How can people connect with Power for Parkinson’s?
We have numerous ways to get in touch. We aim to create a warm and inclusive community where everyone is welcomed. Although this has been present locally, we weren’t sure how it would translate virtually. Remarkably, this has been conveyed as many people feel they have joined a family!
To connect, our website is a great place to start www.powerforparkinsons.org. You can sign up for our email list to receive our calendar, links to live classes, and weekly updates. In addition to all the classes we offer, we now have a new interview series and always offer the opportunity to chat with others during all live sessions to help you feel connected with people around the globe.
Our YouTube channel is always accessible: www.youtube.com/powerforparkinsons and you can find us on Instagram or Facebook. We also have a new staff member dedicated to helping to achieve digital equity and assist newcomers with learning how to get on YouTube and Zoom, whether over the phone or by email.
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Thank you, Dr. Mosier, for speaking with PD Wise.