Twice a week in Lake Forest, more than a dozen people gather to play ping pong. What’s special about this group is that each of the players is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. They play to try to slow the progression of their disease.
“For me, tremors haven't arrived yet, but gait issues, some balance issues, some cognitive issues come into play,” said Mike DeBartolo from Winnetka.
DeBartolo was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system, six years ago, but has had symptoms for 13 years.
“People can move more slowly with Parkinson's. They can have some rigidity. They can have balance issues and then they also can suffer non-motor symptoms, so they can have an apathy, anxiety, depression,” said
Linda Egan, the Parkinson’s Program Coordinator for Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital.
“Our mission here at Lake Forest Hospital is to provide innovative programming to those individuals with Parkinson's and help them to promote exercise, well-being, support and socialization,” Egan said.
That’s why DeBartolo teamed up with Egan to create the Parkinson’s Players program, which involves playing golf and tennis in the summer months and now Ping Pong in the winter months.
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“Many of us grew up playing in our basements. I mean, who knew that we were exercising and that it was going to affect our brain function in a positive way,” Egan said.
A study by the Fukuoka University School of Medicine in Fukuoka, Japan found that people with Parkinson’s who participated in a Ping Pong exercise program once a week for six months showed improvement in their Parkinson’s symptoms.
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“It focuses on strength, balance, hand eye coordination, rhythmic movements, and motor planning, all of which are affected in Parkinson's disease,” Egan said.
Rick Moon from Wauconda is on board. He attends the twice weekly sessions offered at the Lake Forest Health & Fitness Center.
“I was a PE teacher for 37 years, so I always knew the importance of play and now I find it’s really helpful in this stage,” said Moon, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s about a year and a half ago.
“I think for those of us with Parkinson's, it's even puzzling why it works. But for me, I think it is this cognitive, spatial recognition of there's a ball coming towards us, we've got to move our hand in ways that maybe we aren't so comfortable doing,” DeBartolo said.
Since launching in December, the classes have not only help participants with their coordination, but also created comradery and friendly competition.
“Oh my gosh, this is a very competitive group. It's a lot of fun,” Egan said.
“What this program has done, more than keep us active, is made friendships and that's a beautiful thing,” DeBartolo said.
Anyone with Parkinson’s can join in for the free sessions offered Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Lake Forest Health & Fitness center and on Saturdays at the Edgewater Fitness Center.
