Inspiring inclusion on International Women’s Day
The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8 March was #InspiringInclusion. The Parkinson’s community, including the Excellence Network, shared insights on the day, showing appreciation for women with the condition, and those working within Parkinson’s services, their experiences, contributions and dedication. Read on for a round up of just a few of those.
Listen: Podcast with Richelle Flanagan, Dietitian
The day got off to a great start with a new episode of the North of Scotland Parkinson’s Research Interest Group (NoSPRIG) podcast. Co-hosts Dr Julie Jones and Helga MacFarlane held an insightful discussion with dietitian Richelle Flanagan, who was diagnosed with young onset Parkinson’s 7 years ago, having noticed symptoms just 3 months into her pregnancy.
She has since become the co-founder of the worldwide Women’s Parkinson’s Project and has also created My Moves Matter, a Parkinson’s selfcare app. Visit the Women’s Parkinson’s Project website and find out about the My Moves Matter app.
The podcast draws attention to special considerations to take into account when supporting women with Parkinson’s, including differences in symptoms throughout the menstrual cycle. Richelle references various examples of evidence throughout, while also acknowledging there may still be potential gaps in research.
Read: Celebrating the active Parkinson's community for International Women's Day
The importance of exercise for people with Parkinson’s and how it can help manage their symptoms was highlighted in a dedicated IWD Parkinson’s UK news article.
It included first hand accounts from women with the condition who have made the move to a more active lifestyle. The article also shines a spotlight on women who are contributing to the development of a more active Parkinson’s community, whether that’s through research and spreading the word, or launching their own exercise programmes tailored to the needs of people with Parkinson’s.
Julie, Associate Dean in the School of Health Sciences at Robert Gordon University, champions the importance of exercise and how likely it is to improve the quality of life for people with Parkinson’s. She also leads the Excellence Network Exercise Hub alongside Beccy Oliver. You can read more about the Exercise Hub here.
Beth saw a gap in the provision of physical activity programmes for people living with Parkinson’s and other long term conditions. That’s when she decided to create ‘Bounce Back Exercise’: a service with online and in-person sessions that bridges that gap and helps people with Parkinson’s reap the benefits of becoming and staying active. Visit the Bounce Back Exercise site to find out more.
Maria and Sally, Chartered Physiotherapists, head up Reach Your Peak, an online gym for people with Parkinson’s and with a rooted interest in exercise. Find out more about Reach Your Peak on their website. Last year, the duo decided to scale their platform and create Get Started, a programme for people with the condition who are new to exercise and haven’t yet explored how it could potentially alleviate some of their symptoms.
Read the full Parkinson’s UK International Women’s Day article
Admire: An artistic nod to a few great women in the Parkinson’s community
Jonny Acheson, Parkinson’s Excellence Network’s (PEN) Director of Engagement shared some of his playful illustrations of members of the Excellence Network’s Clinical Leadership Team, and some Parkinson’s UK colleagues, giving a shout out to the work that they do for Parkinson’s.
Check Jonny’s post on X (Twitter)
Hopefully these resources and posts give you some food for thought, and inspire you to think about how the needs of women with Parkinson’s can continue to be fulfilled by professionals.
More news for professionals
Keep up to date with what’s happening around the Excellence Network.