Brittany Dixson

NOTE: The Cycle for Parkinson’s program begins today, Monday, June 29, not July 29, and  offers rolling enrollment through the year.

By Mike Piacentino
Special to UM News

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (June 24, 2015) – With a grant from the National Parkinson Foundation, the UHealth Fitness and Wellness Center is launching a new program, Cycle for Parkinson’s, designed to decrease the symptoms and improve the quality of life for those afflicted with the degenerative neurological disorder. The $22,000 grant will enable people with Parkinson’s disease to participate in a new stationary cycling program beginning Monday, June 29, free of charge.

According to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, almost one million Americans are afflicted with the disease that causes slowed physical movements and loss of motor skills, and almost 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Locally, the South Florida chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association reports that the disease affects more than 7,000 Floridians.

“In an effort to reach more patients within the UHealth system, we are integrating new clinical exercise programs at the UHealth Fitness and Wellness Center,” said certified personal trainer Brittany Dixson, a health fitness specialist at the UHealth center who holds a master’s degree in exercise science. “Programs like Cycle for Parkinson’s enable doctors to refer their patients directly to specialized programming in the local community.”

Dixson worked with Tony Musto, director of fitness programs, and Raeah Braunschweiger, health fitness specialist, to establish the cycling program, which was designed from a Cleveland Clinic study that showed Parkinson’s patients who took part in cycling programs reported up to a 35 percent decrease in their symptoms.

The UHealth program will offer rolling enrollment throughout the year, with 60-minute sessions held twice a week at the UHealth wellness center, located in the Miller School of Medicine’s Clinical Research Building, west of downtown Miami. Parking is available for just $2 per session.

Before enrolling, participants must receive clearance from their physician. To sign up or for more information about Cycle for Parkinson’s, contact the UHealth Fitness and Wellness Center at 305-243-7802 or email [email protected].