Faculty in the Department of Physical Therapy are studying the impact of exercise using telehealth on individuals with Parkinson disease. Eligible participants will be provided exercise instruction over “Zoom” either individually or in a group with other people with Parkinson disease. The exercise sessions will last 1 hour and will be held 2 times per week for 8 weeks. Participants will receive small exercise equipment and a wrist worn heart rate monitor to use while participating in the program and will be able to keep this equipment at the end of the study. Before the beginning of the 8-week program and at the end of the 8-week program all participants will come to Ithaca College for a testing session to examine coordination, walking, balance, and endurance. To be eligible to participate, individuals must have a diagnosis of Parkinson disease, be able to walk safely without help, be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, and have access to a device that can be used with the Zoom platform. Those with medical conditions limiting the ability to exercise or significant cognitive impairment will not be eligible to participate in this study. This project is grant funded by the Parkinson's Foundation and is approved by Ithaca College Institutional Review Board (#271).
If you would like more information about this program, please contact our research team at pdresearch@ithaca.edu or (607) 274-5824.