Parkinson’s UK and Places Leisure have agreed a new programme of tailored sessions to help more people living with Parkinson’s to get active and live well with the condition.

Places Leisure’s new Shout and Move pilot is a 12-week physical activity programme that launches at five sites this month.

Jonny Pickering, Head of Healthy Communities for Places Leisure, said: “We know that physical activity has many benefits, one being improvement in brain function.

“This is why this pilot is so important, particularly as Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world and there are currently around 153,000 people in the UK living with the condition.

“We are excited to see the results over the coming months and continue working with Parkinson’s UK in the long term.”

Shout and Move will be offered at five Places Leisure locations across England, with the focus on being active in a fun, social and engaging way.

The five Places Leisure sites are:

• Andover Leisure Centre, Andover

• Graves Health and Sports Centre, Sheffield

• West Bromwich Leisure Centre, Birmingham

• Waltham Abbey Leisure Centre, Waltham Abbey

• Wycombe Leisure Centre, Wycombe

The pilot will focus on promoting fitness, mobility and wellbeing for people living with Parkinson’s, while also creating awareness and understanding of the condition in local communities.

Tim Morton, Physical Activity Programme Lead at Parkinson’s UK, said: “We are delighted to be working with Places Leisure on the delivery of their new Shout and Move project for people living with Parkinson’s.

“We hope that more people will be able to take advantage of the new offer in the selected areas and be able to live well with their Parkinson’s.

“Being active is one of the best ways to manage Parkinson’s symptoms as regular physical activity can improve both long-term physical and mental wellbeing. Plus, physical activity offers great social opportunities for people with Parkinson's to enjoy."

Places Leisure instructors will also receive specialist training from Parkinson’s UK to give them a better understanding of the condition and help them work with the Parkinson’s community to deliver more effective physical activity programmes.

The 12-week programme will include weekly physical activity classes with each session featuring structured exercises from trained instructors. As part of the programme participants are also encouraged to ‘shout’ and sing during the physical activity to better support them with breath control, voice projection and also help raise endorphin levels.

People with Parkinson’s, their relatives and carers are all welcome to participate and each class costs £2.50 per person. Classes can be booked through the Places Leisure online booking system.

All participants receive complimentary 12-week gym-only memberships, including an induction and regular catch-ups with a Level 3 GP Exercise Referral instructor. At the end of the 12-week pilot, participants will be given the opportunity of joining the Exercise Referral Scheme membership at a discounted rate.