Kirk Gibson Center: Parkinson's Wellness

In this episode of the Keiser Human Performance Podcast, Angie, Emily, and Jill from the Kirk Gibson Center for Parkinson’s Wellness share how exercise — especially strength training — is transforming the way Parkinson’s disease is managed.

They discuss the evolution from traditional compensatory care to a more proactive, evidence-based approach that emphasizes restoring function, improving mobility, and enhancing quality of life. The team breaks down key challenges like bradykinesia, loss of power, and declining independence — and how targeted, progressive training can directly address these symptoms.

Beyond training, the conversation highlights the importance of community, education, and support systems in helping individuals and care partners navigate Parkinson’s with confidence and hope. Through innovative programming and a holistic approach, the Kirk Gibson Center is redefining what’s possible for people living with Parkinson’s—shifting the focus from limitation to longevity, performance, and quality of life.

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.200
I have Angie, Jill, and Emily from the Kurt Gibson  Foundation, the Kurt Gibson Center. How are we

00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:11.200
doing today, everyone? Good. Thanks for having  us. I was curious if any of you watched, you know,

00:00:11.200 --> 00:00:18.480
game seven of the World Series this past weekend.  I watched part of it. Yes. Yes. I was kind of too

00:00:18.480 --> 00:00:24.560
late for me to stay up. I know that's kind of sad  to say. I had to go to bed. Well, Eastern time.

00:00:24.560 --> 00:00:30.560
The reason I ask is because obviously amongst  all the amazing moments in Dodgers history,

00:00:30.560 --> 00:00:35.600
Kurt Gibson has one of the most uh memorable  moments. So I thought it was fitting that we

00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:41.200
had this conversation a few days after that. So  really excited to talk to you today. Obviously

00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:46.080
you guys are doing some great work there in  Farmington Hills, Michigan. And to start off,

00:00:46.080 --> 00:00:49.840
I would love if you could paint a picture  of maybe the historical landscape when it

00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:54.720
comes to resistance training and Parkinson's. How  have things really evolved over the years? And if

00:00:54.720 --> 00:00:59.920
you were to step back and evaluate where we're at  right now with respect to understanding the impact

00:00:59.920 --> 00:01:06.240
and the benefits of resistance training, where  are we at with this population? Great. Well, I I

00:01:06.240 --> 00:01:11.680
guess I'll go ahead and start and then I'll have  Emily and Jill um kind of share their thoughts

00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:19.040
as well. Um so um I'm a physical therapist. I've  been practicing for 28 years and I know Jill has

00:01:19.040 --> 00:01:23.520
been practicing a little bit longer than me. uh  we both graduated from the same university here in

00:01:23.520 --> 00:01:31.760
Michigan. Um so just a little perspective of when  I was in PT school 28 years ago when we learned

00:01:31.760 --> 00:01:37.120
about Parkinson's disease it was really learning  about compensation. How can we help someone with

00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:42.960
Parkinson's give them a walker give them a cane  there wasn't this idea of restorative therapy that

00:01:42.960 --> 00:01:48.640
you could actually help someone get better and  stay better for a long period of time. So I think

00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:55.840
over the years in terms of research we've come a  long way thinking of where we were 28 years ago

00:01:55.840 --> 00:02:01.040
um to where we are today especially in the last  10 years so much research is available now uh

00:02:01.040 --> 00:02:08.320
demonstrating the benefits of exercise um aerobic  exercise and strength training um we know that

00:02:08.320 --> 00:02:13.520
strength training based on research helps so many  people with Parkinson's in terms of their balance

00:02:13.520 --> 00:02:18.880
their mobility their overall quality of life  and the research has really pointed to that um

00:02:18.880 --> 00:02:24.640
over the years in terms of the great benefits of  strength training as as part of the whole package

00:02:24.640 --> 00:02:34.160
of exercise. So naturally as part of our program  here, we offer uh strength training classes.

00:02:34.160 --> 00:02:39.440
Great. So, I mean, it's nice because you mentioned  when you started professionally and you've been

00:02:39.440 --> 00:02:44.880
able to see this progress over the years to what  it is now and now really being at the forefront,

00:02:44.880 --> 00:02:48.720
you know, of this and taking all the research  and putting it into everyday practice,

00:02:48.720 --> 00:02:53.920
which is awesome. My question to the group would  be, what are some of the main physical challenges

00:02:53.920 --> 00:02:58.000
of individuals with Parkinson's or Parkinson's  related diagnosis? You know, what are some of

00:02:58.000 --> 00:03:02.640
the main challenges they face and how do these  challenges progress over time? Maybe we have

00:03:02.640 --> 00:03:09.840
someone listening that isn't as familiar with  Parkinson's disease. If I can hop in there. Um,

00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:14.480
I'm Emily and I'm also a physical therapist and  I've been practicing for around 10 years. I'm

00:03:14.480 --> 00:03:19.440
the director of innovation here at the Kirk Gibson  Center. So, brady kinesisia is one of the primary

00:03:19.440 --> 00:03:25.040
symptoms we see in people with Parkinson's.  So, that's a speed amplitude dysregulation. So

00:03:25.040 --> 00:03:32.400
essentially people with Parkinson's are not able  to generate the right amount of force and kind of

00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:37.520
bigness of movement to do everyday functional  things like getting in and out of the car,

00:03:37.520 --> 00:03:43.040
getting out of chairs, getting out of bed. So  brady kinesisia is one of those primary symptoms

00:03:43.040 --> 00:03:48.720
that we see. Um and that really impacts people's  independence, makes them require more help from

00:03:48.720 --> 00:03:54.080
their care partners to do things. And so what's  great about strength training is we're helping

00:03:54.080 --> 00:04:00.080
people to get stronger and be able to target  some of that brady kinesisia. So we want to

00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:05.040
make sure not only are we strengthening but also  thinking about functional strengthening as well so

00:04:05.040 --> 00:04:09.600
that people are able to do those everyday tasks  like getting in and out of bed better and even

00:04:09.600 --> 00:04:15.360
like getting up off the floor for example, those  everyday functional things. So the the strength

00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:19.120
training is absolutely going to help with with  those things. And what I really like about the

00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:26.400
Keiser equipment is they're giving the technology  of it allows the person to get that real time

00:04:26.400 --> 00:04:31.360
feedback on their amplitude. So making sure  they're actually moving through that full range of

00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:35.760
motion when they're doing the strengthening. So I  think that's going to make it even more Parkinson

00:04:35.760 --> 00:04:42.400
specific with the type of strength training we're  doing here. Yeah. You mentioned it being more

00:04:42.400 --> 00:04:48.320
challenging for activities of daily living and  maybe observing a decrease in force. How about

00:04:48.320 --> 00:04:55.760
things like power, right? Is that do we also see a  decrease in power with time? Yes, absolutely. So,

00:04:55.760 --> 00:05:00.880
not being able to generate enough force to be  able to get up out of chairs and and that's

00:05:00.880 --> 00:05:08.080
going to impact their everyday movement. So, for  sure we want to think about power training. Yeah.

00:05:08.080 --> 00:05:13.600
Specifically. Yeah. and speed of movement as  well. So yeah, when they're using the equipment

00:05:13.600 --> 00:05:21.600
like looking at that like velocity as well as  the power and the research overall has shown

00:05:21.600 --> 00:05:31.600
the ability to reverse some of this attenuate  the loss of this. Where is the research at?

00:05:31.600 --> 00:05:35.520
Yeah, I'll try to answer some of this. I think  we're in the midst, this is like kind of a crucial

00:05:35.520 --> 00:05:41.600
time right now where we're learning exactly  what exercise is doing to affect the brain

00:05:41.600 --> 00:05:47.600
and make changes in someone that has Parkinson's.  There's current research going on right now and so

00:05:47.600 --> 00:05:51.840
we're we're kind of all I think the Parkinson's  community is waiting for that research to come

00:05:51.840 --> 00:05:55.680
out. I mean, there is research definitely about  the benefits of strength training in terms of

00:05:55.680 --> 00:06:01.440
improving balance and overall quality of life, but  in terms of directly affecting brain change, we're

00:06:01.440 --> 00:06:08.160
getting there and we're um we're we're close to  like really figuring out what exactly is happening

00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:14.000
within the brain of those people that have  Parkinson's disease. Yeah, I should want to add

00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:22.320
to that. I should have asked and the answer is do  we know exactly? Um, we're getting closer. I think

00:06:22.320 --> 00:06:28.080
we know that like basically there are some nice  studies out of in terms of aerobic conditioning

00:06:28.080 --> 00:06:33.120
in terms of um like Dr. Jay Alers out of the  Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Kirkus out of Northwestern,

00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:38.080
he's doing a lot of research in terms of exercise  and and brain change for people with Parkinson's.

00:06:38.080 --> 00:06:42.640
And I think we're still learning. We still have  a lot to learn and we're still learning a lot

00:06:42.640 --> 00:06:48.400
more about how exercise is directly um impacting  and changing as I mentioned the brain and those

00:06:48.400 --> 00:06:53.200
people that have Parkinson's. There are a lot of  other conditions that people experience where it

00:06:53.200 --> 00:06:59.680
seems like early intervention usually leads to  better results. Is it the same with Parkinson's?

00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:06.480
Absolutely. Exercise has been shown to help delay  the onset of the first motor symptom and diagnosis

00:07:06.480 --> 00:07:14.000
of Parkinson's. Um, and there are studies going on  to look at that that neuroprotective effect. It's

00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:19.920
been shown in animal models, but more and more  research is coming out in humans on how exercise

00:07:19.920 --> 00:07:25.200
can be protective against even getting Parkinson's  in the first place, which is really exciting.

00:07:25.760 --> 00:07:29.440
And just to add one more thing about  with the strength training research,

00:07:29.440 --> 00:07:35.360
not only are people their muscles getting stronger  with strength training, but [snorts] they also are

00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:40.880
doing outcome measures like the UPDRS, which  is looking at people's motor symptoms. So like

00:07:40.880 --> 00:07:46.880
really Parkinson specific outcome measures. And  in the courose group that Angie mentioned, they

00:07:46.880 --> 00:07:52.480
use that outcome measure where they're actually  measuring people's motor symptoms like the brady

00:07:52.480 --> 00:08:00.720
kinesisia ability to do things functionally. Um,  and they see improvements in motor symptoms up

00:08:00.720 --> 00:08:07.520
to even like two years out. So there's even some  long-term studies out there in strength training.

00:08:07.520 --> 00:08:13.600
What's an example of one of you mentioned UPDRS,  was that correct? Yep. unified Parkinson's disease

00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:20.560
rating scale. That's how the neurologists kind of  grade someone's Parkinson's. So, it's looking at

00:08:20.560 --> 00:08:26.320
like their fine motor skills and how do they  do getting up out of chairs and walking and

00:08:26.320 --> 00:08:33.120
thinking skills. So, it's a way to grade all of  their Parkinson specific symptoms. And so, they

00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:38.560
use that outcome measure in some of the studies.  And in the CCOS group, they have a study that was

00:08:38.560 --> 00:08:44.560
up to two years out and showed that people were  able to make improvements in that rating scale

00:08:44.560 --> 00:08:50.640
both initially like at a 6-mon mark and then up to  two years out. So I think what's neat is we know

00:08:50.640 --> 00:08:54.960
that people with Parkinson's not only can they  actually get their muscles stronger, but they can

00:08:54.960 --> 00:09:00.960
also have an impact on their actual Parkinson  symptoms as well with resistance training.

00:09:02.080 --> 00:09:07.280
Angie, as you alluded to, that's a big change  from what was happening 30 years ago. Yeah, it

00:09:07.280 --> 00:09:11.680
is. It's exciting. I think as physical therapists  working in the field for this long is exciting

00:09:11.680 --> 00:09:15.920
to know that you can actually make a difference  and you can help people not only get better but

00:09:15.920 --> 00:09:22.400
stay better for longer periods of time. I think I  will mention too in terms of like like what we've

00:09:22.400 --> 00:09:27.520
learned in the just in fitness in general even  in physical therapy that there was a time where

00:09:27.520 --> 00:09:32.880
we weren't challenging and pushing people like  we needed to. So we've learned over the years

00:09:32.880 --> 00:09:36.560
that we need to challenge people more and push  them because they can do more than they realize

00:09:36.560 --> 00:09:41.520
they can do. So I think that's kind of changed  and that's where we're at too is we want to push

00:09:41.520 --> 00:09:47.280
them in to where they can hit their optimal like  learning point where we want to challenge them to

00:09:47.280 --> 00:09:52.560
a point that it's doable but but difficult as well  as most of us say if it's not challenging it's

00:09:52.560 --> 00:09:56.800
not changing. So we know we need to push them a  little bit more than what we had been doing in the

00:09:56.800 --> 00:10:02.240
past. Right. Obviously, we want to do everything  progressively and safely, but it seems like if

00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:08.640
we bubble wrap and we're a bit too conservative,  it's actually really not to the benefit or optimal

00:10:08.640 --> 00:10:13.120
benefit of that individual. So, beyond training,  what other healthy behaviors are out there in

00:10:13.120 --> 00:10:18.320
terms of research like nutrition, recovery, or  even the social aspect like community involvement,

00:10:18.320 --> 00:10:22.720
which I know is a big part of your center,  what role do the other factors play outside

00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:27.920
of resistance training in improving quality  of life for these people uh with Parkinson's?

00:10:29.600 --> 00:10:33.360
Yeah, I don't know if you want to say anything,  Jill. You've been working in the community as

00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:37.040
well about the or the center as well about the  community aspect, you know, working with the

00:10:37.040 --> 00:10:44.560
people in the classes. Yeah, I think community is  a huge part of um feeling to everybody's health,

00:10:44.560 --> 00:10:50.240
especially in this setting when you have PD or a  neurological disease, sometimes it can be really

00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:56.560
isolating or you feel um as though you're kind of  facing it alone. And having a center like this,

00:10:56.560 --> 00:11:00.320
they have that sense of community and support.  They're able to kind of see other people walking

00:11:00.320 --> 00:11:05.280
in their same shoes. And being here in the  community, too, I think that they feel that

00:11:05.280 --> 00:11:10.160
they are, you know, taking care of themselves.  They're being successful. They're taking control

00:11:10.160 --> 00:11:16.240
of their life back away from Parkinson's in a  way. So, it's it's we see it every day and I think

00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:21.840
it's one of the the best parts of the center. and  they can, you know, support each other, encourage

00:11:21.840 --> 00:11:29.760
each other, um, and then just be sounding boards  sometimes too for each other. Awesome. Anything to

00:11:29.760 --> 00:11:34.000
add? Yeah. And I would just like to add too,  sorry, I was just going to say like the care

00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:39.440
partner aspect too. we've been a a community where  we not only the people with Parkinson's can come

00:11:39.440 --> 00:11:44.960
together and have that social aspect but the care  partners are able to come together and you know

00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:50.080
just maybe just walking around the track when  their loved ones are in class but that's been

00:11:50.080 --> 00:11:55.920
really key too here at the center that we have the  care partners able to come together and socialize

00:11:55.920 --> 00:12:00.800
well it's a nice natural segue into the center  which I want to discuss let's just go back to care

00:12:00.800 --> 00:12:09.280
partner for a second for someone who's maybe not  familiar with that term what is that exactly Okay.

00:12:09.280 --> 00:12:15.280
So, it's basically anyone who anyone who is  involved in the member's life and it could be,

00:12:15.280 --> 00:12:21.520
you know, a spouse, it could be a child, it  could be um a significant other, a friend. So,

00:12:21.520 --> 00:12:26.720
it's anybody that you know is involved  with that member. And that's the whole

00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:32.960
sense of community too. Doesn't have to be  the spouse. So, it's a variety of people.

00:12:33.920 --> 00:12:41.120
Excellent. And let's talk about the center, the  Kirk Gibson Center for Parkinson's Wellness.

00:12:41.120 --> 00:12:49.360
Like I said, located in Farmington Hills,  Michigan. When did the center officially open?

00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:56.400
August 11th was our first assessment that we did  with people. And so, it's been lots of planning

00:12:56.400 --> 00:13:03.440
in the meantime, though. So, the foundation itself  has been around for a long time. and they've been

00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:08.880
funding projects around the state of Michigan and  Angie you can probably describe even better but

00:13:08.880 --> 00:13:14.800
they've been funding classes in the community for  people with Parkinson's but really had this vision

00:13:14.800 --> 00:13:21.040
of the center coming together as one place  to provide exercise and educational programs

00:13:21.040 --> 00:13:26.480
for people with Parkinson's and for their care  partners and so the foundation's been planning

00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:32.160
this for a few years now and then Angie and myself  came on board around March of this past year and

00:13:32.160 --> 00:13:37.440
have been working on planning the center and  then brought on some of our core coaches like

00:13:37.440 --> 00:13:44.080
Jill to help us continue planning. But our first  official day of doing assessments was August 11th

00:13:44.080 --> 00:13:50.640
and then our first classes started September  3rd. So we are brand new ramping up and we've

00:13:50.640 --> 00:13:57.040
had a lot of interest. We have over a thousand  members interested in becoming members with us

00:13:57.040 --> 00:14:05.200
and beginning that registration process and we've  assessed over 450 people. Um, and a lot of those

00:14:05.200 --> 00:14:10.800
members have already taken classes. So, we are  busy and loving what we do. Incredible. And Angie,

00:14:10.800 --> 00:14:16.720
maybe I can zoom out for one second. We can just  hit on the overall foundation's mission. Yeah,

00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:24.000
for sure. So, um, when Kirk was diagnosed in 2015  with Parkinson's, he, um, they started the Kirk

00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:28.880
Gibson Foundation, he had a foundation on, but  his focus kind of turned a little bit more towards

00:14:28.880 --> 00:14:34.080
helping the community, the Parkinson's community.  So, initially the, uh, Kirkson Foundation, as

00:14:34.080 --> 00:14:40.480
Emily mentioned there, they were providing grants  to a lot of organizations here in Michigan to help

00:14:40.480 --> 00:14:46.240
uh, fund research and fund um, classes for people  with Parkinson's. And then they realized several

00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:52.320
years ago um two or three years ago that Kirk  Kirk was like I want to do more. And so with

00:14:52.320 --> 00:14:59.360
a wonderful group of volunteers and Steveir and  Wall-E and Bill board members they decided that

00:14:59.360 --> 00:15:04.080
um they really wanted to start this center. And  so the mission really Kirk's mission and the and

00:15:04.080 --> 00:15:09.280
the cent's mission, the foundation I should say,  mission was to really improve the the quality of

00:15:09.280 --> 00:15:16.080
life for people living um with Parkinson's through  the the development of this delivery and delivery

00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:22.400
of a activity based program. So that was their  mission when they started about getting the the

00:15:22.400 --> 00:15:28.720
center going. And so now the vision of the center  is really to uh inspire people with Parkinson's to

00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:34.640
really live their best lives through we mentioned  community movement and education. So we do offer

00:15:34.640 --> 00:15:41.760
some educational programs as well. Excellent. I  mean it's so exciting to be a part of that and

00:15:41.760 --> 00:15:45.920
to see this come to life. I mean you're at you  know this is grassroots level and it's really

00:15:45.920 --> 00:15:50.640
cool to now have people coming in open up the  doors on August 11th and here we go. I I imagine

00:15:50.640 --> 00:15:55.600
there's been so much planning and now you're in  the action phase which is great. So I'm curious

00:15:55.600 --> 00:16:01.360
to know more about the education aspect and maybe  some of the courses or workshops that you offer in

00:16:01.360 --> 00:16:08.400
this space. Have Emily [clears throat] talk about  the education. So the educational class that we

00:16:08.400 --> 00:16:13.520
have to offer is called roadmap to wellness. And  the purpose of that was almost like an extended

00:16:13.520 --> 00:16:19.200
orientation or a debrief from the assessment for  our members because from all of our experience

00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:24.720
working in the clinic and in the community setting  with people with Parkinson's, we know that people

00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:29.360
really need that guidance and that coaching  to feel confident to keep coming and really

00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:36.640
know what exercise is best for them individually  based on their goals. So, we developed that as a

00:16:36.640 --> 00:16:43.120
every other Tuesday class offering that members  and their care partners can also come to um and

00:16:43.120 --> 00:16:47.440
it's to just provide them additional guidance on  which classes might be best for them, whether they

00:16:47.440 --> 00:16:51.840
want to improve their balance or their endurance,  what are they currently doing for exercise. So,

00:16:51.840 --> 00:16:59.200
it just allows us an opportunity to meet with  those members. We have about 20 people who come to

00:16:59.200 --> 00:17:04.160
those classes and they maybe have already gotten  started with classes and are coming and so it's

00:17:04.160 --> 00:17:10.080
a way to just guide them more specifically on like  how often should they be exercising? Which classes

00:17:10.080 --> 00:17:17.440
should they come to? Um so just giving them that  extra extra attention and guidance and coaching.

00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:23.760
We also talk about goal setting. So just really  thinking about setting smart goals since we know

00:17:23.760 --> 00:17:28.480
people usually just have generic goals like I want  to slow the progression of Parkinson's. And so we

00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:34.240
help them really figure out what exactly does that  mean? How can we use the exercise guidelines from

00:17:34.240 --> 00:17:40.800
the Parkinson Foundation to inform, you know, what  type of exercise we're encouraging you to come to.

00:17:40.800 --> 00:17:46.080
So yeah, we really love that educational class  and we definitely see it evolving as our members

00:17:46.080 --> 00:17:52.400
needs continue and we'll plan to offer even more  educational classes in the future once we figure

00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:58.880
out what people what topics people want to  know about. That's fantastic. I I love the

00:17:58.880 --> 00:18:02.480
attention to detail and the thoughtfulness  about having the care partners. I can see

00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:08.480
how that could be just a huge piece of the  puzzle and and you had mentioned earlier PE

00:18:08.480 --> 00:18:13.920
um you know the PD diagnosis can it can feel  isolating. So to have those care partners be

00:18:13.920 --> 00:18:19.280
involved is is a great idea and awesome. And I'm  sure you know you're not just impacting the lives

00:18:19.280 --> 00:18:23.600
of people with PD and improving those lives.  I'm sure the care partners walk away with a lot

00:18:23.600 --> 00:18:30.560
more education as well. For sure. Yeah. So let's  talk about the team that you built there. Angie,

00:18:30.560 --> 00:18:34.800
maybe you can start and hit on that and then  you know feel free to chime in Emily about your

00:18:34.800 --> 00:18:38.800
role and Jill your role but I'm curious to know  like okay what's the team look like over at the

00:18:38.800 --> 00:18:45.120
center right so as we mentioned we the Kirkipsson  Foundation started this process before we came on

00:18:45.120 --> 00:18:51.200
board so big shout out to them that they've been  supportive along the way so um Emily and I were

00:18:51.200 --> 00:18:57.760
hired in March I'm the director of programming and  so really part of my job is you like hiring the

00:18:57.760 --> 00:19:02.720
coaches and getting the team going So I think one  of the things we've been really fortunate about

00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:09.280
here at the Kirk Kirkpson Center is that we have  been able to hire a really core group of coaches

00:19:09.280 --> 00:19:14.160
that are physical therapists who specialize  in Parkinson's physical therapy assistants. So

00:19:14.160 --> 00:19:18.960
excited about that. And then the other coaches  we hire have been excellent as well. So we've

00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:24.000
been able to hire personal trainers, fitness  professionals who have great knowledge about

00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:28.000
Parkinson's. they've already been working in the  community teaching boxing classes, teaching power

00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:34.320
moves classes, teaching yoga, teaching Tai Chi,  specifically for the Parkinson's population. So,

00:19:34.320 --> 00:19:38.800
I don't know about y'all, but I feel really  fortunate. I feel like our coaches have been

00:19:38.800 --> 00:19:45.120
awesome. Truly amazing. They've been really the  glue that has like really I think really kept,

00:19:45.120 --> 00:19:49.520
you know, just exciting part of the center. Um,  everyone, all the members love to come to the

00:19:49.520 --> 00:19:54.480
classes. We've had really great feedback about  all of our coaches and classes. So that is uh

00:19:54.480 --> 00:19:59.200
that's been pretty exciting for me to see. Um as  being involved in this Parkinson's community for

00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:04.080
so long as Emily I mentioned it's kind of like a  dream job for me to be able to come here and and

00:20:04.080 --> 00:20:08.560
do what I love to do every day. And then being  surrounded by all these awesome coaches has been

00:20:08.560 --> 00:20:13.280
pretty pretty awesome. Yeah. Sharing. And Jill,  I'm going to pivot to you. Maybe you can expand

00:20:13.280 --> 00:20:21.520
on your role. Yeah. So, I'm a coach here at the  center and we've been focusing on power classes,

00:20:21.520 --> 00:20:28.480
the Parkinson's um specific exercise groups. We  do cardio drumming, there's boxing for Parkinson's

00:20:28.480 --> 00:20:34.480
and then so I teach and coach classes, assist  in other classes and just helping people kind

00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:40.080
of we also do the strength cardio classes with  the Keiser equipment and using that equipment.

00:20:40.080 --> 00:20:45.120
It's a very popular class. The participants really  like the feedback that they get on the screens.

00:20:45.120 --> 00:20:49.760
And so we can use that feedback to help them get  the full range of motion which sometimes can be

00:20:49.760 --> 00:20:55.440
lacking the symmetry from right to left because  sometimes one side is less mobile or engaged than

00:20:55.440 --> 00:21:00.080
the other side. And then also helping them to try  and create those powerful movements to help them

00:21:00.080 --> 00:21:05.680
kind of um then carry that over into functional  movements like the sit to stand or um getting up

00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:10.560
and down from the floor and then even into you  know their balance and stability with walking.

00:21:12.160 --> 00:21:16.560
Totally. I just want to give a quick shout out  to Jill too that she's been a key member from the

00:21:16.560 --> 00:21:22.320
admin side. So, as you mentioned, Gabe, it's been  very grassroots. So, along with everything Jill

00:21:22.320 --> 00:21:26.960
just mentioned from a coaching aspect, we also  have relied on our coaches to even help build some

00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:32.480
processes from the beginning with like getting  the physician approval form and helping us with

00:21:32.480 --> 00:21:38.640
mindbody and member communication. And I think the  great part about this team is we have a core group

00:21:38.640 --> 00:21:44.400
of coaches that are helping us build the ship as  we are sailing, we we say, or building the plane

00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:50.960
as we're flying it. So having someone like Jill on  board is awesome because not only can she coach,

00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:56.480
but she can also bring strong admin skills.  And when you when you know the person side

00:21:56.480 --> 00:22:02.880
of it when you're coaching, it also helps you on  the back end with building the plane. and that's

00:22:02.880 --> 00:22:08.320
necessary for a long-term growth. Just wanted to  give a shout out to her and our other key coaches

00:22:08.320 --> 00:22:15.680
who have helped us in these grassroots times  to get everything built. Addition in addition,

00:22:15.680 --> 00:22:20.720
Jill is one of our key assessment purpose. So,  we do assessments throughout the week. Our key

00:22:20.720 --> 00:22:26.320
assessments are on Tuesdays and Thursdays and we  really rely on these key coaches to do do a really

00:22:26.320 --> 00:22:32.400
thorough assessment. So, we've been fortunate to  bring on board these coaches to help us do that.

00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:39.520
It's become very efficient. So, we're we're very  fortunate for their expertise. Angie, you read my

00:22:39.520 --> 00:22:44.240
mind. I was going to go right into assessments.  So, let's go to the onboarding process. Now,

00:22:44.240 --> 00:22:50.640
I'm curious to know what this looks like for a new  client, a new individual. Um, what's I don't know

00:22:50.640 --> 00:22:56.320
the term that you use as a client. Yeah. So, we  use the word the word member. Um, okay. Thanks.

00:22:56.320 --> 00:23:01.920
he can talk you through that. Um, so yeah, so  essentially someone registers on our website

00:23:01.920 --> 00:23:06.000
to become a member with us. So again, a member  is a person with Parkinson's who's interested

00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:11.760
in coming to the center and then they get a copy  of the physician approval form. So essentially,

00:23:11.760 --> 00:23:18.000
it's just confirming that they have been diagnosed  with either Parkinson's or Parkinsonism like PSP,

00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:24.800
MSA, vascular Parkinson's. So just making sure  that a movement disorder neurologist and or

00:23:24.800 --> 00:23:30.560
primary care physician signs off on that diagnosis  and says they're ready to start exercising. And

00:23:30.560 --> 00:23:37.120
then once we get that form back from them, they  are able to sign up for an orientation. So the

00:23:37.120 --> 00:23:41.280
orientation is where they come in and they get  a tour of the center and learn more about our

00:23:41.280 --> 00:23:46.640
programs. It is a very large building. So what's  great about the orientation is just people being

00:23:46.640 --> 00:23:52.640
able to walk around and know where things are,  get familiar with the process and then they come

00:23:52.640 --> 00:23:58.880
in for that assessment. And so that's about 90  minutes where they go through various tests like

00:23:58.880 --> 00:24:04.560
the mocha which is a cognitive test and then  in addition looking at their mobility so five

00:24:04.560 --> 00:24:10.720
times sit to stand, six minute walk test looking  at their endurance. Getting up off the floor is

00:24:10.720 --> 00:24:16.240
a really important one because we do have yoga  classes and our power moves classes where people

00:24:16.240 --> 00:24:20.080
are getting on the floor. So that's probably  one of the most challenging skills we make

00:24:20.080 --> 00:24:25.360
people do. So we do make sure in our assessment  we're screening for that. Um and then once they

00:24:25.360 --> 00:24:33.280
go through that assessment, we will place them in  one of four levels of classes. So the blue group

00:24:33.280 --> 00:24:40.400
we call it is people who are very independent. So,  they're maybe exercising a lot already, you know,

00:24:40.400 --> 00:24:46.560
going on two-mile walks a day, maybe doing other  exercise classes in the community, still working.

00:24:46.560 --> 00:24:53.200
Um, and then the levels kind of go down from  there functionally. So, then orange, people in

00:24:53.200 --> 00:24:58.640
the orange group need have more limitations, might  be moving slower, have more cognitive deficits,

00:24:58.640 --> 00:25:04.320
and then green. And then the yellow group, those  individuals are typically using more walkers.

00:25:04.320 --> 00:25:08.640
Maybe they aren't able to get all the way to  the floor. So, we do primarily either sitting or

00:25:08.640 --> 00:25:14.960
standing exercises. But in each of those classes,  we do challenge people. We want to make sure that

00:25:14.960 --> 00:25:19.440
we're taking the evidence that's out there,  challenging people beyond their self- selected

00:25:19.440 --> 00:25:25.200
effort like Angie was talking about. So, in every  class, we do optimize that challenge. It's just a

00:25:25.200 --> 00:25:30.800
matter of matching the individual to the class  and and really thinking about how we pace the

00:25:30.800 --> 00:25:36.720
exercises, how we set up the exercises to meet the  individual where they're at. And that's really the

00:25:36.720 --> 00:25:44.000
purpose of the four different levels. Fantastic.  So these individuals come in, you mentioned some

00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:50.080
of the assessments, six minute walk, getting off  the floor, sit to stand, they're now bucketed into

00:25:50.080 --> 00:25:59.360
these different groups. Mhm. Is the goal to move  to another group in terms of functionality? Stay

00:25:59.360 --> 00:26:03.120
at the same one and that's just where you're  at and now you're working through what you're

00:26:03.120 --> 00:26:10.320
capable of. How do we measure progress? Yeah,  great question. So, and we tell the members this

00:26:10.320 --> 00:26:16.240
upfront at orientation that the purpose of the  assessment is to guide placement into those one

00:26:16.240 --> 00:26:22.240
of four levels, but it can be flexible. So, even  we've already had it that a member actually came

00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:27.680
into my office the other day and said, "Emily, I  know you said the level's flexible and I feel like

00:26:27.680 --> 00:26:34.080
the orange class is too easy, so I want to move  up to blue." And I loved that because the member

00:26:34.080 --> 00:26:39.680
had really great self-awareness. And I looked back  at his assessment, reviewed his health history and

00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:44.400
how he did. I had made a note that he was a little  bit in between levels. So, I said, "Absolutely,

00:26:44.400 --> 00:26:49.600
let's push you up." So it can come from the  member, you know, not maybe feeling challenged in

00:26:49.600 --> 00:26:54.880
class and wanting to make that switch or even the  coach potentially noticing something. So that's

00:26:54.880 --> 00:27:00.720
where the the teamwork aspect comes in. So let's  say Jill's teaching a class and she has a member

00:27:00.720 --> 00:27:06.160
who's just doing really well and looks like they  can absolutely handle a better class. You know,

00:27:06.160 --> 00:27:10.720
Jill could make the recommendation to move them  up. Or maybe it goes the other way where someone

00:27:10.720 --> 00:27:15.760
has more deficits than we originally saw in the  assessment. We might need to move them down. So

00:27:15.760 --> 00:27:22.480
someone can move levels within the first week  of class, the first month. Um even at we will

00:27:22.480 --> 00:27:28.080
reassess every six months and maybe someone's  very dedicated and they're coming every day

00:27:28.080 --> 00:27:34.480
and hey they've improved and now they're scoring  more in the blue category. Let's move them up. Or

00:27:34.480 --> 00:27:39.040
maybe someone had a fall or hospitalization and  they need to move down. So that's all going to be

00:27:39.040 --> 00:27:44.480
part of our coaching process and our communication  with the members is, you know, meeting them where

00:27:44.480 --> 00:27:49.680
they're at, knowing things can change over time.  Of course, our goal is to keep people in the level

00:27:49.680 --> 00:27:54.960
they're at. So it is kind of like a functional  staging where, you know, if someone's in the green

00:27:54.960 --> 00:27:59.680
level class and they're optimally challenged,  what if we can keep that person in the green level

00:27:59.680 --> 00:28:04.560
class after 5 years? That's pretty amazing, right?  And they're going to be getting the benefits of

00:28:04.560 --> 00:28:10.320
that and being able to exercise at that level.  Um, yeah, and I did want to just mention too,

00:28:10.320 --> 00:28:15.520
InMotion, um, they also follow this approach  as well. So, with the different color levels,

00:28:15.520 --> 00:28:20.640
that's a a nonprofit wellness center for people  with Parkinson's in Cleveland, Ohio, and they are

00:28:20.640 --> 00:28:26.800
also following the same approach of having people  exercise in four different levels. So, we are kind

00:28:26.800 --> 00:28:33.120
of following the same process as them, and we're  all learning as we implement it. I would say two

00:28:33.120 --> 00:28:38.160
things stand out to me. One, it's the last thing  you just mentioned. Progress isn't necessarily

00:28:38.160 --> 00:28:42.560
changing to a more functional level, but it's  staying in the same level for a long period of

00:28:42.560 --> 00:28:47.440
time, which really like, right? And then two, it  sounds like you're always constantly assessing.

00:28:47.440 --> 00:28:52.880
You mentioned Joe leading some of the classes,  making recommendations, but then every six months,

00:28:52.880 --> 00:28:59.280
it sounds like there's a more formal reassessment.  Is that correct? Correct. Yeah. And then, yeah,

00:28:59.280 --> 00:29:04.960
so every Go ahead. And that might be a time that  we reassess and see that there's been a change

00:29:04.960 --> 00:29:10.800
and maybe they would evolve or move up to another  color level. So if they haven't been someone that

00:29:10.800 --> 00:29:17.120
was an active person or exercising and now they've  been exercising for 6 months, their mobility may

00:29:17.120 --> 00:29:22.960
have changed and so they might be able to work  in a higher level. Awesome. And in terms of

00:29:22.960 --> 00:29:30.960
availability of the center to these members, is  this 7 days a week? is at 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

00:29:30.960 --> 00:29:37.120
What are we talking about here? So, our hours of  operation right now are Monday through Friday.

00:29:37.120 --> 00:29:42.800
The doors open at 8:30, they close at 5. So,  we have most of our classes during um that time

00:29:42.800 --> 00:29:47.760
frame. We do offer some evening classes because  we know there are people who have Parkinson's that

00:29:47.760 --> 00:29:52.640
are still working. So, we do offer two evening  classes, Tuesday evening and Wednesday evening,

00:29:52.640 --> 00:29:59.440
and we'll be adding more evening classes as we  continue to grow. And I think like long term

00:29:59.440 --> 00:30:04.560
we we would like to be open like on Saturdays  eventually. So that is something we're looking

00:30:04.560 --> 00:30:10.560
into down the road. Not yet, but we know there  is some demand for that. So we're definitely

00:30:10.560 --> 00:30:16.080
uh considering that at some point. Terrific.  All right. So it's been a few months. What's the

00:30:16.080 --> 00:30:22.160
feedback been like? How are things going? So far,  I think we've had really great feedback. Everyone

00:30:22.160 --> 00:30:27.280
is really excited to come. The coaches are  really the feedback from everyone. the coaches,

00:30:27.280 --> 00:30:32.560
the members, the care partners. Yeah. Just like  like being in the classes, teaching. We all teach

00:30:32.560 --> 00:30:37.600
classes as well in addition to Jill. So, it's  really it's fun just like walking through the

00:30:37.600 --> 00:30:43.520
center. It's, you know, some days are it's pretty  busy and exciting to see members just even just a

00:30:43.520 --> 00:30:50.080
group of members sitting around doing a puzzle  together. Um, so I I think it's it's pretty

00:30:50.080 --> 00:30:57.360
exciting to to see the community come together and  have a have a a place to just come be together,

00:30:57.360 --> 00:31:03.040
socialize, just almost like kind of walk in the  door and leave their worries behind, so to speak.

00:31:03.040 --> 00:31:12.000
So that's been that's been great to see. Anything  else to add from anybody or I don't know if we

00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:16.320
talked about it very much, but we have some other  classes that maybe don't get as much notice as

00:31:16.320 --> 00:31:22.960
some of the the strength conditioning and taichi  is the we have speech and brain builder classes.

00:31:22.960 --> 00:31:30.640
We have art classes, singing and dance for PD and  those are those are great classes. It really taps

00:31:30.640 --> 00:31:35.760
into, you know, other people's interests and it's  open to all levels. So, those are great classes

00:31:35.760 --> 00:31:41.840
that our members really enjoy, too. Yeah. Really  cool. It seems like this is not just a fitness

00:31:41.840 --> 00:31:46.000
class, right? But a more holistic approach to  wellness, which is really awesome. And Jill,

00:31:46.000 --> 00:31:52.320
question for you. Being a physical therapist, do  you have specific physical therapy services that

00:31:52.320 --> 00:31:58.880
you're also providing if needed? Um, yeah. So,  currently we're a community- based program. So,

00:31:58.880 --> 00:32:04.720
all of our classes are group classes. So, the  members still, you know, see their neurologists

00:32:04.720 --> 00:32:12.640
and um primary care doctors and get those um  services as needed. Really cool. And now I'm

00:32:12.640 --> 00:32:17.120
curious, I know you're in the early stages  with some of the Keiser equipment. You have

00:32:17.120 --> 00:32:25.520
other equipment there as well. I'm curious why you  chose to go with Keiser and the impact that that

00:32:25.520 --> 00:32:34.320
has had on your members so far. understanding  there's a long way to go, right? I think,

00:32:34.320 --> 00:32:39.280
you know, I wasn't personally involved in  the original research of the equipment,

00:32:39.280 --> 00:32:45.200
but I do know just from what we've learned that,  you know, the Keiser equipment, number one,

00:32:45.200 --> 00:32:51.840
it's safe. And I think just thinking about like  how you like thinking about when you go to any

00:32:51.840 --> 00:32:56.560
type of gym, typically when you go to work on a  machine, it's those plates you just, you know,

00:32:56.560 --> 00:33:02.080
you can increase it by five or 2 and a2 pounds.  What's great about the Keiser equipment is just

00:33:02.080 --> 00:33:07.520
the fact that it you gradually can increase it and  it's just so easy. They, you know, just with their

00:33:07.520 --> 00:33:13.280
thumbs, they up the they up the resistance or, you  know, take it down. So, it's just so much easier

00:33:13.280 --> 00:33:18.720
to use the equipment for people with Parkinson's  versus the other traditional type equipment. So, I

00:33:18.720 --> 00:33:24.240
I think that was like one of the main reasons. And  then as Jill mentioned, just the feedback we can

00:33:24.240 --> 00:33:31.120
get from the screen for them, that visual feedback  of, am I doing full range? Do I have enough power?

00:33:31.120 --> 00:33:36.080
How does right compared to left? So that's been  really key when the end of the members working on

00:33:36.080 --> 00:33:41.200
the equipment. They can we can say to them, here's  where I want you to go with each rep or, you know,

00:33:41.200 --> 00:33:47.440
put more speed or power into it. So that's been  really great in terms of the feedback that they

00:33:47.440 --> 00:33:54.480
get with each piece of equipment. Can I also add  to that is what I really love is everyone's going

00:33:54.480 --> 00:34:00.160
to get a login. So they're going to be able to see  over time that they're getting stronger and a lot

00:34:00.160 --> 00:34:05.200
of the studies that are out there in resistance  training is it needs to be progressive. So of

00:34:05.200 --> 00:34:09.920
course increasing someone's weight over time and  if you think about Parkinson's and the fact that

00:34:09.920 --> 00:34:16.160
it's a dopamine deficiency and dopamine is our  reward chemical. So, anytime that we can reward

00:34:16.160 --> 00:34:21.520
people and give them that real-time feedback  that, hey, you're getting stronger, you know,

00:34:21.520 --> 00:34:26.560
over time, that's going to be very rewarding for  them, that's going to really get their dopamine

00:34:26.560 --> 00:34:32.240
circuits going. And that's probably why in the  research we see such improvements in people's

00:34:32.240 --> 00:34:38.400
Parkinson symptoms is that they're getting  rewarded by seeing those improvements in their

00:34:38.400 --> 00:34:43.200
strength. And the machine is going to give them  that feedback, not only real time on like, yes,

00:34:43.200 --> 00:34:48.240
great job. you're going through the full range of  motion, but even getting that those results over

00:34:48.240 --> 00:34:54.960
time to say, "Wow, I'm able to do, you know, more  resistance and I'm getting stronger." So, I think

00:34:54.960 --> 00:35:00.000
that's another really great part about the Keiser  equipment, too. Yeah. Interesting point about the

00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:04.640
dopamine deficiency. I wasn't aware of that. So,  thanks for sharing that little nugget. Oh, yes.

00:35:04.640 --> 00:35:10.480
We're all about the dopamine over here. We'd like  to share our dopamine here. I will say too like in

00:35:10.480 --> 00:35:15.840
terms of the Keiser equipment, we've kind of just  started that process of some of the members at

00:35:15.840 --> 00:35:19.280
least in the blue and orange group have gotten  pin numbers. So when they get on the machine,

00:35:19.280 --> 00:35:24.320
they have their individual pin number. They get  logged in. So all of the reps and how much weight

00:35:24.320 --> 00:35:28.960
they're using is saved right on the machine.  So we're just starting that process right now.

00:35:28.960 --> 00:35:35.200
Um I think just learning how to use the the  machines, the equipment has been a the first month

00:35:35.200 --> 00:35:40.800
just going through that has been um a process  which is great. Now we're we're really excited

00:35:40.800 --> 00:35:45.920
about taking it to the next step. Speaking with  Landon and the research team there at Keiser about

00:35:45.920 --> 00:35:50.960
what do now that we've learned how to use the  equipment the members have, where do we go from

00:35:50.960 --> 00:35:55.920
here in terms of uh the research aspect of it.  Right. Well, it's really exciting and appreciate

00:35:55.920 --> 00:35:59.360
you sharing all this information and and the  exciting things that are happening there. So,

00:35:59.360 --> 00:36:03.680
as we look forward, right, understanding that we  just started in August 11th, we opened the doors.

00:36:03.680 --> 00:36:09.680
Looking forward for the next few years at the  Kirk Gibson Center, are there any new programs,

00:36:09.680 --> 00:36:17.920
initiatives, partnerships, anything that you see  in the horizon that you're really excited about?

00:36:17.920 --> 00:36:22.240
So many things [clears throat] that I'll let  you guys add. So, I'm like, we are growing. We

00:36:22.240 --> 00:36:27.920
are growing. I think it's exciting. We in terms of  programming, we're we have been able to and we're

00:36:27.920 --> 00:36:32.480
plan on partnering with several organizations.  Emily mentioned in motion. There's another

00:36:32.480 --> 00:36:37.520
organization here in Michigan called the Michigan  Parkinson's Foundation. They have they provide a

00:36:37.520 --> 00:36:43.200
lot of education for people with Parkinson's. So,  they've already have come into our center and on

00:36:43.200 --> 00:36:48.960
Wednesdays um Wednesday mornings they offer a PD  101 class. They're offering care partner support

00:36:48.960 --> 00:36:54.240
classes as well as support groups for people with  Parkinson's. So, we're really fortunate to be able

00:36:54.240 --> 00:36:59.280
to partner with the Michigan Parkinson's  Foundation in Motion and we are, you know,

00:36:59.280 --> 00:37:07.440
fortunately looking to uh down the road uh  partner with other organizations as well.

00:37:07.440 --> 00:37:12.160
I would say too, just to add to that, like  because it's so unique what we're doing,

00:37:12.160 --> 00:37:18.000
we're learning as we go, right? So even when we  survey our members and see how it's been going

00:37:18.000 --> 00:37:22.560
on their end, is there something we learn  from that where it's a certain program they

00:37:22.560 --> 00:37:29.600
want to add or feedback that they have on the  process, we're using that information to keep

00:37:29.600 --> 00:37:35.760
bettering our processes because we are so new and  developing it as we go. So I think just looking

00:37:35.760 --> 00:37:41.520
internally to say what's working well, what do  we need to change, making sure we're surveying

00:37:41.520 --> 00:37:47.760
our members and giving them what they want and  what they feel they need as well because it is

00:37:47.760 --> 00:37:54.960
a community and we want to make sure that people  feel comfortable here and we're decreasing stigma

00:37:54.960 --> 00:38:02.160
and we're getting the user experience as well. So,  we're excited to continue to evolve things based

00:38:02.160 --> 00:38:09.280
on member feedback and care partner feedback as  well. Awesome. So, if anyone is listening in and

00:38:09.280 --> 00:38:19.280
wants to learn more about either the foundation or  the center, where's the best place for them to go?

00:38:19.280 --> 00:38:29.120
Well, we have our website, kirkgson umcenter.  Awesome. And any social media accounts? Kirk

00:38:29.120 --> 00:38:36.080
Gibson Foundation. Simple. We can be found  on Facebook and Instagram as well. Facebook,

00:38:36.080 --> 00:38:42.800
Instagram, I think LinkedIn as well. Awesome.  So, question for the group. I I appreciate your

00:38:42.800 --> 00:38:47.120
time today and expanding on all these things  related to, you know, Kurt Gibson Center,

00:38:47.120 --> 00:38:50.720
Parkinson's, and the benefits of resistance  training. Is there anything that you didn't

00:38:50.720 --> 00:38:54.160
have the opportunity to share that you would  like to share with somebody listening in?

00:38:57.680 --> 00:39:03.360
I'll just make a quick point about a quote that a  member said recently that I think really captures

00:39:03.360 --> 00:39:09.840
what we're trying to do and he said I feel like  I belong here and that really hit me because we

00:39:09.840 --> 00:39:15.600
as Jill mentioned stigma is really big. When you  have a neurodeenerative condition, you might not

00:39:15.600 --> 00:39:22.640
feel confident to, you know, go to a gym or go to  a regular yoga class because you've got a tremor

00:39:22.640 --> 00:39:28.160
and you're nervous about your balance, right?  And so what we're trying to do here is decrease

00:39:28.160 --> 00:39:34.320
that stigma, help people feel comfortable, really  capitalize on the social aspect and the community

00:39:34.320 --> 00:39:40.560
part, and then um and I think that's how we get at  the holistic approach. And then by the way, we're

00:39:40.560 --> 00:39:45.280
also going to offer you evidence-based exercise  that can help you slow the progression. And so I

00:39:45.280 --> 00:39:51.440
think just highlighting that community aspect and  how powerful that is and you know the community

00:39:51.440 --> 00:39:57.440
part I think is so important and using that to  help people get buy in into exercise because

00:39:57.440 --> 00:40:03.120
we are really challenging them with the classes  that we're doing and and we want to you know take

00:40:03.120 --> 00:40:09.040
take some advice from Kurt Gibson our fearless  leader who helps us put an athletic flare on

00:40:09.040 --> 00:40:14.800
things right where it's you can have Parkinson's  but still feel athletic and come use the Keiser

00:40:14.800 --> 00:40:19.360
equipment and train like you're an athlete. So, I  think that's really important is how people feel

00:40:19.360 --> 00:40:26.000
when they come in here is really important to us  and what we're building as a culture here. So,

00:40:26.000 --> 00:40:33.600
just wanted to put that part out there as well.  And just add adding to that um many many members

00:40:33.600 --> 00:40:38.640
have said it's just providing this sense of  hope. There is hope that like just because

00:40:38.640 --> 00:40:44.560
you have Parkinson's doesn't mean it's a diagnosis  of doom and and gloom. Like this center provides

00:40:44.560 --> 00:40:50.320
such a sense of hope when people come in and as  one another member said Craig is like Michael

00:40:50.320 --> 00:40:55.520
J. Fox foundation is there to find the research  for the cure. Kirk Gibson Center is here to help

00:40:55.520 --> 00:41:03.280
provide that high quality of life so people can  live long enough to find that to get that cure.

00:41:03.280 --> 00:41:07.360
Yeah. Excellent. I appreciate the insight there  and it's really nice to hear and for me sitting at

00:41:07.360 --> 00:41:11.600
my desk at home it's great to see people who are  so passionate about this and I think it's really

00:41:11.600 --> 00:41:16.000
well thought out. I think what sticks out to me in  this conversation is yes, the services are there,

00:41:16.000 --> 00:41:19.600
right? You have the classes, you have the  assessments, you have relationships with

00:41:19.600 --> 00:41:25.200
medical professionals, but the way that that's  delivered is through community, through support,

00:41:25.200 --> 00:41:30.320
and I think it's really well thought out and it's  really awesome to see and I I imagine, you know,

00:41:30.320 --> 00:41:34.080
there's a reason why this will be really  successful for a long period of time. So,

00:41:34.080 --> 00:41:38.640
I I appreciate your time for hopping on today.  Angie, Jill, and Emily, thank you so much.

00:41:38.640 --> 00:41:44.720
I will put in the notes resources, links to the  website where people can go and learn more. But

00:41:44.720 --> 00:41:49.440
I appreciate you taking 50 minutes or so out of  your days to sit down with us and teach us more

00:41:49.440 --> 00:41:52.720
about the Kirk Gibson Center and Parkinson's  disease. And I really appreciate your time. So

00:41:52.720 --> 00:41:59.920
on behalf of Keiser, thank you so much. Thank you.  Thanks. You got it. We'll talk soon. Sounds good.