This month Arsenal in the Community launched our new Walking Football Programme for people with Parkinson’s disease. As well as providing a safe space to play, the programme offers people of any age and ability level with Parkinson’s an opportunity to socialise and receive support.
Run every Wednesday from 12pm to 1:30pm by our Health and Wellbeing Coordinator, Rhys Ratcliffe, the sessions aim to provide a fun, safe and effective session for people with Parkinson’s disease to exercise in a controlled environment, facilitated by Arsenal in the Community coaches.
The sessions include resistance exercises to help improve and maintain muscle mass, cardiovascular exercise to improve and maintain heart and lung function and coordination and mental stimulation, which have all been shown to help slow the progression of Parkinson’s to some extent.
People with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s often have limited opportunity to exercise due to the symptoms of their conditions, and they often feel unable to join mainstream exercise programmes due to physical inability or fear of not fitting in.
Sessions such as these allow participants to not only work at their own pace with people that have similar limitations, but also allow for a support group element, where participants can discuss shared experiences and socialise with peers.
If you’d like further information, email Rhys Ratcliffe at rratcliffe@arsenal.co.uk
Physical activity can help slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease – a key aim of Arsenal in the Community’s new session
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