When faced with a life-altering health challenge, what does someone need most? Dr. Carole Brafman, a psychiatrist on the voluntary faculty of Mount Sinai, believes it’s support for both body and mind. It’s the reason she made a professional shift from her work as an internist into the field of mental health. “There is such a strong mind-body connection,” she says. The less stressed you are, the more at peace you are, and the better you can physically feel.” Brafman co-runs a new 92NY support group through the May Center’s Spark Your Health initiative for those navigating the challenges of Parkinson’s disease. It’s the emotional health counterpart to PEP! – the Parkinson’s Exercise Program launched by 92NY in 2015 and supported by Mount Sinai.
Physicians at Mount Sinai’s Robert and John M. Bendheim Parkinson and Movement Disorders Center had chosen The 92nd Street Y to develop an exercise program for their patients navigating the challenges of Parkinson’s. “Mount Sinai saw us as the natural partner for this important venture,” says Katera Noviello-Kapoor, Senior Director of Health Promotion, Wellness, Athletics & Spark Your Health. 92NY Associate Director of Group Exercise Programs Karin Lili Ruhe, a certified fitness instructor with specialized training in working with Parkinson’s patients, collaborated with Mount Sinai physicians in developing and launching PEP! The program’s participants – many of whom are referred by doctors at Mount Sinai, Weill Cornell, others in private practice, and physical therapists – are accepted following an intake process and clearance from a physician. The group meets twice a week for highly structured one-hour sessions. The first 30 minutes, led by Ruhe, is focused on gentle aerobic exercises, with an emphasis on coordination, balance, stability, and spatial awareness. The second 30 minutes comprises a group boxing sequence led by Kareem Collins, a fitness and boxing instructor with expertise working with seniors, cancer survivors and more, and is designed specifically to support neurological aspects of Parkinson’s.
“Before PEP!, there was no program like it on the Upper East Side,” says Ruhe. “The exercises really make a difference. The doctors agree – it’s why they refer their patients to us. And as importantly, we’ve built a community.” The growing program is making a real impact. “I was devastated when I got a Parkinson’s diagnosis a year ago,” said one participant, “but I was fortunate to be directed to the PEP! program, where twice a week I move my body in ever-changing combinations for half the class and then master boxing punches! The supportive instructors challenge and encourage us in our battle to slow the progress of this disease.”
The Parkinson’s Support Group is new this fall. Led by Ruhe and Brafman, it meets weekly in ongoing four-week blocks. “The group is only for the diagnosed individual, so the caregiver gets a break – and the individual gets a break from the caregiver,” says Ruhe. “So often the caregiver is coaxing the person in what to say. The intentions are good ones, of course, but it actually isn’t helpful to them. Our format allows people to be more fully themselves.” Brafman says, “Parkinson’s affects everyone differently, but there are some commonalities. The support group brings the chance for people to hear each other and learn from each other. It’s an emotionally supportive environment where people can feel they are not alone.” Another participant says, “This group is an opportunity to share with people like me trying to navigate a new world. I’m so grateful for it.”
Learn more about PEP! here. Details on 92NY’s support group for those with Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions can be found here.