Changing Parkinson's
Parkinson’s disease is a life-changing diagnosis affecting an estimated one in 336 people in the U.S. However, research demonstrates that regular targeted physical activity is one of the most effective ways to slow its progression.
Founded in 2015 by Dublin native Melissa Carlson, a certified personal trainer, pDNextSteps offers a variety of fitness options designed to help people with Parkinson’s maintain active lifestyles.
Now supported by local nonprofit Changing Parkinson’s, pDNextSteps’ impact extends beyond central Ohio.
Fighting Parkinson’s with fitness
After acquiring certification in OhioHealth’s Delay the Disease program, Carlson started her program with just three participants in a boot camp class. However, since opening her gym in December 2018, membership has grown to 130 and counting.
Classes are offered six days a week, mostly in the morning, to accommodate members’ work schedules.
Carlson and other instructors teach classes such as total body conditioning, strength training, tai chi, yoga and more. There’s also a singing class to help with speech and a multitasking class to engage the body and the brain.
“When I first started, one thing that I wanted to be able to offer is variety because repetition is good, but it’s also good to challenge the brain and try different things,” Carlson says.
Carlson says she aims to work within members’ ability levels, sometimes using balance bars or chairs to ensure safety.
“If someone is having some limitations, we can scale the program to meet their needs. We meet them where they’re at,” Carlson says. “But we also push them to be the best version of themselves and really fight the disease as much as they can, working on those activities of daily living and stuff that’s going to keep them living their best life for longer.”
More than movement
Compared to a commercial gym, pDNextSteps classes are tailored to Parkinson’s, based on research findings and emphasize aspects such as strength, balance, aerobic activity and functional movement.
Changing Parkinson's
“I can lift weights all day, but I need to work on bigger movements and stepping over things, like things that my body’s starting to slowly not do on its own. I have to relearn how to do that,” says Jessica Krauser, a pDNextSteps member who was diagnosed with Young-Onset Parkinson’s in 2019 at age 37.
Besides targeted exercise, pDNextSteps also provides community through support groups, holiday parties, game nights and more.
Members often socialize before and after classes, with some enjoying putting a puzzle together or chatting in the lounge area.
Krauser says this social outlet supports mental wellbeing, especially since people with Parkinson’s can experience apathy, depression and anxiety.
“A lot of times, we’re in our own heads that we feel and look worse than what we might be ... so it’s hard for us to just go out anywhere in public,” Krauser says. “So, coming here with a group that knows you and supports you makes it much, much better.”
Changing Parkinson's
Exercise, education, community
In 2024, pDNextSteps joined 5KforJK, a nonprofit that Krauser and her friends, including Carlson, created from a fundraising walk.
Last year, the 5KforJK nonprofit rebranded as Changing Parkinson’s. Its initiatives include supporting pDNextSteps, raising funds through the 5K and raising awareness through The Secret Life of Parkinson’s, a podcast with more than 16,000 subscribers, co-hosted by Krauser, featuring candid conversations and interviews with people with Parkinson’s.
“Changing Parkinson’s is hopefully getting us to change the way people live, think and feel with Parkinson’s just through education that we’re providing them, the community and the exercise programs,” Krauser says.
With donor support, Changing Parkinson’s has also provided 1,400 Wish Kits to people newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s. The kits include items, information and encouragement with notes from pDNextSteps members sharing what they wish they’d known when they were diagnosed.
“My goal is to make sure that no one feels like they’re alone,” Krauser says.
The next step
While Carlson says the gym once relied on word of mouth, Changing Parkinson’s and Krauser’s podcast have expanded its connections. People with Parkinson’s traveling through Ohio sometimes drop in for a class, and through pDNextSteps’s home workout series, individuals across the world are able to participate as well.
Changing Parkinson's
Even with virtual options, members come from many communities, such as New Albany, Westerville, Johnstown and Springfield.
“We have quite a few people coming from the east side of Columbus. We hear from people, ‘I wish this was over (here),’” says Changing Parkinson’s Executive Director Katie Webster. “So that’s definitely an aspiration of ours, to think about how we can expand to reach more people and be more accessible to individuals.”
Additionally, Carlson is creating a certification process so others can start their own program.
“One thing we’ve learned from the podcast and from people traveling around is, ‘I wish I had an exercise program like this,’” Carlson says. “And it’s hard to build community, but also, we want to be able to (tell) someone, ‘You have the passion for this? Here it is. Go for it.’”
Amanda Stevens is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
