home

For more than 2 years, cyclists from Oriental’s biking community and people with Parkinson’s Disease have teamed up on tandem bikes. Local physical therapist Jennifer Smart based the Park’nRide program on the idea that exercise is medicine and that cycling in particular could help ease the symptoms of the movement disorder. With the stronger cyclist, or captain, in the front seat setting the pace of 85RPM for 45 minutes, the person with PD on the back seat has to keep up, something many could not do on their own.

On Saturday April 29 2017 from 6a-11and again from 2:30 til about 6p Jennifer and participants in thePark’nRide program will have tandems set up in front of The Bean to demonstrate and talk about how this “forced exercise” works. (More captains are needed for the growing number of people with PD who want to take part.)