Move on up

𝙵𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚗𝚎𝚠𝚜𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎 🚀

We’ve just hit a new 𝓶𝓲𝓵𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓷𝓮: our very first newsletter has officially been sent!

Inside, you’ll find updates, key highlights, and a glimpse of what’s coming next.
This is only the beginning — and there’s so much more ahead.

It’s now available on our website.
If you missed it, you can catch the first edition in the link you find in BIO ☝🏻

👉 Go check it out and subscribe to receive the next editions straight to your inbox.

𝓦𝓮’𝓻𝓮 𝓳𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓰𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓮𝓭. 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝔂 𝓽𝓾𝓷𝓮𝓭. ✨

🌿 𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐣𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐧 & 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 – 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦,

The Parkinzone Association, in collaboration with the “Gabriele d’Annunzio” University of Chieti–Pescara, offers online Taijiquan classes once a week to patients affected by Parkinson’s disease: a regular appointment dedicated to caring for the body and nurturing mental well-being.

Taijiquan is a discipline that combines slow, flowing movements with deep breathing, creating a natural harmony between body and mind.
This practice provides a holistic experience, promoting both physical and emotional well-being.
Several studies have shown that Taijiquan is effective in improving balance, postural stability, and coordination, helping to reduce the risk of falls.
Through slow, controlled, and balancing movements, Taijiquan enhances proprioception and body awareness in space, helping people feel more confident in their everyday movements.

✨ Main benefits:
✔️ improved balance and postural control
✔️ better coordination
✔️ reduced stiffness
✔️ increased body awareness
✔️ support for mental well-being and inner calm
💻 Online classes make it possible to practice comfortably from home, in a guided way that respects each person’s individual pace.

The Direção-Geral da Saúde, in Portugal, has launched the "Manual on Adapted Physical Activity for People with Parkinson’s Disease", an important resource that brings together scientific evidence and practical guidance for professionals, people living with Parkinson’s and caregivers.

We would like to highlight the contribution of Ju Domingos and Catarina Godinho, both team members of the MOVE ON UP project, as authors of this manual. Their work has been essential in shaping a document that is rigorous, accessible and truly people-centred.

We encourage the reading and sharing of this manual, which represents a meaningful step towards more informed and inclusive practices in adapted physical activity for Parkinson’s.

https://www.dgs.pt/em-destaque/manual-de-atividade-fisica-adaptada-para-pessoas-com-parkinson-o-novo-manual-da-dgs-pdf.aspx

🎓 Empowering professionals, improving lives.

One of the core goals of the Move On Up project is to strengthen the skills of healthcare and rehabilitation professionals working with people with Parkinson’s.

The recent training course on Rehabilitation and Exercise for Parkinson’s is a clear example of how knowledge, collaboration, and continuous education can transform care.

Through initiatives like this, we move closer to a future where every professional feels empowered — and every person with Parkinson’s receives the support they truly deserve.

Egas Moniz School of Health & Science Young Parkies Portugal

𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧’𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 – 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞.

Research shows that individuals who take an active role in understanding and managing their symptoms can improve their function, confidence, and quality of life. Effective management is not about one single strategy, but about combining the right steps, consistently.

Key steps for effective Parkinson’s management include:

• Learning how to recognise symptoms early
• Communicating effectively with healthcare professionals
• Identifying and addressing contributing factors
• Combining appropriate pharmacological and non-pharmacological options
• Continuing education to stay informed about new interventions

Parkinson’s care evolves – and so should the tools, knowledge and support available to the community.

The Move On Up programme was created to empower people living with Parkinson’s with accessible, evidence-based education and movement-based interventions, designed to support long-term wellbeing and autonomy.

Because effective management starts with informed action.

𝗠𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗢𝗡 𝗨𝗣 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 – 𝗥𝗶𝗷𝗲𝗸𝗮, 𝟮𝟮 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 🌊🇭🇷

The MOVE ON UP consortium gathered in beautiful Rijeka for its first onsite project meeting! 💬✨
It was an inspiring day filled with collaboration, shared visions, and fresh energy to keep moving forward together. 💪🤝
We strengthened our common goals and laid the foundations for an even brighter future! 🌍💡

Reunião do Projeto MOVE ON UP – Rijeka, 22 de outubro de 2025

O consórcio MOVE ON UP reuniu-se em Rijeka no dia 22 de outubro de 2025 para o seu primeiro encontro presencial do projeto. Este encontro proporcionou uma oportunidade para reforçar os objetivos comuns.

A Professora Isa Félix fez uma apresentação sobre o trabalho desenvolvido pela Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, contribuindo para o foco do projeto em estratégias inovadoras e aprimoradas para pessoas que vivem com a doença de Parkinson.

💪 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟒 𝐄𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧’𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞

For people living with Parkinson’s, exercise is one of the most powerful tools — and the best results come from balancing different types of training.

According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, an effective routine should include:

🏃‍♂️ 𝐀𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐜 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞 - 3 days per week, with at least 30 minutes of continuous or intermittent activity (like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming).

🏋️‍♀️ 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 2 to 3 days per week, 10 to 15 repetitions, with special focus on extensor muscles.

🤸‍♂️ 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥-𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 2 to 3 hours per week, including multidirectional stepping, weight shifting, reaching, and coordination exercises that challenge both body and mind.

🧘‍♀️ 𝐅𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 - at least 2 to 3 days per week, ideally every day, to maintain mobility and reduce stiffness.

The secret is in combination: blending movement, strength, coordination, and flexibility keeps the body active and the brain engaged.

👉 Find your balance.
The most important thing is to move — and keep moving.

𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧’𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬? 🏊‍♀️

Yes - especially if the alternative is doing nothing. When motivation is low, the best exercise is the one you’ll actually do.

But the ideal approach combines all three types of movement:
✔️Essential PD exercises – tailored to the specific needs of Parkinson’s.
✔️General exercises – to support overall health and mobility.
✔️ Personal preference exercises – the ones that bring joy and consistency.
Together, they create the perfect balance between therapy, fitness, and pleasure.

The most important thing is to 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐎𝐧 𝐔𝐩!