The Seacoast Parkinsons Wellness Expo Returns to the Community Campus in Portsmouth for the second annual Expo

I was diagnosed with Parkinsons in 2018. It came as a surprise to me only because I had worked so hard to ignore my tremor and fatigue.  After getting the diagnosis I resigned from the position I had held for 15 years. Now what?

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I found a top-notch neurologist in Boston and began taking medications. I also joined every class, group, and presentation I could find in the Seacoast area. It didn’t take me long to discover a powerful truth: the Parkinsons drugs were good; the exercise and social connections were better—life-changing in fact. ​

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Several studies have found that exercise can slow the progression of Parkinsons symptoms in ways that no medication can. But, for some reason, the people I met weren't signing up for classes. Either they didn't know about them or they didn't think the class was for them.  I thought everyone just needed a free sample to get them started.So, I launched the first-ever Seacoast Parkinsons Wellness Expo in 2025. To my surprise, 150 people showed up.

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The theme of the Expo was taking action. Instead of passively listening to presentations, attendees were invited to try a series of demo classes offering everything from boxing and Tai Chi to yoga and art classes. Not only did the event draw a big crowd, the room also had that “buzz.” It was the sound of people coming together and drawing energy from the group experience. 

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