This fall, Lakewood Health System launched a new Parkinson Wellness Recovery (PWR!) class, made possible through the generosity of the Lakewood Health System Foundation. The class is led by Michelle Anderson, PTA, who is specially certified to teach Parkinson-specific exercise.
What began as a vision by Anderson has quickly become something much more: a place to move, connect and rediscover hope.
“I just want the people who need it to be helped,” Anderson says, adding. “It’s so much more than a class now — it’s a community.”
How the class came to Lakewood
Anderson has worked with people with Parkinson for nearly nine years and has seen firsthand how targeted movement can change lives.
When she joined Lakewood’s therapy team, she also noticed a growing number of patients with Parkinson in our rural communities as well as a gap in ongoing, group-based support.
Traditional therapy models often focus on short-term, one-on-one treatment. Anderson believed her patients needed something beyond that.
“They still need to keep exercising,” she says. “And I kept thinking, we could do this together.”
She pursued specialized PWR! certification, worked with leadership to bring the class to Lakewood, and collaborated with team members across departments to
Today, 10 to 14 participants regularly gather twice a week to work on strength, balance, coordination, cognitive skills and reaction time through boxing drills, cycling, circuits, and functional movements, oftentimes tailored to each person.
Anderson has also developed specialized stations designed to build confidence and safety in everyday life. One of the most impactful teaches participants how to fall backward safely onto a large cushion and mat — tucking their heads, avoiding injuries to wrists or shoulders, and learning strategies that may prevent serious harm in a real-world fall.
But if you ask the participants, the benefits go far beyond exercise.
Pam Robinson, of New York Mills, was diagnosed with Parkinson in 2016 at age 54. For years, she participated in Rock Steady Boxing in Fergus Falls, but winter driving and distance eventually became barriers. Her sister-in-law spotted the new Lakewood class on social media and encouraged her to join.
The last two years, she says, felt like Parkinson “really took over the center of our minds.” The class has helped reclaim some of that ground.
“To be with people, to be in a community that’s not just battling, but putting Parkinson in its place, it’s humbling, but it’s also empowering,” Robinson says, adding. “I’ve remembered that I can still do things. I’m clawing it back.”
One defining moment came when Anderson asked the group to get down on the floor. Robinson has knee replacements and hadn’t been on the ground — or gotten back up — in nearly 10 years. With mats, a chair and careful guidance, she did it.
“It gave me a safe place to find out I can still get down and get back up,” she says. “That changed how I see myself.”
Her motivation is shared with her husband (who is at her side at every class), her children, her grandchildren and the belief that movement is a way of holding onto the parts of herself she loves.
Gary Kobernick, 64, of Staples, is new to life with Parkinson. He was officially diagnosed about five months ago after about four years of unexplained symptoms. He received a letter in the mail about the class, and his wife encouraged him to try it.
“I decided I was going to go for it,” he says. “It gets me out of the house a couple times a week. And I really enjoy it.”
He’s already noticed significant improvements like better breathing, steadier balance on the stairs, and more stamina for yard work and everyday chores.
“I like seeing what I can do and how far I can push myself,” he says. He also does the exercises at home each day. “About half an hour. That helps a lot.”
What keeps him coming back is simple: It’s the movement and the people.
“I didn’t know any of them before. The faces are familiar now. I know I can stop and visit with them.”
Betty Johannes, 79, of rural Leader, was diagnosed about three years ago. Ongoing therapy has been important for her, and her therapists encouraged her to add the Parkinson Wellness Recovery class.
She started in September and has only missed a couple of classes.
“I really enjoy the friendships,” she says. “I didn’t know any of these people before, but I like all of them. We’re trying new things together, and it keeps me thinking about what I need help with.”
She visits her neurologist at Struthers Parkinson Center in Minneapolis every six months. At her most recent appointment, they were pleased with her progress.
“I think the therapy helped and this class too,” she says. “I live at home and I want to stay there. This helps me keep moving in that direction.”
Johannes laughs describing the group pedaling, boxing, balancing and chattering during the class time.
“They’re exercising and they don’t even realize how hard they’re working, because they’re enjoying it,” she says. “We even challenge each other.”
More than a class
For Anderson, watching the group grow together has been one of the most meaningful parts.
From day one, she saw friendships forming. People who once felt alone in their diagnosis discovered others who understood. Spouses and caregivers found support.
Lakewood team members regularly stop in to volunteer, cheer participants on, and witness the determination in the room.
“I really think of this group as a team,” Anderson says. “They care about each other. They hold each other accountable. They give each other hope.”
Participants describe the class as a lifeline — physically, emotionally and socially. They talk about the relief of not having to explain themselves, the comfort of shared humor, and the strength they draw from each other’s stories.
As Robinson puts it simply: “We’re a community group now.”
Powered by generosity
The Parkinson Wellness Recovery class at Lakewood is offered thanks to the Lakewood Health System Foundation and the generosity of donors who believe in helping patients live well with Parkinson close to home.
For Anderson and the participants, that support is felt every single week.
“We have strangers supporting us,” Robinson says. “They may not know our names, but they’re investing in us — and that gives us so much hope.”
Interested in joining or supporting the program?
If you or your caregiver are interested in joining Lakewood’s Parkinson Wellness Recovery class, call Lakewood’s rehab department at (218) 894-8427.
If you’d like more information on how to support programs like this through the Lakewood Health System Foundation, contact David Jeremiason, Foundation Development Officer, at (218) 894-8711, or donate online at the Foundation Page.